I HEART CUBA 2018 TOUR SUMMARY
Enjoy one or both weeks of this trip. The first week covers Havana and Viñales. The second week takes you to Cienfuegos, Trinidad, and Matanzas before heading back to Havana to fly home.
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BLOG POSTS FOR CUBA 2018
Gallery Tour of Cuba
Chiara and her travel partner Barbra Esher have scheduled their next Inner/Outer Travel excursion for Cuba in January/February 2019. They traveled to the island in March 2017 to set venues, meet locals and gather images to share with you. Enjoy this preview of the...
WEEK ONE DETAILED ITINERARY
1. Central Havana (February 17, 2018)
Midday: We arrive in Havana midday on February 17th and check into local accommodations in Old Havana. We are in a European colonial era bed and breakfast, newly renovated, with high ceilings, crystal chandeliers, private balconies, and more.
5pm: Enjoy a Bici Taxi tour of Central Havana. These 3-wheel bicycle-taxis are a peculiar innovative means of transportation that stand out in Havana, and in most of the cities in Cuba.
6pm: We have a reservation for rooftop drinks at La Guarida paladar, famous not only for its delectable dining, but also the location for the film Strawberry and Chocolate. It is housed on the third floor of a large, old town house carrying the charming ambience of the early 1900x. (Price of drinks and/or food not included in tour price.)
7pm: Welcome dinner at Paladar San Cristobal. Located in the heart of Central Havana, this paladar (restaurant) has an excellent reputation for both atmosphere and local cuisine. Enjoy great food while the locale takes you back to the 1940s and 1950s. One claim to fame is that President Obama and Ms. Obama ate here and enjoyed it when he visited Cuba.
2. Old Havana (February 18, 2018)
Start your day with yoga on the rooftop followed by breakfast.
10am: Walking tour of old Havana city. Visit Plaza de la Catedral de San Cristóbal de la Habana. Wander through the Plaza de Armas, a scenic tree-lined plaza formerly at the center of influence in Cuba. It is surrounded by many of the most historic structures in Havana, as well has important monuments. See the Plaza de San Francisco, a cobbled plaza surrounded by buildings dating from the 18th century, dominated by the baroque Iglesia and Convento de San Francisco dating from 1719. Visit the Plaza Vieja, surrounded by sumptuous houses of the Havana aristocracy from the 18th and 19th century.
2pm: Take part in a rumba party at Callejón de Hamel, a neighborhood that has been converted into a cultural center rich in Afro-Cuban religion, art, and dance.
3pm: Visit to a home in Central Havana for a discussion Magia López and Alexey Rodriguez of the hi-hop/jazz duo Obsesión about their experiences and views on race and gender equality in Cuba.
8pm: Dinner reservation at Tierra, Havana’s newest international dining spot. Located inside a container in the Fábrica de Arte Cubano, the restaurant mirrors the eclectic crowd, serving dishes from around the world. (Dinner not included in tour price.)
Following dinner, enjoy live music, art, and dancing at La Fábrica de Arte Cubano. Rock star X Alfonso has turned this into a meeting spot for a young, eclectic crowd of Cubans and foreigners alike.
3. Havana Culture (February 19, 2018)
Start your day with yoga on the rooftop followed by breakfast.
10am: Enjoy an African drumming class. Experience the Afro-Cuban culture directly through their most previous instruments, the drums. A big part of the Cuban population is comprised of African slaves’ descendants, whose religion and music permeated the Cuban culture throughout the island.
5pm: Meet with Barrio Habana, a nonprofit organization that leads a community sports-art program in Old Havana for children, at-risk youth, and elderly people, while also contributing to the preservation of the city’s heritage.
4. Havana to Viñales (February 20, 2018)
Start your day with yoga on the rooftop followed by breakfast.
9am: Behind-the-scenes art tour. Visit several different homes and neighborhoods to tour the studios and galleries of established and up-and-coming Cuban artists.
11am: Depart for Pinar del Río, the westernmost province, famous for its rich soil, tobacco production, and spectacular scenery.
12pm: Stop at Las Terrazas, a small community and nature reserve in the Rosario Mountain Range.
2pm: Guided tour of Las Terrazas community and forest, with a focus on biodiversity, their rural restoration program, and a discussion with local residents.
3:30pm: Visit Cafetal Buena Vista, Cuba’s oldest coffee plantation, build in 1801 by French refugees from Haiti. Ruins of the quarters of some of the 126 slaves help by the French-Cuban owners here can be seen alongside the driers. The attic of the master’s house (now a restaurant) was used to store the beans until they could be carried down to the port of Mariel by mule.
4pm: Continue to Viñales. Considered by many to be the most beautiful place in Cuba, the Viñales Valley is a national monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is encircled by mountains and its landscape is interspersed with spectacular dome-shaped limestone outcrops (mogotes). Traditional techniques are still in use for agricultural production, particularly tobacco, which makes Viñales famous for being the premier tobacco growing area in the world.
6pm: Check-in at newly renovated local accommodations: a bed and breakfast with gardens and rooftop terrace within walking distance to the center of town.
Dinner cooked by our hosts from their gardens at the accommodations is included.
5. Viñales Valley (February 21, 2018)
Start your day with yoga and breakfast.
10am: Enjoy a morning stroll through tobacco fields to learn about the Valley’s most important crop, and other flora and fauna of the area. Stop at the home of a local tobacco farmer, who will teach us about the cultivation and production process, following by a rolling demonstration. He might even light up a cigar or two for the group!
1pm: Visit the Mural de la Prehistoria for pictures and an explanation of the mogote structures.
6. Viñales National Park (February 22, 2018)
Start your day with yoga and breakfast.
10am: Horseback riding in Viñales National Park. Take in the unique and gorgeous scenery of the surrounding mogotes from horseback.
1pm: Visit a local farm to learn about Cuban agriculture and tobacco production.
7. Pinar del Río City (February 23, 2018)
10am: Start our day trip to Pinar del Río City, the province’s capital.
10:40am: Driving tour of Pinar. We will pass by the local baseball stadium and the famous Guayabita Rum Factory as we drive through the city’s main street and see its architectural styles.
11:30am: Visit the studio of Pedro Pablo Oliva, one of the top painters of contemporary Cuban art. Oliva works in multiple mediums: ink on paper, oil paint, and bronze sculptures are all included in his dossier.
1:00pm: Visit to the Love and Hope community program in Pinar del Río. This program, offering art and other courses for community members with Down Syndrome, has had an important impact locally.
3pm: Return to Viñales.
8. Cueva del Indio (February 24, 2018)
Start your day with yoga and breakfast.
10am: Take a boat ride through the natural cave of La Cueva del Indio.
Afternoon: Attend salsa lessons to learn the moves of Cuba’s most famous type of dance.
7pm: Farewell group dinner at a local paladar.
Evening: Hit the open-air disco, located in the center of town, for fun dancing with locals.
Finish your trip by heading back to Havana airport tomorrow, or extend your trip for another week to see more of the island of Cuba (details below).
WEEK TWO EXTENSION DETAILED ITINERARY
9. Viñales to Cienfuegos (February 25, 2018)
Morning: We leave Viñales in the morning after breakfast for a long drive to Cienfuegos in a comfortable mini-van, stopping for rest and lunch along the way.
7pm: Check-in and welcome dinner at a local casa particular (private accommodation), known for its delicious and authentic Cuban cooking (included).
10. El Nicho Waterfalls (February 26, 2018)
Start your day with yoga and breakfast at the casa particular.
10am: Depart for El Nicho tour. Up the mountains of Cienfuegos, you will experience a fairytale-like atmosphere at El Nicho, a collection of a dozen waterfalls and natural pools surrounded by pristine landscapes. Remember to bring your swimsuit. If you dare, you can even jump off the highest waterfall into the lake below.
Arrive back in the late afternoon and enjoy a walk along the harbor, just a few blocks from our casa particular, and dinner on your own.
11. Trinidad (February 27, 2018)
Start your day with morning yoga and breakfast at the casa particular.
Morning: Enjoy a tour around Cienfuegos after breakfast, learning about the history and architecture of this beautiful city. Or, if you prefer, take in some snorkeling at a nearby beach. (Either is included.)
Afternoon: After we drive to Trinidad and check into our casa particular, we take a step back in time and tour Trinidad, Cuba’s third oldest city. The Cuban government has invested heavily in the conservation of this area, and you can see architecture that dates back to the 18th and 19th centuries. Your professional guide will help you imaging what life in Trinidad was like 200 years ago. The tour takes you down the main streets and through the city squares, including Plaza Major and Plaza Real del Jigüe. It also stops at a local history museum to see the exhibits on Trinidad’s development.
During the tour, you will sample Cancháchara, a local refreshment, at a bar by the same name. This cocktail originated centuries ago in Trinidad, and is made from rum, honey, and citrus served in a clay cup. There will be ample opportunity for shopping at the end of the tour in a local craft market.
12. Manaca Iznaga Valley (February 28, 2018)
Start your day with yoga and breakfast at the casa particular.
After breakfast, we drive to the Manaca Iznaga valley, and the Valle de los Ingenios, with the ruins of 25 sugar mills. It’s a scenic area with lots of empty and repurposed buildings set against a backdrop of lush greenery and mountains.
In the valley, you can take a ride on an old-fashioned steam train that used to transport sugar, but now transports visitors to eh Guachinango Farm, where the sugar barons used to run their operation. You can also find the Manaca Iznaga Tower nearby. AT 147 feet (45m) tall, this tower served as a lookout point for the overseers.
13. Matanzas (March 1, 2018)
Start your day with morning yoga and breakfast at the casa particular.
After breakfast we drive to Matanzas, checking into our accommodations in the afternoon.
After dinner on our own, we will try to local some local rumba or danzon (included) and hope we are successful.
14. Matanzas (March 2, 2018)
Start your day with yoga and breakfast at the casa particular.
Morning: After breakfast, we will enjoy snorkeling nearby (included).
Afternoon: In the afternoon, we will take a tour of Matanzas, including the beautiful views of the city, the Museo Farmaceutica, Categral de San Carlos Borromeo, and the Lolo Galeria-Taller.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Week One Only
February 17 - 25, 2018- Includes Havana and Viñales destinations only. Fly into José Martí International Airport (Havana) on Feb 17, 2018; fly home from José Martí International Airport (Havana) on Feb 25, 2018.
- $200 discount if paid in full by Oct 1, 2017
- Add 3% if paying by credit card.
- Deposit: $1,000 (saves your spot; balance due by Nov 15, 2017 – see Additional Information below)
- Single Supplement: Additional $400
Week Two Extension
February 25 - March 3, 2018- Includes Cienfuegos, Trinidad and Matanzas destinations. Continue from Viñales on Feb 25, 2018; fly home from José Martí International Airport (Havana) on Mar 3, 2018.
- $100 discount if paid in full by Oct 1, 2017
- Add 3% if paying by credit card.
- Deposit: $500 (saves your spot; balance due by Nov 15, 2017 – see Additional Information below)
- Single Supplement: Additional $300
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Included
- Coordination of all listed activities
- All lodging
- Admission to all museums and public buildings listed in the itinerary
- Professional, bilingual guide for listed activities
- Local ground transportation for listed activities, including airport transfers
- Meals specifically listed in the itinerary
- Pre-trip departure information
- Compliance with U.S. Treasury Department regulations
- Speaker fees
Not included
- Round trip airfare: Do not book your flight(s) until we have confirmed your registration.
- Cuban visa: We can connect you with a company that can process visas for a $100 fee, or you can purchase a visa from your airline.
- Airline baggage fees
- Meals not specifically listed in the itinerary (a typical meal without alcohol is about 10-15 CUC – or about $10-15)
- Individual lodging expenses (mini bar, room service, laundry fees, etc.)
- Tips for local guides and drivers: Recommended tips for guides and drivers range from $12 to $20 per person per day depending on group size.
Payment
Payment can be made with a check, cashier’s check, or money order. Credit cards are also accepted with a 3% surcharge on posted fares. Checks must be made payable to Inner Outer Travel and mailed to:
Inner Outer Travel
450 Carvel Beach Road
Baltimore, MD 21226
Refunds
All sales are final. Cancellations made before November 1, 2017 are eligible for a 50% refund. No refunds after November 2, 2017. In some instances, time permitting, a registered traveler may find a replacement for a $350 processing fee.
Passport and Visa
All travelers are required to carry a valid U.S. passport and a Cuban visa. Visas are available through the airlines for $50-100. Important: Those without a valid U.S. passport will not be allowed to enter Cuba. Passports must be U.S. issued. Foreign passports are allowed only in conjunction with a valid U.S. Resident Alien card (“green card”) or valid U.S. visa. Chiara Yoga and Inner Outer Travel are not responsible for lost or stolen passports in Cuba.
Responsibility Statement
Chiara Yoga and Inner Outer Travel serve only to assist in making necessary travel arrangements for its participating members, and in no way represents, or acts as agent for, transportation carriers, hotels, and other suppliers of services connected with this tour. Therefore neither Chiara Yoga or Inner Outer Travel are liable for any injury, damage, loss, accident, delay, or other irregularity which may be caused by the defect of any vehicle or the negligence or default of any company or person engaged in performing any of the services involved. Additional, responsibility is not accepted for losses or expenses due to sickness, weather, strike, hostilities, wars, natural disasters, or other such causes. All services and accommodations are subject to the laws of the country in which they are provided. Chiara Yoga and Inner Outer Travel do not accept liability for any airline cancellation or delay incurred by the purchase of an airline ticket. Baggage and personal affects are the sole responsibility of the owner at all times. Chiara Yoga and Inner Outer Travel reserve the right to make changes in the published itinerary whenever, in its sole judgment, conditions so warrant, or if they deem it necessary for the comfort, convenience, or safety of the tour participants.
Chiara Yoga and Inner Outer Travel also reserve the right to decline to accept any person as a participant in the tour, or to require any participant to withdraw from the tour at any time, when such an action is determined to by an appropriate staff representative to be in the best interests of the health, safety, and general welfare of the tour group, or of the individual participant.
There is a moderate level of physical activity involved in the tour, and the tour may require participants to walk long distances and climb stairs. The participant accept any risks thereof and the conditions set forth therein, and agree to release and hold harmless Chiara Yoga and Inner Outer Travel and any of their officers or representatives from any and all liability for delays, injuries, or death, or for the loss of or damage to a participant’s property however occurring during any portion of the tour.