Cuba, discovery by rental car

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Arrival in Havana

  

  Arrival in Havana (flight not included). Welcome by our representative. Private taxi transfer to your accommodation, where you will be introduced to: Acosta 65: boutique accommodation 5 minutes' walk from Plaza Vieja, a lively colonial square. Breakfast included. ACOSTA 65: 65 Acosta Street, between San Ignacio and Inquisidor, Old Havana.

• day 2

  Discovery of Havana in a 1950s American car.

  

  09:00: Your French-speaking guide will pick you up for a city orientation tour. In a 1950s American car with an open roof, you will drive through the different neighborhoods of the city while the guide explains the history and present of the country. You will also take a walk in the Old Town, from square to square. This way, you will be well oriented to enjoy this trip.

• day 3

  Free day to experience the city of Havana.

  

  Free day in Havana with plenty of things to do: - Try a salsa dance lesson at Casa del Son. - Take the Hemingway route with his house Finca Vigia, the village of Cojimar, or visit the many bars he frequented in the Old Town. - Discover Cuban art at the Museum of Fine Arts and visit galleries or workshops of contemporary painters. They welcome you to show you their art. - Follow the Cuban Revolution route with the museum in the Old Town, the José Martí memorial at Revolution Square, or Che Guevara's command post in La Cabaña Castle. - Take an architecture tour with many recently restored buildings such as the Capitol or the Grand Theater. Or, simply, tour the bars of the Old Town to enjoy the music and mojitos. At 4:30 pm, meet with our representative who will give you explanations about the tour. He will accompany you to the rental office to pick up the car. You have an economy car (Kia Picanto or similar) with insurance included. A 2nd driver can be added to the contract by paying 3 cuc/day. There is a deposit of 150 cuc (to be returned). The insurance does not cover tires and mirrors. We recommend downloading the http://maps.me app with the maps of Cuba. It works as a perfect GPS without the need for Internet access on site.

• day 4

  Road to Viñales

  

  Departure of the tour by car. Today, you take the road to Viñales (3 hours). Suggestion on the way: visit the Las Terrazas Park, a reforestation project in a mountainous area of the Sierra del Rosario. You will visit the village, the reconstruction of a 19th-century French coffee plantation, as well as the waterfalls of the San Juan river (possibility to swim). (Entrance: 10 euros per person). You continue to Viñales, a beautiful valley located in the tobacco region of Cuba. Upon arrival, you will enjoy the view over the Jasmin valley. Overnight stay with locals in the center of Viñales.

• day 5

  Viñales, tobacco region

  

  Free day in Viñales Suggestion: Set out on foot to discover the valley, the mogotes, and especially the tobacco farmers, or take a horseback ride through the fields to visit them and see how they work. The light 3-hour walk ends at Finca Paraiso, an organic farm that you can visit and which offers a superb view of the valley. Here, lunch is recommended, of course made up of food from the garden. (Horseback ride: 15 euros per person for 2 to 3 hours / meal at Finca Paraiso: 15 euros)

• day 6

  Road to the Bay of Pigs, Natural Park

  

  Today, the goal is the famous Bay of Pigs (5 hours by road), where the young Cuban Revolution fought against an invasion supported by the United States. Everywhere, there are monuments. Now, the region is very popular with snorkeling enthusiasts. Suggestion: upon arrival, visit a crocodile breeding center under scientific control. You can see different ponds with crocodiles grouped by age. We stay in a house in Playa Larga, near the beach. Breakfast included. Suggestion: Casa de Carlos and Dayana.

• day 7

  Nature, sea and beach at the Bay of Pigs

  

  You have the day at the Bay of Pigs with plenty of things to do. Suggestions: Here, it's paradise for diving. You just need to show up in the morning at one of the diving centers located in front of the coast (Playa Larga hotel, Caleta Buena, Cueva de los Peces, Hotel Playa Giron, etc.). In the morning, take a walk in nature around the bay. Everywhere you can observe birds, as well as the flora of this marshy area. The walk ends in a cenote, a natural pond in the middle of the forest where you can swim. (Go to the Park Center at the entrance of Playa Larga to buy the 10 euro ticket.) Visit the Museum on the Attack of the Bay of Pigs or go to the Cueva de los Peces, where it is possible to snorkel in the sea just in front of the coast. (Entry 2 euros.)

• day 8

  Route to Trinidad via Cienfuegos

  

  Today, the destination is Trinidad. On the way, you pass through Cienfuegos, a colonial city founded by French settlers 200 years ago. Visit the city center with its eclectic style: Parque Martí, Terry Theater, Prado Boulevard, Palacio Valle, and the Punta Gorda district. Also, at the marina, you will find a boat that crosses the bay and allows you to visit Jagua Castle at the entrance of the bay. (Bay boat: 10 euros) Visit the Cienfuegos dolphin center to swim with the animals in the seawater. (50 euros for swimming) You can observe pelicans and flamingos in Guanaroca Park by small boat (early in the morning: 10 euros). You can go to the mountains behind Cienfuegos and visit the El Nicho waterfalls (entrance: 9 euros). Continue to Trinidad, a colonial city and a "highlight" of your trip (1 hour drive). In Trinidad, you stay with locals in a house in the city center. You have your own room with a private bathroom and air conditioning. Accommodation with breakfast. Suggestion: Casa Cubata.

• day 9

  Free day in Trinidad

  

  Free day in Trinidad. Suggestions: visit the historic downtown with entry to one of the city's museums. Continue with a visit to the Valle de los Ingenios, with Manaca Iznaga or another 18th-century hacienda, still active in sugar cane production (without entry). Other suggestions: head to the mountains to visit the Topes de Collantes park. There are many walks in the forest that end at a waterfall surrounded by vegetation. (Trail to be purchased at the park office in Topes de Collantes: 10 euros for trail entry.)

• day 10

  Free day in Trinidad

  

  Free day in Trinidad Suggestions: spend a day at Trinidad beach, with opportunities for swimming and snorkeling. Another suggestion: from the Trinidad marina (Ancon), boats leave every day to go to the cayos, with a day of snorkeling, a lobster meal, and relaxation. (60 euros per person)

• day 11

  Road to Havana Airport

  

  You continue to Havana airport for your return flight (a journey of 5 to 6 hours). On the way, you pass through the Valley of the Ingenios and the city of Santa Clara. Here is the mausoleum of the hero of the international socialist Revolution, Che Guevara. A museum dedicated to his life is also located here (without entry). You return the car to the rental office at the airport.