- ✓ Cruise through Havana in a vintage classic car and soak up the city’s colonial charm
- ✓ Horse ride through the tobacco fields of Viñales with local guajiros
- ✓ Wander the cobbled UNESCO streets of Trinidad, alive with music and colour
Go local in Cuba, staying in privately-run B&Bs as you explore the island. If you’re after an authentic experience, you’ve found it. During this unique 2-week trip, you’ll mainly stay at a ‘casa particular’, where you can eat home-cooked meals and really get to know the Cuban people. You’ll have your own bathroom and door key, so you can come and go as you please. It’s by far the best way to get closer to the local community and we can’t recommend it highly enough.
Days 1 & 2 - Classic cars in Havana
Arriving in Havana, you’ll settle into your comfortable casa particular near the historic centre of the city. Depending upon your arrival time, you may want to head out to explore and get a bite to eat. Havana is a buzzing mixture of live bands, jamming street artists and feverish salsa bars. Hang out at one of Hemingway’s old haunts with a daiquiri in hand.
The following day you start your Havana experience with a classic American car ride along the Malecón and through the leafy suburbs, hearing stories about the city beyond its historic centre. Then explore the cobbled streets of Havana Vieja with your guide, taking in grand buildings, shady plazas and centuries of history. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy, perhaps with a mojito beside the cathedral or an evening of salsa and live music.
Days 3 & 4 - Las Terrazas eco experience
In the morning you’ll either pick up your hire car, or be picked up by a private transfer, for the 1.5hr drive to the Eco-biosphere Las Terrazas. You’ll check into your the unique Eco-hotel La Moka, nestled in the beautiful Sierra del Rosario.
The following day you’ll visit Cuba’s pioneering eco-village during your countryside excursion. This is a natural playground just begging to be explored – walk to hidden waterfalls, get to know the forest on foot and discover a unique biosphere saved from the brink of destruction. The area is an example of eco-tourism at its very best.
Days 5 & 6 - Rolling through tobacco hills
This morning you’ll travel to the tobacco town of Viñales either by hire car or by private transfer. Today’s travel time be around 1.5 hours. Stretched along the valley floor between forest-topped hills, Viñales is home to 4,000 people, one main street, one state-owned restaurant as well as some nice locally run paladares. You’ll stay in a casa particular on the outskirts of town. You’ll have your own room with air conditioning and your own key so that you can come and go as you please.
The following day you can explore the valley on horseback or by foot, learning about the art of cigar-rolling and meet the local guajiros. If you’re looking for an authentic Cuban countryside experience, you’ve found it. Life isn’t staged in Viñales, it simply unfolds.
Day 7 - Travel to Cienfuegos
There’s a pretty long journey ahead of you today, as you travel to Cienfuegos around 6-7 hours away. If you’re travelling by hire car, it’s possible to stop at the Bay of Pigs, the scene of America’s ill-fated invasion of Cuba. If you’re travelling by transfer then we’ll usually book you a shared vehicle to keep your costs down, although you can travel privately if you’d prefer.
Days 8 - 10 - Cuba, the Cuban way - Trinidad
Time to move onto Trinidad. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988, Trinidad’s cobbled streets and colourful buildings make it feel like snapshot in time. Music fills the central square each night, there are some nice local paladars (private restaurants) and even a nightclub in a cave nearby! Not far outside of the town you’ll also find some nice beaches, and to the north are the highlands of Topes de Collantes.
On the day after your arrival, you’ll head out for a bici-taxi tour of the town a local guide. He’ll take you on a voyage of discovery and show you life behind the facades of the coloured cobblestone streets. You’ll see schools, tobacco and cigar factories, local fruit markets and even the ration stations, giving you a fascinating insight into real life in Cuba. We can also arrange local classes and workshops here – just chat to your travel specialist.
Days 11-13 - Lazy days in Varadero
Today you’ll travel to Varadero by hire car or private transfer, it’s around 4 hours worth of driving today. Sometimes called the world’s greatest beach, tourists flock to Varadero like flamingoes to a lagoon. It’s easy to see why – a classic tropical paradise, it’s home to swaying palms, powdery sands and shimmery sapphire waters. Whilst it’s far from an authentic Cuban experience, it’s a great taste of the tropical highlife. Just 2 hours from Havana, what it lacks in castaway sensation, it makes up for in feel-good vibes.
After breakfast you’ll leave the immaculate white beaches behind as your Varadero beach trip comes to an end. If you’re travelling by hire car you’ll drop your car off in Varadero before heading to the airport. If you’re travelling by transfer, you’ll be collected from your hotel and driven the 2 hours back to Havana airport.
Day 14 - Time to head home
After breakfast you’ll leave the immaculate white beaches behind as your Varadero beach trip comes to an end. If you’re travelling by hire car you’ll drop your car off in Varadero before heading to the airport. If you’re travelling by transfer, you’ll be collected from your hotel and driven the 2 hours back to Havana airport.
Accommodation
For this itinerary we offer the following options
Travel by hire car
For a little extra freedom, you can choose to travel by hire car. The signposts can be a little confusing at times, and you’ll have to avoid the occasional pothole on the rural roads, but there’s very little traffic around and we think it’s a really lovely and adventurous way to explore the country. You’ll have a modern car complete with a map and insurance cover, so you’re all good to go!