Your Travel Experience with Tierra Maya Tours
Day 1
Varadero - Matanzas
Meet and greet at Varadero airport. Then transfer to your Hotel in Matanzas. The rest of the day is at leisure.
Included meals: none
Overnight stay in 3* Hotel Louvre or similar
Day 2
Matanzas - Jovellanos - Sagua la Grande
Matanzas is well known for its multitude of ancient bridges as well as for its former wealth. Back then, Matanzas was considered the cultural and export centre of Cuba. In the morning, the tour takes you through the historic centre, visiting a traditional pharmacy that houses the pharmaceutical museum. From a hilltop church you will enjoy a wonderful view over Matanzas Bay. Legend has it that this bay is home to plenty of treasure, as during a major naval battle a large part of the Spanish fleet sank here. From Matanzas, we head towards Jovellanos to the Finca Coincidencia, a loving, green, natural place where art and pottery merge with organic farming. The owners will guide you through their project, explain their philosophy and offer a delicious lunch made exclusively from products grown on their finca. We then head towards Sagua la Grande. On this beautiful route you will gain insights into the life of the Cuban rural population, you will pass through untouched farming villages, well off the beaten track. Once in Sagua la Grande, enjoy an evening stroll through the town.
Included meals: Breakfast and lunch
Overnight stay in 3* Hotel Sagua or similar
Day 3
Sagua la Grande - Isabela de Sagua - Santa Clara
Sagua la Grande is still rather untouched by tourism and offers an authentic picture of a classic Cuban small town whose great past can still be felt. Sagua was known as a trading centre and as the railway capital. After a walking tour through the centre, we head towards the hardly explored nature reserve Mogotes de Jumagua. The limestone cliffs, called Mogotes, with a maximum height of almost 90 metres, are the habitat of endemic species such as the Jumagua palm, one of the rarest palms in the world. A hiking tour takes you up one of the mogotes to enjoy a spectacular view of the huge palm grove. Afterwards, visit the Virgins Cave, where ancient stalagmites and stalactites can be admired. Continue along one of Cuba's oldest railway lines to Isabela la Sagua, a headland about 20 km away, which extends into the Caribbean Sea. Back then, Isabela de Sagua was home to an important port and contributed significantly to the rise of Sagua. Nowadays, it is popular for its simple but superbly fresh fish and seafood cuisine. People in the village live mainly from fishing, making Isabela the perfect place for delicious lunches (not included) to enjoy freshly caught oysters, crab or fish served right in their "living room restaurants" on stilts over the water. In the afternoon, drive to the provincial capital in Santa Clara.
Included meals: Breakfast
Overnight stay in 3* Hotel E Central or similar
Day 4
Santa Clara - Isabela de Sagua - Cienfuegos
After breakfast, take a tour of Che Guevara City, visit the mausoleum (from outside) as well as the monument of the "Tren Blindado", where the decisive victory to the revolution was achieved. Before continuing to Cienfuegos, visit the Cigar Factory in Santa Clara, taking a closer look at the cigar rollers as they hand-make the world-famous Habanos. Once arrived in Cienfuegos, the French-marked pearl of the south, you will take a stroll in the city centre. The former pirate port developed into a magnificent city with impressive colonial buildings thanks to its large sugar production. In the afternoon, hop in a kayak to circumnavigate the Punta Gorda peninsula in Cienfuegos as well as to get a waterside perspective of the city. Visit the terrace of the Moorish Palacio del Valle to watch the sunset, before dinner is served at your casa particular.
Included meals: Breakfast and dinner
Overnight stay in Casa Particular
Day 5
Sagua la Grande - Isabela de Sagua - Santa Clara
A day trip to Trinidad awaits you today. During the drive down below the Sierra Escambray, you will learn about the history and importance of the city of Trinidad. During the city tour through this UNESCO World Heritage Site, visitors feel transported back in time. Its main square, surrounded by magnificent mansions and small colonial alleys, boasts the charm of an open-air museum. After visiting the city museum in the Palacio Cantero, you will have some time at your leisure to discover Trinidad on your own. After a light lunch snack (not included), you will head to the beautiful beach of Playa Ancón, where a catamaran will be awaiting you. On the approximately 2-hour catamaran tour, the on-board staff will serve you unlimited local drinks and cocktails, and you will have the possibility to swim and snorkel in a small coral reef. In the late afternoon, head back to Cienfuegos for your final dinner of the day at a lovely paladar, a private restaurant.
Included meals: Breakfast and dinner
Overnight stay in Casa Particular
Day 6
Cienfuegos - Bay of Pigs - Havana
Today, the journey takes you from Cienfuegos to the famous Bay of Pigs, where the planned invasion by Cuban exiles failed in 1961 and the triumphal march of the Revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara continued. On this gorgeous bay, a coral reef invites you to swim and snorkel (not included). Right nearby you will find the Cueva de los Peces, a small lagoon with a freshwater cave. Here we will have a rustic Cuban lunch. Afterwards, we continue our journey to Havana, the national capital. The evening is at your leisure.
Included meals: Breakfast and lunch
Overnight stay in Casa Particular
Day 7
Havana
In the morning, you will take a Coco taxi to the Revolution Square and then hop on your e-bike at the agency's office to experience a very different kind of city tour. You will ride your e-bike along the Malecón to Havana Vieja to get to know the most important squares of the colonial old town. Due to the narrow streets, you will sometimes have to get off your bike to better immerse yourself in the hustle and bustle. The tour continues through Centro Havana, where a lunch is served at the famous paladar "La Guarida". This paladar is one of the best restaurants in Cuba and provided the setting for the Oscar-nominated Cuban film "Fresa y chocolate". Not only is the food spectacular, but so is the view from the roof terrace. Then we continue to the famous Hotel Nacional de Cuba in the Vedado district, right by the sea. A guided tour through this historic place will give you an insight into another era, when the Mafia bosses used to frequent the hotel in the 1950s. After a refreshing mojito, you will pleasantly cycle back to the office to return the e-bikes. Finally, you can conclude the afternoon with a ride in a classic car. In a convertible, you will drive through the Vedado district to Miramar, known for its magnificent colonial villas. The drive ends at your casa particular. In the evening, you have the possibility to enjoy the world-famous Tropicana Show (not included).
Included meals: Breakfast and lunch
Overnight stay in Casa Particular
Day 8
Havanna - Jibacoa / Varadero
After breakfast, we will head back to Varadero to the airport, or for extenders, drive to the beach hotel in Varadero or Jibacoa.
Included meals: Breakfast