Specials 2019

 

Havana – Cienfuegos – Santa Clara - Trinidad – Varadero – Havana

May, 2019

Package rate  $2,599

May 2019- DAY 1 – ARRIVE IN HAVANA

 

Welcome to Cuba. Arrive to Terminal 2 at Jose Marti International Airport in Havana. After customs our local representative welcome you to Cuba. We begin with a panoramic drive in Havana to 5th Avenue and The Old City along the Malecon where the U.S. Embassy is located for a stop before we continue for your first taste of Cuba's traditional cuisine and culture at the Algibe Restaurant.  After lunch explore the classic cars of Cuba and enjoy a cool ride!  Later, relax with  a Welcome cocktail and People-to-People presentation which provides an overview of your itinerary with the tour guide. Hotel, Meals LD

 

May 2019- DAY 2 – HAVANA  & THE ERNEST HEMINGWAY'S TRAIL

                After breakfast, it's all about Hemingway! We visit the former home of Ernest Hemingway where he wrote many of his novels. A visit to Alamar Community to meet the local leaders and  local residents. Continue  to Cojimar where Hemingway kept his boat Pilar and  found inspiration for his novel, The Old Man and the Sea. After  Lunch at Las Terrazas, Hemingway's preferred restaurant will see  the monument honoring Hemingway built by local fisherman with their boat anchors.  Return to Havana, visit El Castillo del Morro, and Fort La Cabana and take  a walk up Obispo Street with a stop at the Ambos Mundos Hotel, now a museum, where Ernest Hemingway wrote his famous novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls. The walk continues on to the famous El Floridita, Hemingway's favorite bar for his trademark drink, the Rum Daiquiri (Daiquiri included). Overnight in Havana. Meals BL

 

May 2019- DAY 3 – EL PARAISO FARM and VINALES VALLEY

 

                After breakfast, depart Havana towards the Province of Pinar del Rio.   On the way, we will visit the largest Maritime Port of Cuba, Marielos Port, to learn about the impact of Import and Export of goods. Then on to EL PARAISO AGROECOLOGICAL FARM to celebrate the local gastronomy with a traditional Cuban lunch.  This is an organic family run farm showing the  combination of innovation and family tradition. The terraced farm organized with others like it in a credit and service cooperative, produces organic vegetables. Your hosts will share their experiences, entrepreneurial opportunities and challenges in starting a local business in this rural community - a great opportunity to interact with  the local residents. Drive to the Vinalles Valley National Park  UNESCO World Landscape Heritage Site and an important tourist attraction with spectacular limestone Mogotes rising 900 feet above surrounding farmland. There are numerous caves scattered on the slopes inhabited for many centuries before the arrival of the Spanish conquerors.  We will explore some of the cave formations of Cueva del Indio by boat. Next, we stop at the Prehistory Mural Project  before arriving at our guesthouse  in Vinales. Check- in and experience this new  "home grown" form of tourism/business in Cuba with another  opportunity to meet  the local folks.  Meals BLD

 

May 2019 - DAY 4 – PINAR DEL RIO TOBACCO'S MASTERS HERITAGE

                  If you've ever wondered where the world's finest cigars started, it's  in the lovingly cultivated tobacco plantations of Cuba's Pinar del Río province. The plantations and landscape are part of the area's magical sense. We will take the  Tobacco Road, meet with the Tobacco Masters to see how the world's best tobacco is cultivated into the finest cigars. During this visit  will explains the  important changes in the tobacco industry in Cuba and  the role this industry plays on the in economy of the local community.    Pinar del Rio's City Central Quarter will further show the historical buildings  of this quaint town and on to  Guabina Cuban Pinto Horse Ranch and Farm for a Cuban Creole inspired lunch during which  a presentation  will be made by the General Manager about the ranch and farms activities. After lunch there will be a visit to a public clinic for health services in the City of Pinar del Rio and learn about health care in this region -  entrance  excluded. Overnight.  Meals BLD

 

May 2019 - DAY 5 –  CIENFUEGOS VIA BAY OF PIGS (B)

 

                 The Bay of Pigs/Playa Girón is where an army of Cuban exiles with CIA backing gathered, prepared unsuccessfully  to take the country back as you’ll learn when you visit the local museum dedicated to the historical events that took place here. If the day is warm (and most of them are), you might want to take a dip in the crystal clear oceans of Playa Giron. The  the impressive underwater visibility coupled with the abundant underwater life makes this a top spot for snorkeling (not included in price). Once you’ve (reluctantly) left the water, it’s time to make your way to the city of Cienfuegos -  translates as “one hundred fires.” The town  is  warm and bright, just like a fire. In addition to the Spanish, a number of French migrants, both  directly from France and the then primarily French territories in Louisiana, made their home in Cuba. Cienfuegos is more well-preserved than other Cuban cities since it was generally bypassed by pirates in favour of larger targets. During this  tour you will have the opportunity to wander along  the wide streets and promenades, ending at the ocean and enjoy a cocktail at the city’s Palacio de Valle - a lavish Yacht Club.

 

May 2019 - DAY 6  – TRINIDAD with STOP AT SANTA CLARA (B)

 

Despite the fact that Che Guevara was born in Argentina and died in Bolivia, he will be forever associated with Cuba and its revolution. Santa Clara was chosen as the location for his final resting place -  the location of one of the fiercest last battles of the revolution – and led by Che. Also,  Aleida March, Che’s second wife, was born here. From Santa Clara, you will head out  to the sun-drenched streets of Trinidad. Many travel guides  describe this location as a “place where time stands still”. Trinidad is like stepping into a time machine. The city is a living museum, stuck in the time of Cuba’s first War of Independence before the local sugar plantations were devastated by fire. Almost two days  will be spent here  to explore every nook and cranny of Trinidad. Your guide will have a number of suggestions on  the best optional activities  or you might be perfectly happy to explore on your own. Trinidad’s focal point is its central square, the Plaza Mayor. Return  after dark and enjoy some fantastic salsa music at the Casa de la Musica and of course  try a mojito or two (or three).

 

May 2019 - DAY  7–TRINIDAD (B)

 

                The Valle de Los Ingenios is a valley near Trinidad that was once the centre of Cuba’s sugar production. It’s another UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are dozens of disused sugar factories, all of which would have been transformed into luxury homes in any other country. Sugar production flourished in Cuba as a result of slave labour, and the crumbling ruins of old slave accommodations are still visible.

 

                Many escaped slaves headed for the hills – namely Sierra del Escambray. This 90 km stretch of mountains is the next stop on this tour where the hills and surrounding countryside are covered in lush foliage, home to many varieties of flora and fauna. After a hot day of walking, it’s time to hit the beach. Playa Ancon is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and it’s a perfect way to wind down after your day of history. Back in Trinidad your guide will be able to recommend the very best restaurants and music venues to visit for an evening of fantastic Cuban entertainment.

 

May 2019 - DAY  8 – TRINIDAD / VARADERO

 

                Varadero offers the perfect chance to relax and unwind after the inland trip  taking full advantage of one of the Caribbean’s best beaches. Meals BLD

 

May 2019 - DAY  9 –CARDENAS SUGAR & LOCOMOTIVE MUSEUM -VARADERO

                After breakfast, a short drive  takes us to the City of Cardenas an important Sugar Cane center in Cuba where  the second railway station was built and the museum of the sugar industry  & steam  locomotives used in the transportation of sugar cane now stands. A short ride with the  local engineer on one of those ancient engines shows that they are still in use and how they are maintained. Return for lunch at the hotel.  An afternoon visit  to the  City of Varadero, Cuba's foremost tourist resort town, boasts more than 20 km of white sandy beaches. Since the first tourists visited Varadero as early as the 1870s, it is considered an elite resort.  At the  Museo Municipal  there will be a presentation by the Museum curator then to the  "Taller de Cerámica Artística" and meet local Cuban potters and witness their  high quality artwork some of which  you might wish to  bring back home.  The day ends with a visit to  the private business district in Varadero, home to the largest growing number of entrepeneurs in the country. Overnight  in Varadero. Meals BLD

 

May 2019 - DAY  10 –VARADERO- HAVANA-U.S.

                Departure to the International Airport Jose Marti in Havana  for return flight  to the U.S. Meals B

 

 NOT INCLUDED in your program:

 

 See the Panama Canal     

November 20 to November 30, 2019

              Ft  Lauderdale – Grand Cayman – Cartegena ,Columbia – Panama Canal – Cristobal,Panama  – Limon, Costa Rica – Falmouth, Jamaica - Ft Lauderdale

 

Ocean View  $1,794      Balcony  $ 2,299

 

The Panama Canal is the thrilling centerpiece of this cruise, but treasures abound throughout.  On sailing from Ft Lauderdale you cruise the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea toGrand Cayman- when Columbus made his landfall in the Caymans in 1503, he found tortoises and sea turtles in such profusion that he promptly named the islands Las Tortugas. But the name that stuck for the islands was the Carib word "Caimanas. the Caymans are a Caribbean demi-paradise of white-sand beaches, coral gardens, and offshore waters harboring spectacular shipwrecks. Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman also boast the highest standard of living in the entire Caribbean.

 

. Cartagena in Columbia is steeped in history. This was the transit port for all the wealth Spain derived from South America. The famous "Old City" is comprised of 12 square blocks filled with attractions, boutiques and restaurants. The narrow isthmus separating the Atlantic from the Pacific Ocean had a colorful and turbulent history long before Ferdinand de Lesseps first dreamed of building a transcontinental canal. While the Panama Canal remains one of the great American engineering feats of the 20th century, visitors to Panama will discover a whole range of scenic wonders. Hike into the dense rainforest, home to over 1,000 species of animals. Or pay a visit to an Embera Indian village in the heart of Chagres National Park. On this wonderful journey you’ll sail through the partial transit new locks to Gatun Lake and passengers would be able to experience the thrill of being lifted from one body of water to the next.to Cristobal.

 

 Costa Rica's Limon Province boasts lowlands still sparsely populated. Nearly a third of the province's population lives around Puerto Limon--and conservation efforts have led to growing eco-tourism. Limon Province offers other charms where  Afro-Caribbean influences abound.Then on to Falmouth, the chief town and capital of Trelawny on Jamaica’s North coast  is one of the Caribbean’s best preserved Georgian towns.

 

                                Rates are cruise only per person for double occupancy all port taxes included

without gratuities  and subject to change  based on availability*

 

                        Each passenger must have a valid passport at departure date and failure to   

                      have one will not be considered a reason for any refund.

 

       Payment Plan available                                                                                             Deposit $350 non-refundable             

 Final Payment  July 13, 2019  

 

 

                                      

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   Each passenger MUST have a valid passport  and visas where required at departure date.

Failure to have these will not be considered a reason for any refund. 

 

Reminder -  Check validity of your travel documents well in advance of traveldate.