Walking holiday in Cuba

A varied tailormade walking holiday in Cuba including some of the top places of outstanding natural beauty and national parks in Cuba. Experience the charm of Old Havana and explore the historic squares and cobbled streets on foot, then hike in the spectacular mountains behind Trinidad. Continue to Las Terrazas in the El Rosario biosphere reserve and finally spend time exploring and walking around the impressive limestone cliffs and tobacco fields of Viñales.

This trip is the perfect opportunity to discover Cuba off the beaten track. Our itinerary can be modified for shorter or longer trips on request.

Duration: 14 days / 13 nights
Start dates: any date all year round
Cost: from £2,500 per person, for 2 people sharing

Please keep reading for full details of this trip.

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“We really enjoyed our time in Cuba. It was a very full programme, but we saw so much, experienced so much and the guided hiking was fantastic. We had a brilliant guide with us who knew everything there was to know about the flora and fauna. It’s a bit like a dream now.”

LC, Amsterdam

This 14-day walking holiday in Cuba is available at any time of the year. Suitable for 2 or more persons, including families with children (recommended minimum age 8 years for the hiking), you will explore some of the most beautiful places in the western and central areas of the island. Starting with the colonial capital city of Havana, with guided walks around the historic squares and cobbled streets of Old Havana and El Morro across Havana Bay, you will then drive via Santa Clara with your driver/guide to the UNESCO world heritage town of Trinidad. Here you will have guided walks and hiking in the Topes de Collantes national park and the Sierra del Escambray, then the tour continues up to Pinar del Rio province and the incredibly beautiful Vinales valley with rich red earth, tobacco fields and soaring limestone mogote hills. After this rural location, you travel to the El Rosario biosphere reserve with guided walking around the community of Las Terrazas including swimming in the San Juan river rockpools before returning to Havana to end the trip.

The hiking/walking on this trip is easy to moderate level, but you must have a reasonable level of fitness and be used to walks of up to 4-5 hours.

This itinerary can be adapted on request.

B = breakfast
L = lunch
PL = picnic lunch
D = dinner

Day 1: Arrival Day
Arrival Havana. Private transfer to boutique homestay in Old Havana x 2 nights, B&B
Day 2: Havana city tour
Half day guided walking tour of colonial Old Havana and its historic squares. Visit the scale model of Havana and the city museum, followed by lunch in local restaurant. Rest of day free. B, L
Day 3: Havana - Vista Hermosa - Santa Clara - Cienfuegos
After breakfast, depart with driver/guide. Guided visit to Vista Hermosa farm to learn about eco-agriculture in Cuba, with tasting of food produced on site. Continue to Santa Clara and city tour, visiting the Che Guevara Mausoleum, the Tren Blindado and Leoncio Vidal square. Lunch in local restaurant. Continue to Cienfuegos and accommodation in homestay x 2 nights, breakfast included. B
Day 4: El Nicho - Cienfuegos
Depart for El Nicho excursion with local guide. Group transfer and lunch included. Return to Cienfuegos for walking tour of city, with visit to Tomas Terry theatre and Palacio Valle. Cocktail at sunset, then return to homestay. Rest of day free. B, L
Day 5: Cienfuegos – Salto de Caburni hiking - Trinidad
Depart Cienfuegos and transfer to Trinidad via the Topes de Collantes national park for guided hiking on the Salto de Caburni waterfall, a challenging hike but with plenty of time to stop and admire the views and local flora and fauna. Picnic lunch included. Drive to one of our selected homestays in the town centre x 3 nights, B&B. B, PL
*please note that today’s walking can be substituted for a less challenging route if required, eg. if you have younger children with you or if you prefer to walk at a more leisurely pace
Day 6: Trinidad - Sugar Mill Valley
After breakfast, guided walking tour of historic Trinidad with a visit to the Romantic museum followed by a half day excursion to the UNESCO world heritage site of Sugar Mill Valley, a former sugar plantation region. Lunch included. Return to Trinidad late afternoon and rest of day free. B, L
Day 7: Topes de Collantes - Guanayara hiking
After breakfast, guided hiking along the Guanayara trail with fresh water swimming in the waterfall at the end of the walk. Lunch included in a rural restaurant. Return to Trinidad for free time for the beach at Playa Ancon or to relax. B, L
Day 8: Trinidad - Las Terrazas
Early start to travel to western Cuba (6-7 hours drive), stopping for lunch and arriving at the eco-community of Las Terrazas mid afternoon. Accommodation in 4* hotel La Moka x 2 nights, B&B. A local guide will show you around, explaining how the community works and the sustainable technologies they use. B, L
Day 9: Las Terrazas - San Serafina hiking
Walk the Santa Serafina trail (5km each way). Lunch at local restaurant. Return to Las Terrazas and rest of afternoon free to go swimming in the San Juan river rock pools, go on the canopy zip ride over the treetops or explore the resident artists community in Las Terrazas. B, L
Day 10: Las Terrazas - Soroa - Viñales
Depart for Viñales with a stop at Soroa to visit the orchid garden. Lunch in local restaurant and stop at Los Jazmines viewpoint overlooking Vinales valley, with its picturesque tobacco fields and soaring limestone mogotes. Accommodation in local homestay x 4 nights. B, L
Day 11: Viñales Valley hiking
Full day guided tour in and around Viñales, including a visit to one of the local tobacco farms and hiking around the limestone mogote cliffs. Lunch in local restaurant followed by horseback riding in the valley. Rest of day free. B, L
Day 12: Cueva de Santo Tomas - Pinar del Rio
Guided tour to nearby city of Pinar del Rio for a visit of the small Francisco Donatien cigar factory. Lunch in local restaurant. Continue to the Santo Tomas National Speleological centre adjacent to Cueva Santo Tomas, the largest accessible cave in Cuba. Guided tour of the main tunnels and halls with gigantic stalagmites/stalactites and crystal formations. Return to Viñales and rest of day free. B, L
Day 13: Viñales, free day
Free day in Viñales to relax and explore on your own. Driver and car at your disposal.
Day 14: Vinales - Havana airport
Morning free to explore Vinales and relax. Private transfer from homestay direct to Havana and end of trip. B

Itinerary includes:

2 nights 3* – 4* hotel accommodation
11 nights in homestay accommodation
meals included in itinerary
all private transfers and bus tickets
national park and site specific entry fees
specialist bilingual guides throughout the trip
return airport transfers in Havana

Please note that the itinerary does not include:

International flights*
Cuban tourist card (the required visa)*
Tips

*These can be arranged by us on request

Price: from £2,500 per person

The trip is based on minimum two persons sharing a twin/double room. The itinerary can be adapted to suit a lower budget on request.

“Havana is a beautiful city and our guide was fantastic. Very friendly – couldn’t do enough for us. His historical knowledge of Cuba was amazing. Los Frailes was a nice hotel – loved the inside terrace. Location was great.”

“We loved Trinidad. Excellent atmosphere, laid back, fun. The guided hiking was fantastic – we had a brilliant guide who knew everything there was to know about the flora and fauna in the area. Saw humming birds for the first time up close. Lunch was also brilliant – freshly roast pork. Swam in the waterfall one day, and the next day we saw bats and owls in a cave.”

“Thank you for all of your help and information. Brilliantly organised trip!”

LC, Amsterdam (Dec 2015)

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