Stay : Discovery of the Cuban Oriente
To visit the eastern region of the country without losing time from Havana, it is recommended to take a flight to Santiago. You will be able to take advantage of your two-week trip to discover the provinces of Bayamo and Granma, near Santiago. In the heart of theCuban Oriente, the country of sound surprises with its very Caribbean musical fervor and the warm welcome of its inhabitants
Summary of the stay
Best time to go
13 days
€€ - Charm and comfort
Detail of the stay : Discovery of the Cuban Oriente - 13 days
Day 1: Arrival in Santiago de Cuba
Steps: Santiago De Cuba
Once the luggage is placed in the hotel or in the ensino, direction the historic centre for a small walk at sunset, which will allow you to take a first benchmark in the second city of the country. A free Cuba on the panoramic terrace of Hotel Casa Savoia will serve as a pleasant conclusion on this first day.
Day 2: Santiago de Cuba
Steps: Manzanillo, Santiago De Cuba
Visit of the city and its casco histórico. Stroll around the Parque Céspedes, discover the different squares - Plaza Marte and Plaza de Dolores - to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of Santiago. At the end of July, the carnival broke out in the city. Huge fiesta guaranteed! If you visit the city the rest of the year, visit the Carnival Museum which is very well done.
Day 3: Santiago de Cuba - day 2
Steps: Santiago De Cuba
A second day in Santiago is not too much to grasp the various facets and to visit its remarkable buildings. The Panoramico bus stopping at the various key points of the city is an interesting option for exploring Santiago. The evening can be dedicated to a show at Cabaret San Pedro del Mar or at the Tropicana.
BUS PANORAMICO
Day 4: Baracoa
Steps: Baracoa, Guantánamo
Early morning wake-up to take the road to Baracoa, which is located in the far west of the island, in Guantánamo province. After eating crab and other grilled fish at the table of Hotel El Castillo, overlooking the city with the ocean in the background, head for the newly restored Malecón de Baracoa. Along this seaside promenade you will discover the mountainous bays and foothills surrounding the city, the statue of Christopher Columbus who landed here on 27 October 1492, as well as the La Rusa hotel which welcomed Fidel Castro and Che during the guerrillas and after the Revolution, before reaching Honey Beach.
Day 5: The surroundings of Baracoa
Steps: Baracoa, Parque Nacional Alejandro De Humboldt, Playa Duaba, Playa Maguana
We will take advantage of being in Baracoa to visit its surroundings, starting with El Yunque, this mountain in the shape of anvil. Two options here: a 1h30 walk to the waterfall, or a 5h round trip hike to the top. The afternoon can be spent either visiting Alejandro de Humbolt Park, a tropical treasure, or relaxing on the beach at Playa Duaba or Playa Maguana
Day 6: Hiking in the Sierra Maestra
Steps: Parque Nacional Turquino, Bayamo
Change of course, heading west towards the province of Granma and its capital Bayamo, at the foot of the Sierra Maestra and the Turquino peak, the highest peak in the country (1,972 m). Hiking day in the mythical and lush Sierra Maestra, following in the footsteps of Cuban revolutionaries. The night is spent in the Aguada de Joaquin refuge at an altitude of 1,750 m.
PICO TURQUINO
Day 7: Bayamo
Once back from the heights, visit Bayamo starting with the birthplace of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes, Father of the Fatherland, settled in a splendid colonial residence. After a refreshing stopover at the restaurant of the Hotel Telégrafo, a stroll in the Plaza de la Revolución, the nerve centre of Bayamo, to finish at the piano bar sipping a few cocktails.
Day 8: Guardalavaca
Steps: Holguín, Guardalavaca
Head north to reach Guardalavaca, a major seaside resort in the province of Holguín, in about 2 hours by road. Relaxation program: sunbathing and swimming in the clear and fresh waters of the Atlantic Ocean
Day 9: Holguín
Steps: Holguín
Now head for Holguín, known as the "city of parks". Discover the parks concentrated in the city centre, then visit the Folk Dolls Museum and the barrel organ building workshop, the only one in Latin America. Some very good restaurants are to be noted here.
Day 10: Gibara
Steps: Gibara
Still in the same region, the very picturesque port of Gibara is a pretty white village with a Mediterranean style and an enchanting atmosphere. If you are there at that time, don't miss the Festival Internacional del Cine Pobre in the second half of April.
Day 11: Archipelago Los Jardines del Rey - day 1
Steps: Morón, Cayo Coco, Gibara
From Gibara, we can reach Morón, the ideal gateway to the cayos (rocky islets) in the north of the island, connected to the mainland by pedraplen, road medians. We will spend the first day at Cayo Coco, one of the main destinations of Cuban tourism: in addition to a colony of 30,000 pink flamingos, 158 species of birds and mammals thrive on the paradisiacal beaches bathed in turquoise water
Day 12: Archipelago Los Jardines del Rey - day 2
Steps: Cayo Guillermo, Cayo Coco, Cayo Santa Maria
Cayo Guillermo and its 5 km of white sand beaches bordered by transparent waters is connected to Cayo Coco by a road. The only beach of Pilar, true natural treasure coiled up at the end of the islet, would deserve in itself a trip to Cuba! We can push the stroll to Cayo Ensenacho and Santa Maria, better preserved.
PLAYA PILAR
Day 13: Return to Santiago de Cuba and departure
Steps: Santiago De Cuba
Wake up at Aurores to reach Santiago in a half-day. Discovery of the Tivoli district late in the afternoon, then salsa evening at Casa de la Trova or Casa del Estudiante. Option last minute shopping at the airport.
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