Immersion in Cuban soil from Havana to Santiago
2025
Highlights of the trip
During your stay you can enjoy the following highlights: Culture / Heritage, Faune and flora, Discovery, Adventure / Sports & Leisure, Free time, Relaxation / Well-being.
Best times to go
The best time(s) to go is/are : Printemps, Automne, Hiver.
Petit Futé
The map of your stay "Immersion in Cuban soil from Havana to Santiago"
Detail of the stay : Immersion in Cuban soil from Havana to Santiago
How to get there - Baracoa
Arrival in Havana
Steps: Baracoa
Once you've left your luggage at your hotel or casa particular, head for the Malecón for a sunset stroll to soak up Havana's unique atmosphere, so sensual at dusk. We'll continue with a mojito tasting in a trendy bar in Vedado, before choosing one of the neighborhood's excellent restaurants for dinner. A good night's rest will then be most welcome!
Havana - Day 1
Steps: Santiago De Cuba
We'll start our visit with a tour of Habana Vieja: discover the old historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, stroll through the picturesque cobbled streets, visit the Baroque palaces, museums and the unmissable monumental squares of Plaza Vieja, Plaza de Armas and Plaza de la Catedral. Lunch can be arranged at the latter, in a superb historic setting. A relaxing afternoon on the terrace before venturing out into "La Habana nocturna"!
Places of interest : PLAZA DE ARMAS PLAZA DE LA CATEDRAL PLAZA VIEJA
Havana - Day 2
Steps: La Havane
Visit to the Museo de la Revolución and the Plaza de la Revolución. Discovery of the Centro Habana district, less touristy than the others, and lunch in the picturesque Barrio Chinatown. An evening in a paladar in Vedado and a night out in a trendy bar in the Miramar district.
Places of interest : MUSEO DE LA REVOLUCIÓN Y MEMORIAL GRANMA BARRIO CHINO PLAZA DE LA REVOLUCIÓN
Viñales
Steps: Viñales
Departure for Viñales in the morning. Discover the village and meet its inhabitants, before enjoying a bocadillo cubano washed down with a cold beer. At the end of the day, enjoy a moment of relaxation on the terrace of a casa particular to admire the play of light on the sublime mountains at dusk.
Viñales Park
Steps: Viñales
A day's ride, on horseback or on foot, through Viñales Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its famous mogotes, immense rounded limestone hills covered with lush vegetation. We'll take the opportunity to discover the tobacco plantations and learn more about the Cuban art of cigar rolling. Overnight in Viñales or return to Havana later in the day.
Places of interest : VALLE DE VIÑALES
Varadero
Steps: Varadero
We'll spend the day on this heavenly beach to regain our strength, before heading off for a big fiesta in the evening in one of the resort's many bars or clubs.
Santa Clara
Steps: Santa Clara
Head for Santa Clara, which we reach via the central highway to visit, among other things, the memorial to Ernesto Che Guevara, before stopping off at the Florida Center for a grilled lobster or an excellent ropa vieja (stewed beef). In the afternoon, stroll through the Parc Vidal and visit the Museum of Decorative Arts.
Places of interest : MUSEO DE ARTES DECORATIVAS
Trinidad and Playa Ancon
Steps: Playa Ancón
Wake up at dawn to set off for Trinidad, which can be reached in half a day from Santa Clara. Lunch followed by a visit to the historic colonial center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The afternoon is devoted to sunbathing on the pretty, unspoilt beach of Playa Ancon.
Places of interest : PLAZA MAYOR
Trinidad - Los Ingenios Valley
Steps: Valle De Los Ingenios
After a hearty breakfast in the picturesque center of Trinidad, we head off to the Valle de los Ingenios. This vast area, 30 minutes east of Trinidad, was the hub of Cuban sugar production in the 19th century. You can explore the valley on horseback, past the ruins of over 70 sugar factories.
Los Jardines del Rey archipelago - day 1
Steps: Cayo Coco
From Trinidad, we'll head for Morón, the ideal gateway to the cayos - rocky islets - in the north of the island, linked to the mainland by pedraplen, or road medians. The first day will be spent at Cayo Coco, one of Cuba's leading tourist destinations: 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
Los Jardines del Rey archipelago - day 2
Steps: Cayo Santa Maria
Cayo Guillermo, with its 5 km of white sandy beaches bordered by clear waters, is linked to Cayo Coco by a road median. Pilar beach alone, a veritable natural treasure coiled at the very tip of the islet, is worth a trip to Cuba! You can continue your walk to the better-preserved Cayo Ensenacho and Cayo Santa Maria.
Places of interest : PLAYA PILAR
Los Jardines del Rey archipelago - day 3
This little corner of paradise is perfect for strolling around with your toes in the air, or for birdwatching.
Santiago de Cuba - Day 1
Steps: Santiago De Cuba
Early morning drive to Santiago de Cuba. Arrive late in the day due to the long journey from Morón. Stroll around Parque Céspedes, then enjoy an aperitif on the panoramic terrace of the nearby Hotel Casa Granda, for a bird's-eye view of the city and photos of the mythical Sierra Maestra on the horizon.
Santiago de Cuba - Day 2
Steps: Santiago De Cuba
Visit the city and its casco histórico. Discover the various squares - Plaza Marte and Plaza de Dolores - to soak up the atmosphere of Santiago. At the end of July, Carnival sweeps through the city. Huge fiesta guaranteed! If you're visiting the city during the rest of the year, make sure you visit the Carnival Museum, which is well worth a visit.
Places of interest : PLAZA DE DOLORES PLAZA DE MARTE MUSEO DEL CARNAVAL
Santiago de Cuba - Day 3
Steps: Santiago De Cuba
A second day in Santiago is not too much to take in its many facets and visit its remarkable buildings. The panoramic bus stopping at key points around the city is a great way to explore Santiago. The evening can be devoted to a show at the Cabaret San Pedro del Mar or the Tropicana.
Places of interest : BUS PANORAMICO
Baracoa
Steps: Baracoa
Wake up early to set off for Baracoa, located in the far west of the island, in the province of Guantánamo. After feasting on crab and other grilled fish at the Hotel El Castillo, overlooking the city with the ocean as a backdrop, head for the newly restored Malecón de Baracoa. Along this seafront promenade, you'll discover the bays and mountainous foothills that surround the city, the statue of Christopher Columbus who landed here on October 27, 1492, and the Hotel de La Rusa, home to Fidel Castro and Che during the guerrilla war and after the Revolution, before returning to Miel beach.
The Baracoa area
Steps: Playa Maguana
While in Baracoa, we'll take the opportunity to visit the surrounding area, starting with El Yunque, the anvil-shaped mountain. Two options here: a 1h30 walk to the waterfall, or a 5h round-trip hike to the summit. The afternoon can be devoted either to a visit to Alejandro de Humbolt Park, a tropical treasure trove, or to relaxing by the beach at Playa Duaba or Playa Maguana.
Hiking in the Sierra Maestra
Steps: Bayamo
A change of course, heading west for the province of Granma and its capital Bayamo, at the foot of the Sierra Maestra and Turquino Peak, the country's highest peak (1,972 m). Day hike in the mythical, lush Sierra Maestra, in the footsteps of the Cuban revolutionaries. Overnight stay in the Aguada de Joaquin refuge at 1,750 m altitude.
Places of interest : PICO TURQUINO
Bayamo
Steps: Bayamo
Once back down from the heights, visit Bayamo, starting with the birthplace of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes, Father of the Homeland, housed in a splendid colonial mansion. After a restorative stopover at the Telégrafo hotel restaurant, stroll along the Plaza de la Revolución, Bayamo's nerve center, to end the day sipping cocktails at the piano bar.
Places of interest : PLAZA DE LA REVOLUCIÓN CASA NATAL DE CARLOS MANUEL DE CESPEDES
Gibara
Steps: Gibara
In the province of Holguín, you'll find the picturesque port of Gibara, a pretty white village with a Mediterranean style and an enchanting atmosphere. Most tour operators don't include it in their program, so you won't come across many tourists. If you're there then, don't miss the Festival Internacional del Cine Pobre in the second half of April.
