South coast cruising
DAY 1
Tour of Old Havana
- Tour of Old Havana(walking tour), including San Francisco de Asis square, Cathedral Square, Plaza de Armas, Plaza Vieja, Capitanes y Generales museum.
- Enjoy lunch at restaurant Doña Eutimia.
- After lunch continue the tour visiting the rum museum and art craft market San José.
- Late afternoon return to the boat to relax before setting out again.
- Suggestions are for dinner at La Guarida followed by a visit to Taberna de la Plaza Vieja to see a performance by the “Buenavista Social Club” musicians.
DAY 2
Havana tour: Classic Old fashion cars
- Breakfast aboard followed by a modern Havana tour in Classic Old fashion cars. Stop at the Cigar Factory for a tour.
- Enjoy a car ride along the Malecon, visit to Miramar and Vedado neighborhood, Bosque de La Habana, and Revolution square. Stop for a refreshing drink at the Hotel Nacional.
- Suggestion for lunch at the Restaurant O’Really 304 or “El de Enfrente”. After lunch visit the Fine Art Museum followed by a stop at El Floridita (Ernest Hemingway's favorite bar for daiquiris).
- Late afternoon return to the boat to relax. Early dinner (aprox 19.30) at the Restaurant “Al Carbon”. After dinner enjoy the Tropicana Show.
DAY 3
Tour to Viñales
- Full Day Tour to Viñales, Pinar del Río province. Located to the West of Havana, Pinar del Río is famous for growing some of the best quality tobacco on the world. Also a unique landscape awaits the visitor to the Viñales Valley. This excursion includes:
- Visit to “ Casa del Veguero”. located near to the famous tobacco plantations.
- Visit to “La Cueva del Indio”. A cave discovered in 1920, which lies in the San Vicente Valley. Here a small motorboat takes visitors up the underground San Vicente river for about a quarter of a mile!
- Visit to the “Mural de la Prehistoria” (Prehistoric Mural). On the face of a mogote (a characteristic, gigantic karst formation). Here the Cuban painter Leovigildo Gonzalez, a pupil of the famous Mexican artist Diego Rivera also painted (circa 1959-62), “The History of Evolution” mural.
- Lunch at a local restaurant.
- Visit to Viñales Valley lookout point which offers a beautiful view of the valley. Return to the boat. Dinner at the boat.
- Night activities: ON REQUEST
DAY 4
Hemingway Museum
- Breakfast aboard, visit to the Hemingway Museum, former residence of the writer, located in San Francisco de Paula. Informative tour around the house with a personal and specialized guide, to observe his personal belongings, trophies, firearms and see the room where he used to write, as well as his fishing souvenirs and the other remembrances of his life in Cuba.
- Visit to Cojímar, the fishing community where Hemingway celebrated his Pulitzer prize in 1953 with his fishermen friends and the now legendary boat skipper, Gregorio Fuentes, captain of his yacht Pilar (and the main character of his book, ‘The Old Man and the Sea’).
- Visit to Morro and Cabaña Castle.
- Lunch at the Restaurant Rio Mar. Return to the boat. Taking dinner at "El Cocinero".
- After dinner visit to the Fábrica Cubana de Arte (Interactive gallery which include art expositions of young Cuban artists, bars, live music, fashion performance, etc. Open every week from Thursday to Sunday, from 20.00 to 03.00).
Depart to Maria La Gorda late in the evening. Cruise Marina Hemingway – Maria La Gorda (southwest coast), aprox 16 hours
Restaurants suggested in Havana:
- Doña Eutimia (Private restaurant. A very nice place to visit after a walking tour around Old Havana)
- Mercaderes
- Café del Oriente
- La Guarida (Private restaurant (or “Paladar”, this is considered one of the best in Havana, where you can enjoy an excellent and varied menu and fine wines. Located where the Oscar-nominated “Fresa y Chocolate”was f filmed in the back streets of Centro Habana
- Río Mar (sea view restaurant)
- El Cocinero (Private restaurant with an excellent bar on the roof )
- La Cocina de Lilian (private restaurant/paladar in a stunning garden setting with very good food)
- O’Really 304
- El de Enfrente
DAY 5
Beginning of the south coast itinerary
Arrive to Maria La Gorda early in the morning. Maria La gorda is a beautiful bathing spot on the southwestern coast, where also you can enjoy snorkeling in a very healthy coral reef, full of a wide variety of marine species. Dive sites located in this area include the so-called Black Coral Valley, a wall of coral over 100 meters long and the Salón de María, a sea cave at a depth of 18 meters which is the habitat of rare species of fish.
IMPORTANT
- Due to ecological regulations, is not allowed drop anchor in Maria La Gorda area. Vessels must moor in some of the available mornings or keep drifting.
DAY 6
Cayo Largo del Sur Marina
- Visit Cayo Iguana, a small key full of these (Iguanas!) and other reptiles. Snorkling at Cayo largo Coral reef and diving in deep waters near the coral reef. Sail around the small keys located in the area.
- Local sport fishing in shallow waters -- for tarpon, permit and bonefish (by prior arrangement). Enjoy swimming at Playa Sirena or any of Cayo Largo’s white sand beaches with beautifully clear water.
In the evening, depart to Marina Cienfuegos (aprox 6 hours cruising)
DAY 7
Cienfuegos Marina
Arrive to Marina Cienfuegos. Pilot services are compulsory for vessels GT 500 ton and up. Take a tour of the City, which was founded in the early 1800's and settled by French and Spanish immigrants. Lunch at Restaurant “Aché”(Cuban traditional meals)
Visit to Ciénaga de Zapata from Cienfuegos by car
- Lunch at Restaurant “Aché”(Cuban traditional meals)
- Visit to Ciénaga de Zapata from Cienfuegos by car.
DAY 8
Ciénaga de Zapata
Full day tour of the Zapata Swamp Biosphere Reserve and Peninsula. This 6000 square kilometer reserve is the home of 170 species of birds (endemic and migratory), as well as many reptiles, crocodiles and mammals. This visit will be of great interest to naturalists, birders, as well as being a unique learning experience for children. Go by boat to visit the Aborigen Village of Guamá. The village consists of 18 huts standing on several small islands in the lagoon (Laguna del Tesoro). Built of royal palm wood and thatched with palm leaves, the huts provide simple accommodation. In fact, the only way to reach this village is by boat, which takes about 20 minutes to travel along the luxuriantly fringed canal to the lagoon from Boca de Guamá. Also of interest is the reconstructed Taino village of Aldea Taina. It comprises four earthen “bohíos” (typical Indian huts) a “caney” (a larger round building) and 25 life-size statues depicting the natives, by the well known Cuban sculptress Rita Longa.
- Visit to the Cueva de los Peces (The Cave of the fish). Snorkeling activities at the caves are available.
- Visit the crocodile farm.
- Lunch at a local restaurant (the possibility to eat crocodile meat is included at one of restaurant located near the crocodile farm).
- Visit the Bay of Pigs, the site of the ill-fated invasion of counter revolutionaries backed in part by the US government.
DAY 9
Visit to Trinidad City
Transport and Tour guide available for the excursion. Visit to Trinidad City (01.00 hour by car from Cienfuegos) (Historical city, one of the first seven towns (“Villas”) founded in Cuba by Spanish colonizers in 1514, with a great historical heritage, well conserved colonial houses and magical atmosphere all around) City Tour of Trinidad (enjoy walking around the colonial style town, with a neoclassical and Baroque architecture. Visit the Romantic Museum, Colonial Architecture Museum, Cantero Museum, the Cathedral, iglesia Parroquial de la Santisima Trinidad, etc. Taste a special drink at the Bar “La Canchanchara”. Visit to the “Valle de los Ingenios” (Valley of the Sugar Mills Factories). A special option would be a tour of the Valley in a private train club car with local musicians. Suggested local restaurant for lunch / dinner: Sol Ananada San José Guitarra Mía El Cubanito
- Transport and Tour guide available for the excursion.
- Visit to Trinidad City (01.00 hour by car from Cienfuegos) (Historical city, one of the first seven towns (“Villas”) founded in Cuba by Spanish colonizers in 1514, with a great historical heritage, well conserved colonial houses and magical atmosphere all around) City Tour of Trinidad (enjoy walking around the colonial style town, with a neoclassical and Baroque architecture.
- Visit the Romantic Museum, Colonial Architecture Museum, Cantero Museum, the Cathedral, iglesia Parroquial de la Santisima Trinidad, etc.
- Taste a special drink at the Bar “La Canchanchara”.
- Visit to the “Valle de los Ingenios” (Valley of the Sugar Mills Factories). A special option would be a tour of the Valley in a private train club car with local musicians.
- Suggested local restaurant for lunch / dinner:
- Sol Ananada
- San José
- Guitarra Mía
- El Cubanito
DAY 10
Santiago de Cuba
Sail and dock at Marina Santiago de Cuba or at the cruise ship Terminal of Santiago de Cuba (cruise ship terminal - by prior arrangement). City Tour Santiago de Cuba. Visit to the “Casa de la Trova”. Spend the night listening to old-time traditional Cuban music in a very special atmosphere, with Cuban drinks (Mojitos, Daiquiris, Cuba Libre, different types of unique Cuban rums, Cohiba cigars and more).
- City Tour Santiago de Cuba.
- Visit to the “Casa de la Trova”. Spend the night listening to old-time traditional Cuban music in a very special atmosphere, with Cuban drinks (Mojitos, Daiquiris, Cuba Libre, different types of unique Cuban rums, Cohiba cigars and more).
