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14 days

Cuba tour with beach holiday at Cayo Santa María

Discover historic Havana, the lush Viñales valley, the music and the joie de vivre in cosy Trinidad, and round it all off on the white sandy beaches of the island of Cayo Santa María.

Cuba tour with beach holiday at Cayo Santa María
Cuba tour with beach holiday at Cayo Santa María
14 days
HomeLatin AmericaCubaCuba tour with beach holiday at Cayo Santa María

Cuba tour with beach holiday at Cayo Santa María

Discover historic Havana, the lush Viñales valley, the music and the joie de vivre in cosy Trinidad, and round it all off on the white sandy beaches of the island of Cayo Santa María.

HomeLatin AmericaCubaCuba tour with beach holiday at Cayo Santa María
What is included in the price?
This package includes the following
  • Return flights from the UK to Havana
  • Transfers to and from the airport in Havana
  • Transfers to and from the bus stations
  • Bus: Havana – Viñales – Trinidad – Cayo Santa Maria – Havana
  • 9 nights at a Casa Particulares on the tour including breakfast
  • 3 nights at Meliã Cayo Santa María, Cayo Santa Maria with all-inclusive
  • 1 x lunch (day 4)
  • Cuban tourist visa
  • Individual tour; however, all bus trips and excursions take place in small, international groups with local, English-speaking guides.
  • 24-hour manned emergency telephone throughout the tour
  • ATOL certificate included
  • Possibility of daily departure

Comprehensive package of excursions:

  • Welcome meeting and sightseeing in Havana’s old quarter
  • Excursion to the Viñales Valley, including a visit to a tobacco plantation and a limestone cave
  • Sightseeing in Trinidad’s old quarter
  • Admission to all attractions mentioned

THE TOUR IN SHORT

On this tour, you can look forward to Cuba’s absolute highlights combined with a beach holiday. Discover the capital, Havana, where well-preserved colonial buildings, old American cars and vibrant salsa rhythms take you back to a lost time.
In the lush Viñales Valley, scenic experiences, including a visit to a tobacco plantation await you.
From here, the tour heads Trinidad. The cobblestone streets, the vibrantly colourful houses and the fantastic live music make Trinidad really special.
You drive from Trinidad towards Cuba’s north coast and the beautiful island of Cayo Santa Maria, where a fabulous resort, wild nature and picturesque beaches with azure water await you. A lovely way to round off your tour of Cuba.

Why choose this tour

  • Lose your heart to Havana’s charming old district, which is full of history and life
  • Experience idyllic life in the country in the lush Viñales Valley, where ox carts and horse carriages fill the roads
  • Lace your walking shoes and go exploring in Trinidad’s lovely cobblestone streets, with colourful colonial buildings, churches and plazas
  • After an exciting tour, your beach holiday awaits at Cayo Santa María’s fantastic sandy beaches and azure water

Our prices always include

  • All international and domestic flights
  • All destination transfers
  • All specified excursions and activities
  • All accommodations
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Departure from the UK and arrival in Havana

Departure from the UK and arrival at Havana airport with stopover(s) on the way. You are met by our partner in Cuba, who is standing with a sign with your name on it. A driver takes you to your accommodation in Havana, a drive of around 30 minutes. The rest of the day is at your leisure.

Accommodation:
Day 2: Welcome meeting & sightseeing in Havana

After breakfast, our partner in Cuba will meet you at your accommodation and hold a short welcome meeting of approx. 30 minutes. This is an opportunity for you to run through your tour together and get answers to any questions you may have about the tour or other practical questions about travelling around Cuba.

You will then set off on your exciting guided walk around Havana’s beautiful old town, which is on UNESCO’s list of sites worthy of preservation. Look forward to experiencing the cosy cobbled streets, where impressive squares, cathedrals and colonial-era buildings take you back to ancient times.  You’ll experience the contrast between the newly-renovated and well-maintained streets and buildings, and the more dilapidated areas that make Havana so unique. Highlights of the tour include Plaza Vieja, Plaza de San Francisco, Plaza de la Catedral and Plaza de las Armas, which is the city’s oldest square where the city museum and the Governor’s Palace are located.

You have the afternoon and evening to yourself.

Day 3: Havana on your own

After breakfast, beautiful Havana awaits, and it’s entirely up to you what the day will bring.

How about going for a stroll in the cosy old town or seeing more of the city’s contrasting architecture?

You also have the option of purchasing an excursion from home, which will undoubtedly give you an entertaining and authentic encounter with the city and its people. Among other things, you can feel the wind in your hair from the back seat of a beautiful, old American car or be seduced by the Cuban tones when dancing salsa.

There’s every opportunity for a day packed with experiences.

Day 4: Havana – Viñales – excursion to Viñales Valley

Today, you’ll be leaving Havana and heading for the Viñales Valley, where stunning nature experiences await you.

On the first part of the tour, you’ll be driving along the main road, but the last stretch into the small village, takes you along cosy, narrow, winding country roads. The drive takes about 4 hours.

In the afternoon, you’ll be visiting the highlights of Viñales Valley. The tour starts with a lovely lunch at a traditional Cuban restaurant. Your hunger sated, you’ll be accompanied by your guide to a small tobacco plantation, where you gain a fascinating insight into the work of the tobacco farmers who produce Cuba’s world-famous cigars. The Viñales area is known to have some of the best tobacco plants in the country. This is where the tobacco for the famous Cohiba and Montecristo brands of cigars comes from.

You’ll visit, Cueva del Indio, a limestone cave once inhabited by indigenous people. After a short walk in the cave, you’ll board a small boat and sail gently down the river, back to the daylight outside.

Just outside Viñales, you’ll find a pride and joy of the town; Mural de la prehistoria, a gigantic mural which symbolises the evolution of mankind. It was painted by local artist, Leovigildo González.

The last stop of the tour is at a vantage point affording an incredible panoramic view of Viñales Valley, with its characteristic limestone mountains, also called “mogotes”, rising dramatically from the lush fields. You’ll then be driven back to your accommodation.

Day 5: Viñales Valley on your own

The day is yours to do whatever you please. You can explore the scenic Viñales area on your own or pick one of the excursions below. We highly recommend a hike in the area.

Day 6: Viñales-Trinidad

Early in the morning, you take the bus to Trinidad. This is a trip of around 8 hours, so lean back in the soft seats and enjoy the Cuban landscape as it zips by. On the main roads of Cuba, you don’t just encounter other cars and buses, but pedestrians, cyclists, ox carts and horse carriages, too, in surprising harmony with one another.

Day 7: City tour of Trinidad

Today, you are going on a guided city tour of Trinidad’s beautiful old quarter. Get your good walking shoes on, as Trinidad’s charming cobbled streets are very uneven.
You will visit locations including the picturesque square, Plaza Mayor and the city’s cathedral, “Iglesia Parroquial de la Santisima Trinidad”, one of the biggest churches in Cuba. Your guide will tell you about the city’s exciting history and architecture on the way. The tour also includes a drink at one of the cosy local bars.

The rest of the afternoon and evening is at your leisure. We recommend that you go for a walk in the city in the evening and enjoy the amazing atmosphere that it is famous for. At Plaza Mayor you will find the popular dancing spot “Casa de la Musica”, and just 100 metres away is another dancing spot, “Casa de la Trova”, which also has live music. If you can’t dance yourself, you have every opportunity to learn it here! Of course, you can also simply enjoy the sight of the happy, dancing crowds around you.

Day 8: Trinidad on your own

You have the day at your leisure in Trinidad. Around 15 km from Trinidad is the lovely Ancón Beach, where you can head out for a refreshing swim and unwind on the sand. You can also purchase an additional excursion from home.

Day 9: Trinidad – Cayo Santa Maria

The tour then heads to Cuba’s north coast, where a beach holiday on the island of Cayo Santa Maria awaits you. The trip up there takes around 6 hours by bus.

From the small town of Caibarien on the north coast of Cuba, a 48-km dam connects the islands Cayo Las Brujas, Cayo Ensenacho and Cayo Santa Maria to the mainland. The first hotel opened here in 2001, so this area of Cuba is a relatively recently discovered gem. You won’t find much more out here than wild nature, fabulous resorts and picturesque beaches with azure waters. What better way to round off your holiday?

Days 10-11: Relaxation at Cayo Santa Maria

Enjoy the next couple of days in beautiful tropical surroundings, relaxing on the beach or at the hotel’s swimming pools.

If you want to be active, the hotel offers a wide range of activities and entertainment for children and adults alike. The staff are on hand to spoil you with delicious food, exotic drinks and colourful entertainment.

Day 12: Cayo Santa Maria – Havana

The morning is spent at your leisure. During the afternoon, you will be picked up at the resort, and head back to Havana, a bus ride of around 6 hours. You arrive in Havana in the evening.

Accommodation:
Day 13: Departure day

Today the tour heads back to the UK. You are picked up from your accommodation and driven to the airport.

Day 14: Arrival back home

You arrive in the UK after an exciting tour of Cuba.

When would you like to travel?
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All prices shown are per person
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Emily Roper

Emily loves to travel and is extremely passionate about helping others achieve their travel dreams.

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