CENTRAL HOLIDAYS - LATIN AMERICA & CUBA

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DAY 1 I HAVANA Your Day 1 Havana Arrive in Havana and get ready for
the epitome of enriching experiences that start right way with a visit to
Finca Yoandra to take part in a cultural and educational exchange about
their sustainable agriculture outreach project. Sip on a Cuban cocktail
while you tour the medicinal gardens and interact with the
representatives from community projects for children and the elderly.
Enjoy your first taste of authentic Cuban cuisine for lunch at the finca’s
privately-owned restaurant or “paladar,” Il Divino. Next, visit the
community art project, Muraleando “muraling” or mural-making. The goal
of Muraleando is to bring children off the streets of Havana and inspire
them to collaborate in a community project. Transfer to your Casa
Particular for check-in. This evening we will share in a flavorful Cuban
dinner at a local paladar where you will have the opportunity to meet the
chef. Tonight, you can join in a variety of optional activities such as the
nightly Cannon Blast Ceremony held in La Cabaña fort at 9pm
showcasing a theatrical demonstration where actors dressed in full 18th-
century military regalia reenact the firing of a cannon over Havana harbor
– a ritual that used to signify the closing of the city gates. (L,D)
DAY 2 I HAVANA After breakfast join in an enlightening walking tour of
Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while participating in open
dialogue with locals, artists and musicians. Learn about the challenges of
renovating the city’s exquisite historic buildings and see some of the
area’s elegant restorations as you stroll the charming cobblestone
streets. Tour the Museum of the Revolution that displays documents and
artifacts, weapons, and planes from the 1950s’ revolution. The museum
is housed in the former presidential palace that was the home to Cuba’s
leaders from the 1920s until 1959. Enjoy lunch in Old Havana at a
paladar. After lunch, you will have a special opportunity to experience a
performance by the Habana Compás dance troupe, featuring an
exhilarating mix of percussion and dance rooted in flamenco and Afro-
Cuban rhythms and moves that is sure to thrill you. The evening is yours
to explore this great city at your leisure. (B,L)
DAY 3I HAVANA Rise and shine, then head out after breakfast to explore
an authentic Cuban Cigar Factory where you will learn about the
“readers” and meet the “rollers.” Visit one of the area’s museums such
as el Museo National de Bellas Artes -- the Museum of Fine Arts,
comprised of two buildings exhibiting inspired collections from the
colonial times up to contemporary works. Have lunch at Mediteráneo, an
artisanal paladar in the Vedado neighborhood for a fresh farm-to-table
meal created by the privately-owned restaurant’s Italian chef. Take time
to shop at the “Almacenes de San Jose” artisans’ market. This evening
the options for discovery abound with free time to venture out for dinner
on your own. Consider joining in an optional excursion such as a visit to
Havana’s Fabrica de Arte Cubano, an independent project and meeting
place where the island’s avant-garde arts can be enjoyed, with all kinds
of arts – music, painting, dance, and more. (B,L)
DAY 4 I HAVANA I CIENFUEGOS After breakfast at your upscale casa,
depart to Cienfuegos. Upon arrival in this seaside city, enjoy lunch at Club
Cienfuegos, a monumental work of eclectic Cuban architecture dating
from the last century. Explore the historical center of Cienfuegos on a
comprehensive city tour with your guide. Here you will walk along themain
“bulevar” and stop at art galleries to meet with area artists. Share in the
local rhythms at a musical performance before heading to check in to
your Cienfuegos Casa. This evening you will savor dinner at the bayside
“El Lagarto” private restaurant, enjoying excellent brochetas (shish
kebabs) of lamb and roast pork. After dinner, meet residents as well as
members of the Trazos Libres art project in Cienfuegos, featuring murals
on the neighborhood homes surrounding the community center. (B,L,D)
DAY 5 I CIENFUEGOS Your first stop on today’s enriching Cuban
exchange is at the Cienfuegos Botanical Gardens, teeming with towering
palm trees, bamboo plants, flowers and lush tropical greenery. Relish
lunch at Paladar Dorado, overlooking the entire city and featuring a
beautiful vista of the ocean. Next, take an insightful walking tour of
colorful Trinidad, a well-preserved UNESCO World Heritage Site founded
in 1514. Later, tour Casa del Alfarero, a ceramics workshop where you
will learn the secrets to creating some of the beautiful crafts you have
seen throughout this adventure. Return to Cienfuegos and get ready to
share in a wonderful farewell dinner at your Casa. Keep in mind that “The
Pearl of the South” is known as the home to many of some of Cuba’s
great historic musicians, such as Benny Moré, who was a master of most
genres of Cuban music, such as the son montuno, mambo, guaracha,
and bolero. Tonight, you can opt for an evening at a community event or
musical show. (B,L,D)
DAY 6 I CIENFUEGOS TO USA After breakfast, stop at the Che Memorial
and Museum before heading to Santa Clara Airport for your return flight
home. (B)
(B) Breakfast, (L) Lunch, (D) Dinner
Plaza Vieja of Havana
Cuban Musical Trio
INCLUDED FEATURES
•U.S. Department of the Treasury authorization under a “General
Support for the Cuban People License”
•Accommodations in Cuba in a Casa Particular (Upscale Private
Homes-see images on our website)
•Round trip transfers from the airport to your Casa Particular
•Full support for the Cuban People Cultural Exchange Program
•Fresh Bottled Water while touring
•All entrance fees for scheduled activities and events
•13 included meals consisting of: Breakfast daily, 5 lunches and 3
dinners with a cocktail and wine
•Professional English-speaking Cuban Guide
Not Included: Round trip airfare to Cuba, Visa for Cuba ($55 per
person), meals other than those mentioned in the itinerary, porterage,
tips and other items of a purely personal nature
*From Price is per person based on double occupancy in a Casa
Particular (Upscale Private Home)
For 5 to 7 people traveling together Prices from $1,499