Western Cuba small group tour

Description of Western Cuba small group tour

Many of Cuba’s most enticing highlights are crammed into its western side, with colonial cities, Che Guevara’s mausoleum, lush tobacco farms and gorgeous Caribbean beaches all within a few hours’ drive of each other. This Western Cuba small group tour spends 12 days exploring this region at a time when the country is in a time of great change and the “Latin socialist” experiment may be coming to an end. Staying in private family homes – known as casas particulares – along the way, reveals the realities of daily life on this intriguing island, and your tour leader will be able to help translate and share more insights into Cuba’s nature and culture.

You’ll start in the evocative capital of Havana, whose peeling, pastel painted buildings are straight out of a film set, and the ubiquitous salsa and rumba rhythms provide the city’s own soundtrack. Head east to Santa Clara, resting place of Che Guevara, before arriving in the gorgeous colonial city of Trinidad. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a wonderfully atmospheric place to explore as part of your group or independently for a couple of days, with its cobbled streets and lively plaza. Free time allows you to take excursions into the nearby mountains or the palm-draped Playa Ancón beach. See the style change to French colonial in the city of Cienfuegos, known as the “Pearl of the South”.

Head west again to the eco village of Las Terrazas, surrounded by lush forests ideal for nature walks. Finally, arrive in the Valley of Viñales, surrounded by fertile farmland and towering limestone mogotes. Here, life slows down as fields are ploughed with oxen and horses and carts are used to carry the fresh produce down into the sleepy town. Return to Havana for final night on the town as you sip a mojito and soak up the atmosphere.