HAVANA - BEACH OPTIONS / 8DAYS and 7NIGHTS
Northern coastline of Cuba is blessed with stunning white-sand beaches and bowing coconut palms, and is sprinkled with dozens of islands dressed by dazzling sands and sapphire blue seas.
Day 1: Welcome to Havana! After clearing immigrations and customs, our airport representative lead you to your driver who will transfer you until your hotel or private house in the heart of the country's capital. *Light lunch and meet and greet with your concierge. *Get your feet wet with an afternoon orientation walk. Later that evening, celebrate your arrival with a welcome dinner at a private restaurant. (*For morning arrivals)
Day 2:Meet with with our local expert guide and walk in the footsteps of Havana's colonial past visiting the four key squares of Old Havana. Lunch at a private paladar in the heart of the historic center. Then you will have the opportunity to see masterpieces of the Cuban architecture before and after 1959 with our architecture expert guide. Finish this day having a dinner at a 20th-century mansion where Barack Obama and his family dined in during their March 2016 visit. Night cuban musical show inspired by the Son music of the famous Buena Vista Social Club or enjoy the famous show of Tropicana.
Day 3: Start your day with our art curator guide who will lead you to visit 2 Cuban artists studios and to get a direct and personal interaction wih some of the most prominent and promising artists in Cuba, then you will have a guided tour into the Fine Art Museum where its holds over 30,000 pieces of the very best of cuban art from the 17th centruy up to these days. After lunch in a lovely new restaurant next to the Museum of the Revolution you will be collected by an open top classic vintage car with our expert guide who will share with you along interesting 4hrs insights into the life and places related with Ernest Hemingway. On the way back you'll have an opportunity to see some of the most spectacular sunset views of the city from El Morro fort across the harbour from Havana.
Either choose from three relaxed beach days, or opt for some boho adventure at sea or on land. Choosing R&R, head for one of the five BespokeTrips following options:
Days 4 to 6: We'll begin our journey to the fabled beach peninsula of Varadero. On the way stop for a drink or coffe at Bacunayagua Bridge that considered one of the seven marvels of the Cuban civil engineering. Dine from the mafia menu at Al Capone's house, a cute blue and stone outsized cottage, right on the turquoise waters of the country's longest golden strand. After lunch meet with our local representative at your hotel who will assist you with the check-in and will be in touch with you throughout your stay. He has great local knowledge and inside contacts. And now! time to recline and relax on the deserted sands in front of the hotel while sipping cocktails.
POINTS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT: These days Varadero gets a bad rap, because it's the heartland for all-inclusive hotels of a patchy standard, with little neighbourhood flavour.
It's important to remember, though, that this is indeed one of the best beaches in Cuba. Also, two things have improved the feel of Varadero in recent years. One is that Cuban families are now holidaying there in droves, which makes for a better local atmosphere, and two, the loosening of regulations regarding small businesses mean a spate of private restaurants, paladares, is enlivening the food scene. The hotels are a mix of ugly resorts for low-cost package holidaymakers and a better class of Cuban resort. The top modern hotel chain in Cuba – Sol Mélia – not long ago made a bid for the best service standards in Cuba, with its introduction of private butlers. Adults-only Paradisus Princesa del Mar and Paradisus Varadero provide pillow menus, in-room spa services, luggage unpacking, shoe shining, concierge, sun lounger reservation, and clothes-pressing. Plus there's a spa for hydrotherapy, massages, facials and beauty treatments and restaurants ranging from Japanese and Italian to French and Southeastern Asian. PAradisus Varadero have also opened a new section of rooms at Paradisus Varadero called Family Concierge where kids are allowed keeping the bartender service and rooms with private pools. In Varadro you can find places for scubadiving, swimmin with dolphins, sailing, golf at the international Varadero Golf Club, special events and incentive trips.
Day 6: After breakfast, bid farewell to Cuba and transfer back to Havana airport as you board your flight home.
Days 4 to 6: Off the western peninsula, tiny Cayo Jutías and Cayo Levisa provide secluded hideaways, while pockets of black and golden stretches of sand dot the south coast. Coconut palms, coral reefs, tropical fish, barbecued seafood and cold mojitos have always enticed the visitor looking for a bespoke Cuba holiday.
Cayo Jutia is one of the northern Pinar del Rio's few secluded beaches and one for those 'best-kept secret' location taht is rapidly becoming more developed. Treasure Island devotees in search of escape can sail to the tip of Cayo Jutías to mingle with colonies of giant orange starfish before gliding along the northern coast on a catamaran for a private and intimate lunch at nearby Cayo Paraíso served by personal butlers. One of the major attractions of this place is its lighthouse, one of the oldest in Cuba with a history of more than 100 years at the service of the navigation. Access to Cayo Jutía is through a man-made causeway, which links the small island with the main land. There we will have the chance to relax on this beautiful beach with crystal-clear turquoise water. We will have lunch there. In the afternoon, we can enjoy the fantastic scenery of the Cuban Western Coast on our way back to the hotel. Cayo Levisa has three kilometers of excellent white-sand beaches, 23 diving sites, comfortable beachfront cabins, coconut trees and keeps a natural treasure in its surrounding sea turn Cayo Levisa into an excellent destination for diving enthusiasts, and those who want to spend their leisure time surrounded by quietness and silence. Separation from the mainland obviously helps. While you're not going to feel like Robinson Crusoe here, it does make a refreshing alternative to some of Cuba's larger beach resorts.
POINTS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT: The access to Cayo Jutia is complicated in a modern car as the causeway is in a bad conditions, jeeps are better for this journey. Cayo Levisa access must be through a 35-minute boat trip from Palma Rubia. Most agree the trip is worth it.
Day 6: After breakfast, bid farewell to Cuba and take a boat trip back onto Palma Rubia and then private transfer to Havana airport as you board your flight home.
Days 4 to 6:The most precious jewels of this Biosphere Reserve zone are the keys Las Brujas, Ensenachos and Santa María where its butler-run hotels Melia Buenavista, Royalton Cayo Santa Maria and Iberostar Ensenachos offer a good balance hotel standard - service. Ideal sites of wonderful virginal landscapes, where the original vegetationbring about fine sand beaches and waters transparent as a crystal. At Las Brujas, there is also an airport for small and medium size planes. Likewise, the marine depths of the Villa Clara keys, has 24 diving sites, and a great variety of coral species and beautiful fishes for contemplation and underwater photo are found. Exciting options will be availables along the cayes, such as catamaran sailings, underwater activities, fly and bone fishing where the professionals mix with cuberas, Cuban wreck fish and barracudas, circled by corals, gorgonians, sea fans, canjilones, cabezos and small caverns.
POINTS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT: Villa Clara cays are 399kms and 6hrs away by route from Havana and 45min by internal flights so you probably would need to spend your last night in Havana in order to avoid any transfer problem on your departure day.
NOTE: Another variant of this trip would be to include few nights at TRINIDAD after HAVANA and before your days at the beach. Think about it and contact us!
Days 7:Private Transfer back to Havana via Santa Clara to visit Che Memorial and to know more about this charismatic leader of the Cuban revolution where he fought and won the battle of Santa Clara. Relaxing afternoon and cocktails at the pool of the Hotel Saratoga, Kempinski, Parque Central or similar in the historic center of Havana.
Day 8: After breakfast, bid farewell to Cuba and private transfer to Havana airport as you board your flight home.
Days 4 to 6:Playa Pilar, one of the most spectacular beaches in the Caribbean! This pristine beach is located at the north-western end of the island of Cayo Guillermo. In front of Playa Pilar you can see Cayo Media Luna, a small virgin key about 2 km off-shore. After a morning's sunbathe, take a catamaran across to Cayo Media Luna for a more secluded sunbathe, snorkel and a seafood lunch. Iberostart Playa Pilar would be a good decision to stay.
POINTS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT: Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo are 597kms and 7hrs away by route from Havana and 45min by internal flights so you probably would need to spend your last night in Havana in order to avoid any transfer problem on your departure day.
NOTE: Another variant of this trip would be to include few nights at TRINIDAD after HAVANA and before your days at the beach. Think about it and contact us!
Days 7:Private Transfer back to Havana. Relaxing afternoon and cocktails at the pool of the Hotel Saratoga, Kempinski, Parque Central or similar in the historic center of Havana.
Day 8: After breakfast, bid farewell to Cuba and private transfer to Havana airport as you board your flight home.
Days 4 to 6: This morning you'll be transfered to Havana airport to take 1.2hrs of an internal flight to Holguin. Where you will find one of the richest Cuban natural scenarios and it has developed itself as one of the most important tourist destinations in the island. Holguín beaches (Playa Pesquero, Playa Esmeralda and Guardalavaca) are among the most picturesque in the Caribbean; of turquoise, warm and calm waters due to the natural shelter that the coral formations offer. They are surrounded by dense vegetation whose intense green colour creates a fabulous contrast with the golden white tone of the sand and the clear blue of the sea. When Admiral Christopher Columbus landed described this stretch of coast as "the most beautiful place he had ever laid eyes on". The best hotel is the Paradisus Rio de Oro.
Days 7:Private Transfer to Holguin airpor for your internal flight back to Havana. Private Transfer at your arrival to Havana airport. Relaxing afternoon and cocktails at the pool of the Hotel Saratoga, Kempinski, Parque Central or similar in the historic center of Havana.
Day 8: After breakfast, bid farewell to Cuba and private transfer to Havana airport as you board your flight home.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Many of the places we visit are not tourist destinations and are thus not always available. Therefore, this program should be considered as a sample only – please keep in mind that your bespoke travel plan is designed with our staff according to the specific interests that you would want to highlight in your trip. Final itineraries and quotes are sent 24hrs after we receive your request to our contact email: enquiries@bespoketriptocuba.com
