Many of our possible (future) travelers ask similar questions: What’s the easiest way to travel to Cuba? What’s the best way to plan a trip to Cuba?… and what do you recommend me to have best time of my life during my visit? On this occasion we would like to show you how you can enjoy a week in Cuba.
Espíritu Travel has always an answer. We are proud of offering legal journeys to the Pearl of the Caribbean under the Support for Cuban people category. Our clients uncover the island with reliable and enthusiastic local guides while taking a deep look into the country’s cultural roots and incredible heritage.
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A week in Cuba: so much to do!
For those with little time to travel, a weekend will do. It will be like having the first taste of what they have been missing. However the truth is 3 or 4 days are never enough to get the best of Cuba. But a week…a week is the right amount of time to rest, explore, learn and have fun. Here are the activities we propose for your week with us:
A city by city trip
A week in Cuba is the perfect duration to get to know many places in the cities, a trip from city to city. Between 1511 and 1519 there were 7 villages founded by the Spaniards in Cuba, during the sad process of conquest and colonization of the island. Little could they imagine about the beautiful and unique cities those villages will become.
Today you have the opportunity to explore them in a city tour full of magic. Move around with a knowledgeable local guide, stay in one of our selected casas particulares and learn their most inspirational stories. Wanna choose?
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Baracoa
Founded in 1511 as Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Baracoa, it’s a natural wonder enclosed by mountains, forests and rivers. The first time you see the beautiful hidden bay, you will realize why Baracoa was the refuge of pirates and runaway slaves (African and natives). That’s why more than 60 archeological sites are a representation of the aboriginal Cuban cultures, and you can even notice some distinctive features in the inhabitants of the city.
You will be embedded in ancestral traditions if you decide to visit Baracoa. Don’t forget the most stunning photograph from El Yunque Mountain!
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Bayamo
Once founded as San Salvador de Bayamo, the city became a strong, large center of rebellion and bravery. There was initiated the first Independency War of Cuba in 1868, by Carlos Manuel de Céspedes (known by every Cuban as “The father of the Motherland”). Great music, lots of history and a very interesting excursion are waiting for you in Bayamo. Explore the Comandancia de La Plata at the Sierra Maestra National Park, where Fidel Castro, Ernesto Guevara (Ché) and the other members of the revolutionary Cuban forces established rebel headquarters!
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Trinidad
Trinidad is an exceptional remembrance of what the Cuban colonial architecture used to be. Founded in 1514, the Village of the Santísima Trinidad experienced an economic boom with the development of the sugar industry during the 19 century. You can still feel the richness of the epoch in the ancient palaces, embellished by delicate windows and valuable pieces in wood and iron.
Walk over the old cobble stones of the World Heritage city. Ride a horse into the mysterious Valley of the Sugar Mills, where nearly 60 sites show the remains of farms and sugarmills of wealthy families such as the Manaca-Iznaga. And end your trip at the magnificent Tope de Collantes, a biodiversity hotspot with more than 280 endemic species of fauna and flora.
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Sancti Spíritus
The graceful city started to grow in 1514. Its name, Holy Spirits, talks about the pleasantness of the inhabitants and that feeling of relaxation visitants experience since their first step there. The colonial architecture, the landscape and the lively music will always make you come back to Sancti Spíritus.
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Havana
Honored by poets and musicians, the ancient village of San Cristobal de la Havana is today a bustling cultural city of fortresses, art galleries, classic cars and surprising people. Open your eyes to discover the multiple stories around you: observe how the balconies cover with vibrant clothes in Sunday, traverse the iconic Paseo del Prado at night, capture the romantic atmosphere of the Malecon in the voice of streets musicians…Visiting Havana is loving it!
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Camagüey
Founded in 1515 as Santa María del Puerto del Príncipe, the famous “City of the tinajones” is an authentic wonder of spacious mansions and labyrinthine streets. It used to be such a wealthy village, that it was rare the week when there was not a pirate’s attack. The inhabitants, tired of the situation, decided to move the settlement far from the coast and make the path as tortuous as possible to have time to escape from their enemies.
Camagüey is a cradle of love stories and legends, and your local guide know them all. Drink water from the ancient jars (tinajones) found at every house and corner. Don’t be afraid of being lost because there is much beauty to see. You’ll be impressed by the air of nobility of the city and its delicious cuisine.
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Santiago de Cuba
Known as “The most Caribbean Cuban City”, Santiago is an unmissable gift in the island’s geography. It’s not only the splendid bay, or the multiple museums and fortresses (such as the Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca del Morro) what make it unique. It’s the combination of cultures and the way they have been embraced by the inhabitants of the city. French, African, Taino’s ancestries are expressed in every note, dance, even accent in Santiago de Cuba. Visit this city founded in 1515, is a lively trip to Cuba’s more authentic roots.
Into the Woods in Cuba
Do you prefer a trip through Cuba’s natural values? Then there are many places to choose: the Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve (at Pinar del Río Province), the Ciénaga de Zapata National Park (located in Matanzas Province) and the Jardines de la Reina archipelago (between Camagüey and Ciego de Ávila Province) are just some of the areas of incredible biodiversity you could have the opportunity to explore.
Would you like to find blue natural pools surrounded by an exuberant vegetation? Have you ever explored a six level cave system with unique calcite structures? Are you a birds’ lover and your dream is to see the Cuban cartacuba? Would you like to uncover the most impressive fish community? You’ll find it all in Cuba. Choose wisely and prepare yourself for the adventure!
A trip of coffee, cigars and rum
Cuba’s coffee, rum and cigars history is as amazing as the quality of its products. Then, if you are keen to make a thematic trip Espíritu Travel has many activities to suggest:
- A journey to the best preserved coffee plantation ruins in the world: The eastern region of the Cuba, particularly the Sierra Maestra Mountains, hides historical coffee farms such as La Isabelica which are a remembrance of colonial engineering. Learn from first-hand how Cuba became the first coffee exporter in the World during that epoch.
- Visit a tobacco house: You are in Cuba, undoubtedly you should see how those famous cigars are made. Driving 3 hours away from is Viñales Valley: a magnificent landscape the antique organic agricultural methods are used until today. But, it’s not only the landscape what will bring you there. Extensive tobacco fields, wooden tobacco houses to dry the leaves and even farmers wrapping the cigars by hand will be your real surprise.
- A tour at the Museum of the Rum: For those seeking a better understanding of Cuban rum elaboration, Havana’s Rum Museum is the best option. Located in the #262 of the Avenida del Puerto, the place offers wisdom and taste in a promenade through the different historical and technical stages of the Cuban rum’s production. You’ll realize how much dedication and time was needed to obtain every drop of Arecha, Havana Club and Santiago.
A Week in Cuba trip: combining desires
Espíritu Travel proposes you a Week in Cuba trip, a journey mixing every possible option for a final “cocktail” of joy: a truly authentic vacation. It starts at Havana were you will explore squares, local markets and unusual art galleries, and even cruising the Vedado in a vintage 1950s classic car. Then you arrive to Cienfuegos, French-Caribbean influenced city were a drink at the Palacio del Valle is a real luxury.
Arriving to Trinidad is falling in love with time. Trinidad’s charm will immediately hit you: follow the sugar path, find the African sonorities, relax at Playa Ancón, stay in a colonial casa particular. And finish your getaway at Santa Clara, were an impressive memorial dedicated to one of the leaders of the Cuban Revolution, Ernesto (Che) Guevara will open your mind toward Cuba’s history.
Keep your dreams alive. Imagine your perfect week in Cuba and let us know!
