City & Mountain Tour
Come visit this most Caribbean of Cuban cities. Once the capital of Cuba, it is a perfect introduction to the culture and history of Cuba. Our walking tours in the mountains are accompanied by naturalists who will help you explore the plants, birds and butterflies on this beautiful island.
When should you come – Cuba is the land of perpetual summer. Flowering trees and plants abound.
Winter birders enjoy both local and transient birds, summer birders enjoy the courting displays and nestlings of local birds. Butterfly lovers feast their eyes on huge moths, and colourful butterflies whatever the season.
So pack some good shoes and a camera and enjoy our walking tours.
Day 1 – Arrival in Santiago de Cuba
Arrival in Santiago de Cuba. However you join us in this vibrant Colonial city, our friendly staff will meet you and take you to your homestay.
Orientation – in 10 mins we orientate you to the city – and with our NEVER GET LOST MAP you are ready to explore this dynamic, musical city, enjoy a people watching retreat for a coffee or mojito, find the music centre of the city, or just enjoy family time in the central square.
Dinner in your homestay.
Day 2 – Architect Led Walking Tour of Santiago
An early start will take you on a walking tour through two interesting neighbourhoods in this Colonial city.
We start in the oldest part of the city, exploring the vibrant streets and the tranquil, elegant squares, Colonial streetscapes and buildings are being restored to their former glories, but often to new uses.
At the other end of the city we explore one of the elegant pre-revolutionary neighbourhoods where palaces now house community centres and exclusive clubs play host to school children of all ages.
We’ll take time to drop by one of the city’s markets and enjoy a delightful lunch in one of those restored buildings.
Dinner in your homestay.
Day 3 Ferns, Orchids and Cloud Forest
After an early breakfast we’ll collect our botanist lecturer in his fabulous fern garden. Home to a collection of more than 3000 tropical ferns (some named after him) and a growing collection of orchids. We’ll travel east of the city to the Gran Piedra. This magnificent outlier of the Sierra Maestras often disappears into the clouds. As we travel from the coastal plain to the summit cloud forest we’ll stop to enjoy the changing vegetation. There is an easy climb to the summit with native orchids and ferns in great abundance. By lunchtime the forest is full of butterflies. After the climb to the summit we’ll explore the 19c Haitian style Cafetal, now a UNESCO museum. We’ll visit the large commercial garden where beds of bird of paradise flowers, gladioli, roses and many native plants are surrounded by fragrant hedges, and where every corner affords a new vista of mountains and plains. Late lunch at the beach. Dinner in your homestay
Day 4 History of Cuba – From Pre-Columbus to Independence
We begin the day with a short orientation to the history of this island. We start our walk at the “oldest house” in the Americas, “El Morro” the 17th century castle built to protect the city against the privateers and pirates like Henry Morgan who sought to relieve Spain of the wealth of Latin America guards the magnificent bay which has provided safe harbour for galleons and oil tankers, yachts and men-‘o-war. Jumping ahead in time we will visit the famous San Juan Hill and the tree under which the Cuban Spanish American war finally ended.
Lunch included.
Dinner in your homestay.
Day 5 Sierra Maestra drive
An early start will put us on the road into the Sierra Maestras and III Frente.
We take a couple of stops to meet some avid gardners and enjoy the produce of one of the gardens.
The drive into the mountains takes us through spectacular country, have your cameras ready, we’ll make stops along the way! Lunch and a free afternoon to enjoy the relaxation of the mountain resort. Take a swim in the waterfall pool, or just sit by the sparkling river; enjoy a massage, a sauna, or a friendly game. And at night enjoy local music.
For history buffs – a visit to some of the monuments of the War of Independence and the Revolution.
Hotel dinner
Day 6 – Farms of III Frente
A early breakfast and then a mountain walk will take us passed farms and plantations, children on their way to school, farmers and workers starting their days of work in the fields and beneath the trees. The area grows cocoa, coffee, mangoes, oranges and other fruits, and every farm has a mixture of livestock, including sometimes peacocks. We stop for visits at various farms for a welcome drink of juice, herbal tea or coffee! After lunch we will take our leave.
Overnight at an eco-hotel in the mountains of II Frente.
Day 7 – The Campesinos’ Battle
How many arms do you have? Said Fidel to his brother Raul. Two he replied. I have 5 said Fidel – lets go win a Revolution!
Fidel and Raul battled in the Sierras Maestras. In early March of 1958 Raul became commander of II Frente in the Sierra Crystals – with 54 companions, thousands of kilometers of territory, many Batista troops and the irregular and violent rural guard.
But this was more than a battle for territory – for Raul and for those who later joined him this became a battle for the minds of the campesinos, and the development of a government in waiting.
We visit museums to hear the story of an early literacy campaign, the famous Congresso de Campesinos en Armas and the educated middle class young women who were on the forefront of change.
Lunch in a mountain farm.
Dinner in your Santiago homestay.