Cuba Education and Culture Tour from Saturday 12 to Saturday 19 July 2014

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Ranked number one in scope of activities, quality of services and traveler satisfaction. Most popular Cuba tour for first time visitors.

CUBA EDUCATION AND CULTURE TOUR
The trip Americans pick to witness authentic Cuba
Saturday 12 to Saturday 19 July 2014

THIS TOUR FILLS UP AND DEPARTS EVERY WEEK :: CLICK HERE FOR 2013 AND 2014 TOUR DATES

DESIGNED FOR travelers keen on learning about the Cuban people's stellar achievements in free universal education and healthcare. Participants will glean insights into Cuba's remarkable social and natural history, and have a chance to explore island society one-on-one with Cubans eager to engage with their U.S. cousins. Join us on the most favored introductory Cuba tour for Americans. Services are comprehensive and costs nearly all-inclusive. We urge you to shop and compare.

Launched in 2005 exclusively for academics, our Cuba Education and Culture Tour was opened to everyone in 2008. The program proved so popular following President Obama's 2011 relaxed Cuba travel rules that we ran the tour every week – allowing regular Americans to travel on their vacation schedules – not ours. Many thousands have experienced Cuba on this sought-after holiday excursion that always fills to capacity. It changed their lives and outlooks. Read reports from past travelers here.

We make Cuba travel easy.® When you register for this program, we send you a travel preparation and planning package. We also invite you to call us with any questions prior to signing up.

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COMMON CUBA QUESTIONS

	Is Cuban food good? Yum. It is organic and tasty, but not spicy. If you like hot, bring Tabasco sauce.

	Am I free to ask all questions? You'll insult your island hosts by being less than candid.

	Is the water safe to drink? Yes, but we suggest bottled water.

	Are vaccinations needed? No.

	Can Americans visit Cuba legally? Yes. They should do so now while the island is pristine and before it is overrun. There is no charge for travel licenses.

	Can I stay in Cuba after the tour? Absolutely! We encourage this and gladly assist for free.

	How much money should I take? We suggest $75 to 125 per day.

	Do Cubans like tips? Of course! See our gratuities guidelines.

Rooftops in Old Havana near your hotel.

Clime and time in Havana now

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We feature the best of island food.

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Cuban teachers with their students in the Artemisa province.

Cuban teachers and their students in Artemisa province say, "Welcome. Come down and meet us!" Photo Henk van der Leeden.

Banana blossom -- spectacular! Bananas grow "up-side-down."

Bananas grow upside-down. Spaniards brought them to Cuba in 1516. Enlarge.

Cuba Tour Overview :: An elaborate day-by-day itinerary is below

	Eight days of learning, fun and friendship in Cuba. Want to stay longer? We assist!		Euphonium player. Enlarge.

	Seven nights in a quality four-star hotel in Havana. Click here to learn more about Cuban hotels.

	An up-close and highly personal examination of Cuba's renowned education system, architecture, arts, music and culture.

	Be part of the authentic daily life of Cubans in La Habana, Artemisa and Pinar de Río provinces.

	Learn all about island history and social and ecological achievements directly from Cubans.

	Discover a friendly neighbor nation forbidden to Americans since 1959.

	Establish enduring personal and professional relationships with your Cuban counterparts and North American tourmates.

You're in good hands while on the island with Cuba Education Tours

Cuba Education and Explorer Tours guide.

SAFE, FUN, people-to-people cultural encounters. Your tour is fully escorted by Cuban experts. From the minute you land in Havana until you go home, you will be in the conscientious care of our fulltime multilingual guide together with a professional bus chauffeur. They're there for you and eager to assist in everyway.

MANDATORY Cuban medical insurance is included in your tour cost. This excellent policy covers all health issues that may arise while in Cuba. If you get hurt or take ill, you won't be dinged with out-of-pocket expenses.

WE ENSURE Americans travel to Cuba legally. Find out how you can go to Cuba now legally. We've sent thousands of Americans to Cuba since 1997; not one has experienced complications. We assist free of charge with all licensing issues so you can go to Cuba legally without fear or trepidation.

TRAVEL FOR CHANGE Cuba Education and Explorer Tours is based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Its staff is from Cuba, America and Canada. We are dedicated to green, ethical social travel that benefits Cubans and our guests.

BEST RESTAURANTS Every traveler gets an exclusive Havana's Best Restaurants guide highlighting cuisines for every taste and budget. It's updated monthly based on reviews from our travelers and includes the places they found to be most delicious and service friendly. It features everything from street eats to elegant culinary encounters.

THINGS HAPPEN Our Cuban partners work super hard to make your tour unfold seamlessly. Unlike here, however, they lack easy communications, transportation and supplies. Once in a while, itinerary changes are necessary to accommodate island realities. If this happens anything missed is replaced with another activity or service of equal interest or value.

CLUB CUBANO benefits apply to this tour. Club Cubano's no-obligation free membership means cash rewards, big discounts and no-cost travel. Become a Cuba Education and Explorer Tour travel agent and start generating income – even if you're not able to go to Cuba now.

CUBA TRAVELER GUIDE Every tour participant receives a Most Amazing and Fun Things to Do and See in Havana brochure. It begins with free activities and works it way up to overnight excursions outside Havana – all peer suggested and updated weekly based on returning traveler reports.

Apple indicates Cuba tour meals included at your hotel and at fine restaurants

Tour day	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
Breakfast	In Air
Lunch	In Air							In Air
Dinner								In Air

Get to know Cuba in comfort and safety

FROM TOUCHDOWN to takeoff, you'll witness Cuba in a modern air-conditioned tour coach with a fulltime professional chauffeur. Havana is one of the oldest and most architecturally stunning cities in the New World. During your many excursions around the capital, and beyond, your guide will provide historical commentary on all points of interest. We want you to learn as much as possible about our beautiful Cuba.

Several site highlights are Modern Havana, the Capitol building, the Grand Theatre, Central Park, Prado promenade, Plaza de la Revolución, Coppelia Ice Cream Park, Plaza José Martí (in front of U.S. Interests Section), Malecón seawall, Monument to the Battleship Maine, Hotel Nacional, University of Havana, Cementerio de Cristóbal Colón, and the Miramar, Central Havana and Vedado neighborhoods.

Your Cuba tour map

Day 1 in Cuba

Saturday :: Hello Cuba

Cuban girls perform folk dance.

Sunset on the Malecón seawall.

Sunset on the Malecón seawall near your hotel – a place for relaxation and new friendships.

One-in-ten cars in Cuba are pre-1959. Click to enlarge.

Why is this image of John Lennon here? Click to find out.

Havana as seen from San Carlos de la Cabaña fortress

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A view of the City of Havana as seen from San Carlos de la Cabaña fortress. Photo Dr. Lisa D. Schrenk

			Learn to say: Un mojito por favor!
	Arrival at Havana's José Martí International Airport.

	Collect your bags and go through customs. Participants arriving from Cancún are welcomed at the airport lobby by their Cuba Education Tours guide and professional bus chauffeur.

	Private group transfer to your hotel located in the heart of Havana's cultural district. (Airport transfers are available to travelers on Cubana de Aviación flights arriving from Cancún, Mexico.)

	Hotel check-in with assistance from your guide.

	This is a good time to exchange some money into Cuban Convertible Pesos.

	Upon arrival, enjoy a welcome drink with tourmates, hotel staff and your guide.

	Free time to settle in to your hotel room and freshen up.

Dinner at your hotel is included in tour cost

Dinner with your guide and tourmates. Participants arriving on non-Cubana de Aviación flights who might miss this dinner are given a voucher for a hotel dinner to be used at any time over the course of the tour.

Evening activities are optional and not included in tour cost

Your guide will keep you posted on entertainment options around the city.

Day 2 in Cuba

Sunday :: Education, music, Old Havana, architecture and history

Casa del Niño y la Niña director Maria del Carmen Espinosa.

Casa del Niño y la Niña directora María del Carmen Espinosa center and her two teaching assistants.

Decorative mail drop box in Old Havana.

Inside view of the dome of El Capitolio.

Exterior and interior of the Cathedral of Havana initiated by Jesuits in 1748 and completed in 1777. Click photos to enlarge.

Example of restoration in Old Havana.

Street pantomime in Old Havana.

Cuban soldier guards Carlos de la Cabaña fortress.

Left Contemporary Cuban soldier in 18th century British military attire guards the Carlos de la Cabaña fortress (click his photo to enlarge). Right Cabaña turret.

British map from 1763 shows plan of the original walled city of La Habana (founded in 1519). The city was occupied by British and Canadian colonial troops from 1762 to 1763. Spain ended the dispute by trading Florida for Havana. Click here for another British occupation map. Try to identify it on this interactive Google Map of Cuba.

Soldiers fire the 9PM Cannon at the fortress of San Carlos de la Cabaña, the best-preserved Spanish colonial garrison in the world.

Boy toasts his grandmother [abuela]. Cuban youth hold elders in high regard. The island is known as the Jewel of the Caribbean for its natural beauty and the unmatched warmth and kindness of its people.

Restored houses on Havana's Paseo del Prado between Parque Central and the Malecón. Click to enlarge.

Ugh! Eight foot high cockroach sculpture with human heads in Old Havana. Click to enlarge.

Breakfast at your hotel is included in tour cost


	Casa del Niño y la Niña logo.

Morning visit to the Casa del Niño y la Niña [House for the Boy and Girl], a Central Havana neighborhood-sponsored learning facility for young Cubans seeking to expand their academic options following the regular school day. We'll meet with headmistress, María del Carmen Espinosa, for a presentation on her outreach work for kids in the community of Cayo Hueso. We'll also meet with teachers and students.

We'll visit the Callejón de Hamel, an alley where all the buildings display murals inspired by Afrocuban culture and religions. While there we'll take in an incredible rumba performance enjoyed by the community every Sunday.

Lunch this afternoon is included in tour cost

Ernest Hemingway called Havana the Paris of the Americas.

Group welcome lunch at Restaurante El Templete. This bayside fish joint is the latest addition to the city's list of upscale eateries. Basque chef Arkaitx Etxarte does delightful things with seafood. It sits near its namesake temple that marks the spot where the city of La Habana was founded in 1519. Overlooking the harbor, it features two dining spaces: an outdoor alfresco area accommodated under a large awning, and a pleasant indoor dining room with starched tablecloths, fine wine glasses and cutlery. The quality of the food lives up to its upscale decor. Seafood specialties are spearheaded by shrimps and lobster. Many tour participants return to this eatery during their free time.

Next we'll take a walking tour of Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We'll visit four of the five historic plazas that make Havana unique in the western hemisphere. These plazas contain the largest collection of Spanish colonial-era architecture in the Americas. This is a private tour led by your Cuba Education Tours guide. You'll witness:

Cathedral Square, the most beautiful and private 18th century colonial plaza on the island. Named after the masterpiece of Cuban baroque architecture: the Catedral de San Cristóbal de la Habana built by the Jesuit order.

Square of Arms, an ancient military parade ground for Spanish soldiers, surrounded by such impressive buildings as:

Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, former seat of colonial government. Today the building houses the Museum of the City.

Palacio del Segundo Cabo [Palace of the Second Lieutenant] dates from 1770. Today it houses the Instituto Cubano del Libro [Cuban Book Institute] and the Galería Raúl Martínez (famed poster artist).

Museo de Artesanía at Castillo de la Real Fuerza, the oldest remaining fortress built by the Spaniards in the West Indies.

We will continue onto San Francisco Square, one of the oldest plazas in the historical quarter. The square is named after the magnificent Iglesia y Monasterio de San Francisco de Asís dating from the 16th century. The basilica is a striking example of Cuba baroque architecture.

And, finally we'll visit Plaza Vieja, the only civic square of colonial times. In contrast to the churches and government buildings of the previous squares, Plaza Vieja is surrounded by opulent aristocratic 17th century residences. Here we'll tour an important center for the visual arts.


	Return to your hotel and freshen up.

Dinner tonight is included in tour cost


	Restaurant La Dominica in Habana Vieja.

Special welcome dinner Nestled between Plaza de Armas and Cathedral Square, Restaurant La Dominica serves some of the best Cuban and Italian food in la Habana Vieja. Dating from 1812, it's one of the oldest eateries in the city. La Dominica's Italianate decoration and menu are a refreshing alternative for the palate. Meals are accompanied by lively instrumental and traditional island music. The indoor "Carnival of Venice" motif offers more formal dining in contrast to the umbrella-covered tables set on the establishment's street front. Dominica prides itself on appetizing recipes and excellent service. Rated among the top restaurants in town, many visitors return a second time during the course their tour.

ESPECIAL! Evening activity included in tour cost

Tour highlight We will behold a most dramatic ceremony – El Cañonazo – the Firing of the 9PM Cannon at the Fortress of San Carlos de la Cabaña where Che Guevara established his headquarters after the Revolution came to power in 1959 – four hundred years after the fortress was built. El Cañonazo is an enchanting colonial reenactment dating back to 1519 when the city of Havana was enclosed by a tall thick rock wall to ward off attacks from pirates and the English. The cannon firing signaled the closing of the city gates for the night. If you were outside at the time, you were in "vedado" or the forbidden zone. Today Vedado is an important cultural hub and elegant district of modern Havana.


The city of Havana as seen from the El Morro castle and San Carlos de la Cabaña fortress, across the harbor from your hotel.

Day 3 in Cuba

Monday :: Urban agriculture, Hemingway house, Cuban welcome party!

Monument to Hemingway in Cojímar. Village fishers cast this metal bust center above from old anchors, props and tools. They had no money for new materials. Inscription reads, "In loving memory of the people of Cojímar to the immortal author of Old Man and the Sea." A plaque below the bust reads: Sculpted with the contributions of the Fishermen Cooperative of Cojímar.

Merchant at Mercado de Cuatro Caminos

Merchant at a farmers market offers organic pineapple and papaya.

Barcardi Building. Click to enlarge. Photo Dr. Lisa D. Schrenk

Cubans enjoy lifelong free healthcare and education combined with inexpensive housing, utilities and childcare.

See how Cuba ranks amongst its neighbors on the United Nations Human Development Index.

Eight-story Che Guevara sculpture in the Plaza de la Revolución. Click photo to enlarge.

Cubans come in all colors and are proud of it!


Cuban high school students in Havana.

Breakfast at your hotel is included in tour cost

In preparation for this afternoon's activity, watch this riveting British Broadcasting Corporation feature from Around the World in 80 Gardens on urban organic farms in Havana including a walk-through of Vivero Organopónico Alamar by fab host Monty Don.

We'll visit the UBPC Vivero Organopónico Alamar, 15 km (9.3 miles) east of Havana. It's one of the most successful urban organic farms in Cuba raising ornamental plants, medicinal herbs, and millions of seedlings for neighboring residential and collective farms. Established in the early 1990s by a dozen people, the Alamar cooperative now has over 400 members and provides a range of healthy, organic vegetables to nearby communities.


			Eggshells are affixed to tips of medicinal aloe vera plants to thwart bird attack.

Produce is raised employing the practice of permaculture. No chemical fertilizers or pesticides are used. Instead, natural biological methods are used to nourish the soil, frustrate pests and conserve water. The result is an increased rate of yield and reduced costs.

Lunch this afternoon is included in tour cost


Organopónico staff at work. "Vivero" means nursery in Spanish.

Dining highlight Special lunch prepared by members of the Vivero Organopónico Alamar collective – a chance to dine with your new Cuban friends and tourmates.

What is permaculture? A method of agriculture that mimics natural systems, thereby renewing resources, enriching the environment, and creating greater ecological diversity, stability, resilience, and increased productivity.


			War reporter, activist, man of letters, journalist and literary titan Ernest Hemingway.

Now we're off to visit Finca Vigía [Lookout Farm] where North America's literary giant Ernest Hemingway spent twenty-one of his most important and productive years penning the building blocks of English literature. Claimed by both the United States and Cuba as their son, it was Hemingway himself who declared the island his true home. The house has been preserved just as it was when Hemingway lived there. You'll see his personal objects, thousands of books and photographs, as well as some "trophies" bagged on his frequent safaris.


	Centro Cultural Antiguos Almacenes de Depósito San José arts and crafts market.

Afterwards we'll visit the Centro Cultural Antiguos Almacenes de Depósito San José. This marvelous new restoration of an old dock warehouse has resulted in a gigantic market exhibiting the wares of hundreds of Cuban artists and craftspersons. You'll find thousands of souvenirs, beautiful paintings, photographic prints, guayaberas (traditional Cuban shirt), woodwork, leather items, jewelry, painted ceramics and handcrafted cigar boxes, to name a few of the many authentic items for sale. The market also hosts food and beverage venues, money exchange facilities, public toilets and telephones.

Return to your hotel and freshen up. The balance of the afternoon is free for you to explore the city on your own.

Dinner tonight is not included in tour cost

This evening you are free to explore stellar eateries. Tour participants receive a restaurant guide featuring Havana's best eateries for every taste and budget. It includes both paladares [small private diners] and fabulous state owned locales run by acclaimed Cuban chefs.

ESPECIAL! Evening activity included in tour cost


	Tour participant and Chévere host. You'll learn Cuban dance and music one-on-one. It's a can't miss affair!

Tour highlight 9:00 PM Noche de fiesta cubana – a special welcome party organized by Cubans for tour participants at Club Salseando Chévere! This renowned venue and activity gets the highest marks for fun and salsa in the city. It's a great opportunity to meet new people, make new friends and dance.

Many staples are grown organically in Cuba: Bananas, coffee, cucumbers, pineapple, sweet potatoes, eggplant, and avocados.

Day 4 in Cuba

Tuesday :: Community center, vocational college, arts and crafts

Doña Flora, a 102-year-old resident of the Belén Convent.

Left Doña Flora, a 104-year-old resident of the Belén Convent. Right Tower and entrance to the Convent of Our Lady of Belén.

Entrance sign to the Casa de África.

The House of Africa supports traditional and contemporary music and dance.

Drums on display at Casa de África.

El Santo Ángel Restaurant.

Entrance to Palacio de Bellas Artes in Havana.

Sculpture in front of the Museum of Fine Arts in Havana.

Modernist sculpture by noted Cuban artist Rita Longa stands outside the entrance to Palacio de Bellas Artes.

Wifredo Lam. Zambezia, Zambezia, 1950. Oil on canvas. 49 3/8 x 43 5/" (125.4 x 110.8 cm). Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.

Wifredo Lam. Self portrait.

Entrance sign at the Angela Landa primary school in Habana Vieja. It reads, "Welcome to my school, a palace of young pioneers."

Restored cloisters in Ciego de Avila.

Restored cloisters in Havana.


Primary students stand at attention as they listen to their national anthem on their first day back to school at Angela Landa elementary school in Old Havana.

Breakfast at your hotel is included in tour cost

Restoration of Belén Convent began in 1991.

Restoration of the Convent of Our Lady of Belén began in 1991 and continues today. It serves as a public health facility for the elderly in the neighborhood and a permanent residence for 50 retirees. Eventually a section of the facility will house a small hotel.

Visit the Convento de Nuestra Señora de Belén [Convent of Our Lady of Belén], a humanitarian health project in Old Havana. Construction on the Convent was begun in 1712. It was expanded and remodeled several times over the centuries. Finally abandoned in 1925, it fell into grave disrepair. In 1991 restoration began and continues with amazing results. Today the Office of the Historian, local Public Health authorities and the Order of the Sisters of Charity jointly manage the Belén Convent. It is home to fifty elderly people and provides physiotherapy and ophthalmological services to many more seniors in the community. Other activities include exercise classes, board games, cognitive rehabilitation, films, crafts workshops, and "love among the elderly" lectures. We'll meet with project Director Nelson Águila and tour the facility.

Afterwards we'll visit the Casa de África. Established in 1986, this museum and cultural center is located in an old tobacco warehouse in Habana Vieja. It focuses on the continent of Africa and Cuba's African heritage, reflecting in a simple, but deep way, history, religion, art, wisdom, and emancipation battles. The Casa de África is devoted to research and the promotion of African culture and how it has shaped and defined Cuban culture. The Casa conducts workshops for youth, hosts theoretical events, special exhibits, and music and dance performances. Cuba claims both Africa and Europe as its mother continents. The museum reflects the traditions, customs and celebrations comprising the ancestral wealth of Africa for the enjoyment and knowledge of new generations.


			Fernando Ortíz, master Cuban ethnographer.

Gallery collections include initiation and fecundity masks, large carved wooden sculptures, wardrobes, musical instruments, and paintings. It also holds a vast library for use by academicians, researchers and university students interested in acquiring knowledge of the African culture. Among the most significant objects is the library of Fernando Ortíz, master Cuban ethnographer.

Lunch this afternoon is included in tour cost

Set within a beautiful colonial mansion, El Santo Ángel Restaurant enjoys the magical atmosphere of Plaza Vieja. Its stately inner courtyard is lined with plants to which many birds flock. Its menu features nueva Cubana cuisine and superb international dishes. There is always fabulous live music to accompany your meal.


Striking 15 meter (49 foot) mosaic tile mural at the entrance of Museo Bellas Artes.


			Island artist Víctor Manuel's Gitana Tropical, known as the Cuban Mona Lisa, was painted in Paris in 1929.

Followed by a private guided tour of the Palacio de Bellas Artes [Palace of Fine Arts] dedicated exclusively to housing Cuban art spanning three centuries. Sections are devoted to landscape, religious subjects and narrative scenes of Cuban life. A gallery devoted to the 1970s displays the latest generation of Cuban artists whose works reflect the strong symbolic imagery prevalent in recent decades. Together the exhibits account for the richness of the island's Spanish, French, Chinese, African and Aboriginal cultural roots. Notable works include those of René Portocarrero and Wilfredo Lam.


	Return to your hotel and freshen up.

Dinner tonight is not included in tour cost

Refer to your Restaurant Guide and check out some of Havana's best eateries.

Evening activities are optional and not included in tour cost

Entrance sign to Casa de la Música in Centro Habana.

Evening entertainment suggestion There are two venues in Havana called Casa de la Música, one in Centro Habana and the other in Miramar. They're both considered the best and most popular nightclubs and live-music venues. All the big names perform from Bamboleo to Los Van Van. Both venues are open every night and different bands perform each evening. Cover fees vary depending on what band is playing – usually between 5 and 15 CUC. There is no dress code, but you'll fit right in if dressed sharp.


	Dance the night away at a Casa de la Música.

The Centro Habana version is older and better known. It is also a little edgier than its Miramar counterpart. We suggest the Centro Habana version for the more experienced traveler who speaks some Spanish.

Casa de la Música de Miramar is located in a beautiful old performance hall next to a park in one of the best residential areas in Havana. The Miramar club presents a live matinee from 6:00 to 9:00pm and nighttime show from 10:00pm to 1:00am. Drinks and sandwiches are for sale and security is excellent. This club almost never disappoints.


An Afrocuban dance performance. Photos Barbara Fudge.

Day 5 in Cuba

Wednesday :: Literacy, the arts, overview of education in Cuba

"Yo Si Puedo" means "Yes I Can" learn to read

2006 commemorative stamp issued on 45th anniversary of the Literacy Campaign.

Left Plaque at Literacy Museum: "Yo Sí Puedo" means "Yes I Can" learn to read. Right 2006 commemorative stamp issued on 45th anniversary of the Literacy Campaign known in Cuba as "Alfabetización."

Giant mosaic of crab by José Fúster. Click to enlarge. Photo Richard Harris.

Lunch item at the home of Cuban artist José Fúster.

José Fúster's lunch dishes are as colorful as his sculptures.

Fantasy garden and studio of acclaimed artist José Fúster. Click to enlarge. Photo Richard Harris.

Life size metal sculptures of elephants in Havana's Plaza Vieja by island artist Fonseca. Cuba's capital is an effervescent creative art space – a visceral feast for art lovers worldwide.

Interior of the Museum of the Revolution. Click to enlarge. Photo Dr. Lisa D. Schrenk

Youth at a Cuban baseball game, the island's national sport and pastime. Click to enlarge.

Surreal sculpture in Plaza San Francisco. Click to enlarge. Photo Dr. Lisa D. Schrenk


The warm blue waters of the Caribbean crash up against the Malecón seawall in Havana.

Breakfast at your hotel is included in tour cost


Literacy rates in Cuba are highest in the Americas.

Morning visit to the Museo de la Alfabetización [Museum of Literacy] that exhibits relics of the 1961 literacy campaign. We'll meet with museum director Susana Morejón, who will in addition to explaining the literacy campaign, talk about how Cuba's model has benefited over 6.5 million people in 28 countries.


	Museum of Literacy in Liberty City near Havana.

Prior to the Revolution, a quarter of adult Cubans were illiterate and another million were semiliterate. Ten thousand teachers were unemployed and 70% of the rural population had no schools. After 1959 all private schools were nationalized and education became free and universal. Former military garrisons were turned into schools. In 1961 all schools were closed for eight months and some 250,000 students and teachers volunteered to go to rural areas to teach reading and writing, laying the foundation for Cuba's stellar literacy rate today. This campaign also brought tens of thousands of city youth into contact with the country people, breaking down racial barriers and instilling a spirit of national cohesion.

Lunch this afternoon is included in tour cost


	José Rodríguez Fúster.

Tour highlight We'll feast on a delicious lunch hosted by José Fúster, one of Cuba's most important ceramists and painters, at his whimsical studio in Jaimanitas, just outside of Havana. Fúster is known as the Picasso of the Caribbean and his art is acclaimed internationally. His artistic mission has been the rehabilitation and decoration of the village of Jaimanitas where he lives. Fúster has decorated over 80 houses with ornate murals and domes to suit the personality of his neighbors. Nowadays, Fúster's art is a cherished part of Cuban culture and joins the rank of other public artworks such as that of Gaudi in Barcelona or that of Brancusi in the Romanian city of Targu Jiu. He supports his community project through the sale of his paintings and ceramics.


			Noted sociologist Dr. Marta Núñez Sarmiento will provide an overview of Cuban society today.

Program highlight This activity ranks tops among tour participants. We'll participate in a roundtable discussion led by retired University of Havana professor, sociologist and noted feminist author Dr. Marta Núñez Sarmiento. Ms Núñez holds a Master's in Sociology from the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences in Santiago de Chile, a PhD in Economics from the Academy of Sciences in Moscow, Russia, and has served as a visiting professor at universities in the Dominican Republic, Switzerland, Sweden, the United States, Canada, Spain and Argentina. Núñez is an engaging presenter who will explore with you many fascinating and unique aspects of Cuban society including family rights, property laws and gender issues.

Theme: An Overview of the Cuban Society Today. Venue: Your hotel or nearby conference room.


	Return to your hotel to freshen up.

Dinner tonight is not included in tour cost

Refer to your Restaurant Guide and check out some of Havana's best eateries.

Evening activities are optional and not included in tour cost

Evening entertainment suggestion Attend a special dinner and dance show. Eat at the outdoor barbecue Restaurante La Barraca on the paradise-like grounds of the Hotel Nacional de Cuba atop a bluff overlooking the city and the Caribbean. Afterwards enjoy a musical review at the Cabaret Parisién and relish this colorful dance extravaganza. Dinner is 12 CUC, floor show is 35 CUC. (Not included in tour cost.)


Havana parking lot. Photo Dr. Lisa D. Schrenk

Day 6 in Cuba

Thursday :: The natural splendor of rural Cuba

Baby sea turtle. Cuba protects its coastlines from exploitation of marine life.

CUBA IS recognized as the global leader in environmental sustainability. It has 300 ecologically protected areas encompassing 30 percent of its territory. Six of these areas are UNESCO World Biosphere Reserves. Over half the island's diverse flora and fauna is indigenous – existing nowhere else – and is guarded from exploitation. In 2006, the World Wildlife Federation named Cuba the only nation to achieve a sustainable planet friendly economy.

Downtown Viñales. The village is an historic 19th century agricultural settlement. Colonnaded red-tiled houses in the neo-colonial style flank its main street. The valley is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Restaurante El Palenque de los Cimarrones slave dance.

Many rural youth are engaged in agriculture and rigorous academics.

We'll learn about the cultivation and processing of tobacco from seed to leaf culminating in the world's most famous cigars.

La jutía, the largest endemic island mammal, is a rodent the size of a cocker spaniel. These gentle tree-dwelling vegetarians are the preferred breakfast of the fierce Cuban crocodile.

Click to learn more.

Breakfast at your hotel is included in tour cost


Panorama of the majestic Viñales Valley in Pinar del Río province.

Excursion to Viñales village, a picturesque town in the heart of Cuba's prime tobacco-growing region. The town itself sits in the center of a flat valley surrounded by stunning karst hill formations known locally as mogotes. Mogotes are irregularly shaped steep-sided hills that can rise as high as 300m (985 ft) and have bases ranging from just a few hundred yards in diameter to as much as a couple of kilometers in length. The mogotes comprise part of the Sierra de los Organos mountain chain, and were formed by eons of erosion. Many consider this the most beautiful nature spot in Cuba.

Inside the Cueva del Indio Pinar del Río.

A river runs through the Cueva del Indio.

We will take a magical walking and boat tour through the Cueva del Indio used by Guanahatabey Amerindians as a burial site, and later as a refuge from Spanish slavers. Within you'll witness earth's natural and social history from the Jurassic to the Paleolithic era and beyond.

Lunch this afternoon is included in tour cost


	El Palenque de los Cimarrones is located in the mouth of a cave at the base of a mogote.

Lunch at Restaurante El Palenque de los Cimarrones. It is located in the mouth of a cave at the base of a mogote. A palenque was a place of refuge for escaped slaves. We access the eatery on a path that takes us through another narrow cave. At the end of the path we will be met by a re-creation of a nomadic home used by runaway slaves who hid and lived here. We'll enjoy a brief Afrocuban music and dance performance typical of the slave era. Now at the restaurant, we'll dine on slow-roasted entrées and side dishes reflecting the food of the cimarron [runaway slave]. In the evenings, the restaurant doubles as a popular disco.


	Mural de la Prehistoria proposes Darwinian ideas. Plus wild pigs and angry turkeys thrown into the mix. Don't pet them – they bite!

Four kilometers from Viñales village, on one side of the Dos Hermanas [Two Sisters] mogote, stands the Mural de la Prehistoria [Mural of Prehistory]. This impressive 120-meter high fresco was painted in 1961 by Cuban artist Leovigildo González, a student of the Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. Depicted are the animals and other creatures that lived in the valley in prehistoric times. The mural pays tribute to the Darwinian perspective of evolution.


You'll meet families who work tobacco farms. They produce the world's most treasured leaves.


	Meet with local farmers on their small tobacco plantations. Learn first hand the complexities of growing and harvesting the best quality tobacco leaves in the world.

	Free time in Viñales village to explore the open-air craft market, the Parque Martí, the Church, and other interesting sites of this charming colonial town.

	Return to your Havana hotel to freshen up.

Dinner tonight is not included in tour cost

Refer to your Restaurant Guide and check out some of Havana's best eateries.

Evening activities are optional and not included in tour cost

You are free to explore the sights and sounds of the city. Your guide will keep you posted on happening venues and entertainment options. Here's our suggestion: Shake your booty to the best Afrojazz, Cubajazz and Sonjazz at Club La Zorra y El Cuervo [The Fox and the Raven] featuring astonishing performances by island bands. It's a popular haunt for Cubans and foreign guests.

Some of the hundreds of orchids and flowers found in the province of Pinar del Río.

Day 7 in Cuba

Friday :: Cuban music and arts day

RESTAURANTE EL ALJIBE Always filled with clued-in locals and foreign diners having the time of their lives. Barbecued chicken served in bitter orange and lemon sauce is the house dish. Your pollo is served with black beans, rice, tostones and ensalada – a resplendent all you can eat delight.

Cuban Trogon (Tocororo), Priotelus temnurus, is Cuba's national bird.

Cuban Trogon [Tocororo locally], Priotelus temnurus, is Cuba's national bird – its red, blue and white colors match the island's flag. It is endemic to the island.

Exotic and unique plants and animals thrive in Cuba. The island has more protected areas than any other country.

Young person staffs farmers market.

FIRST HERO OF THE CUBAN PEOPLE
Taíno Indian Chief Hatuey from the island of Hispanolia traveled to and warned his Cuban counterparts about the horrific dangers of the impending Spanish invasion in the year 1511. Read about his legendary struggle – that of the premier independence and resistance fighter in our Americas who staked his life for freedom from foreign occupation and thralldom.

Breakfast at your hotel is included in tour cost


Music is pervasive. Musicians perform in every cafe, hotel, town square and street corner.


	Members of the group Orishas record at Abdala music studio.

We'll visit the Colibri recording company [Hummingbird productions] and Abdala music studio where the great musicians of Cuba (and many from Latin America) record their songs. Colibri is the production arm of the Cuban Institute of Music, which hosts the Havana Jazz Festival. Colibri produces new music including son, bolero, country music, Latin jazz, danzon, la trova, ritual songs, rumba, choirs, vocals, instrumental and other rhythms. Colibri is charged with rescuing and preserving recordings of past Cuban performers and composers. Abdala was built in 1998 and has grown into a world-class studio. The project has hands-on support from renowned troubadour Silvio Rodríguez. We'll meet and talk with the staff, engineers and recording artists. We'll learn the intricacies of sound recording, tour the facilities, and as a special gift receive a digital CD and a welcome cocktail.

Lunch this afternoon is included in tour cost

	Lunch at one of Havana's most popular restaurants: El Aljibe.

	Museum of the Revolution: old car not part of exhibit. One in ten autos are pre-1959!		Museum of the Revolution ceiling. Click to enlarge.

We'll visit the Museum of Revolution, located in Old Havana, was the Presidential Palace of all Cuban presidents from Mario García Menocal to Fulgencio Batista. It became a museum following the Cuban revolution. The building was designed by Cuban architect Carlos Maruri and Belgian architect Paul Belau and was inaugurated in 1920. It has marvelous Neo-Classical elements, and was decorated by Tiffany & Co. of New York.

The museum's Cuban history exhibits are largely devoted to the period of the revolutionary war of the 1950s and to the country's post-1959 history. Portions of the museum are also devoted to pre-revolutionary Cuba, including its War of Independence waged against Spain.

Behind the building lies the Granma Memorial, a large glass enclosure which houses the Granma yacht which took Fidel Castro and his revolutionaries from Mexico to Cuba to launch the revolution. You'll see an SA-2 Guideline surface-to-air missile of the type that shot down a U.S. Lockheed U-2 spy plane during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the engine of the U-2 airplane is displayed. There are also various vehicles and tanks used in the revolution displayed. Near the museum is located an SU-100, a Soviet tank destroyer.


	Return to your hotel to freshen up.

Dinner tonight is included in tour cost

	La Mina mosaic.

Tour highlight Group farewell dinner at the ever-popular Café La Mina. You will have a chance to recap the trip and cement friendships with your tourmates. Situated in a former girls' school from the 17th century, the building housing La Mina graces a scenic corner of Plaza de Armas [Square of Arms], Havana's oldest public space. The atmosphere is authentically Cuban as is its menu. Three dining areas face a central courtyard filled with ferns, trees and exotic birds. La Mina serves up excellent Daiquiris and Mojitos. There's a tempting heladería [ice-cream parlor] attached. Yum! The menu includes typical Cuban cuisine specialties, served in a quaint Cuban atmosphere. You can choose among chicken, pork and prawns cooked in a variety of ways. The house specialty is the combo Caribeña La Mina, which is a sauté of chunks of chicken, pork, and shrimp in a tasty sauce with a hint of rum, and comes with a mojito cocktail, black beans and white rice, roasted pork with Cuban flavor, and dessert.

Evening activities are optional and not included in tour cost


	Havana's Jazz Café.

Entertainment suggestion Enjoy the pulsating tunes, good eats, drinks and music at the Jazz Café. This popular modern jazz supper club with chrome trimmed tables and fairly bright lighting is located on the Malecón seawall in the Galerías de Paseo shopping center. At night the venue swings into action with live jazz, timba and, occasionally, straight-up salsa. It attracts plenty of big-name acts.

Day 8 in Cuba

Saturday :: Goodbye Cuba

KEEP IN TOUCH with your new Cuban friends – exchange email addresses! Bring some business cards to pass out. Take pictures and keep a journal. Upon your return, we'll post them on this website for all to see and enjoy.

We'll miss you and hope you return soon! In Cuba we say: A true friend remembers the song in your heart when you have forgotten the lyrics.

Breakfast at your hotel is included in tour cost


United Colors of Cuba.


	Check-out of your hotel.

	Transfer to Havana's José Martí International Airport for your return home.

	Don't forget to save 25.00 CUC for your Cuban airport departure fee and some money for meals on the airplane and while in transit

	Want to stay longer in Cuba following your tour? Contact us and we will help make it happen at a price you can afford.

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