CUBA: TREK THE ESCAMBRAY MOUNTAINS & HAVANA, OCTOBER

Do you love adventure, nature and culture?

This holiday is the perfect combination between high energy, sight-seeing and dancing in Havana and the serenity and accomplishment of hiking the Escambray Mountains, while staying locally in both the serene and beautiful Hanabanilla & the stunning colonial Town of Trinidad, steeped in important history and alive with culture and music!

High in the Escambray mountains, the Topes de Collantes is a protected area of beautiful lush, tropical landscapes and off-grid communities, framed by a mountain backdrop. With our expert guide, we will set off on a magical journey to spectacular cascading waterfalls, swimming holes and hidden caves, abundant with flora and fauna and where you will likely spot Cuba’s unique wildlife. You will meet off-grid communities and spend a little time to learn the daily life and sample locally grown coffee and cigars. Each trek includes a stop for a traditional Cuban style lunch and a fun ride in the Old Russian style trucks (often the only way to navigate some of the terrain!).

Although cliché, this is an adventure which gives meaning to the phrase ‘food for the soul’.

Arriving into Havana after your transfer from the Airport, you would be forgiven for thinking you were in the middle of a 1950’s film set. The mix of pulsating salsa rhythms burst from the streets which are lined with elegant buildings of faded grandeur, untouched for decades while magnificent American Cadillac’s cruise down the famous Malecon with Reggaetón pumping from the stereo.

Strolling around the streets of Havana is a real treat for the senses, a bamboozling mix of live music, chatter and roaring car engines while an old man with peanuts walks the streets shouting  ‘Mani, Mani’. Jazz and Salsa music spill from small bodegas while trios of musicians frequent the streets singing traditional Son music. A game of dominoes on the street corner fetches quite a crowd… dominoes is serious business!

The allure of this addictive city will definitely get under your skin and when night falls Havana comes alive once more with music, dancing …and rum! Sultry nights in Havana are made for dancing Salsa under the stars…

…you have arrived in the most unique and intoxicating city on the planet!

During your time in Havana you will have a varied itinerary including dance classes, classic car tour, walking tours and much more!

 

Our hotel sits on the lake edge surrounded by mountains, where each bedroom has magnificent views over the lake and mountains. Here we begin our journey to beautiful and serene landscapes.

With the perfect spot for a little morning Yoga & Stretch our time here will invigorate the mind, body and soul.

You will enjoy exploring the lush landscapes surrounding Lake Hanabanilla both on foot and by boat. You will see some spectacular waterfalls and flora and fauna unique to this region.

The sheer beauty of this place is quite incredible. From here we begin our first trek to El Nicho.

 

Southeast of Havana, and 50 minutes from Lake Hanabanilla, wedged between the sea and the Escambray Mountains lies the UNESCO World Heritage site of Trinidad, the oldest working Colonial Town in the Americas, still thriving today as it did 350 years ago.

Once the richest city in Cuba, this antique treasure bypassed the 21st century, and is one of the best preserved baroque works of art on the continent, with delightful cobbled streets, palaces and museums, where horse and cart are still part of daily life, colourful homes invite you inside and live music spills out from every corner, shop and restaurant.

Not far away is the sugar-white beach of Playa Ancon, with the Escambray Mountain range as the backdrop to this mythical town.

Trinidad will be our base while we continue our trek through the Escambray. After each full day we will return to our beautiful colonial Casa  where our very own chef will cook up a sumptuous meal. If you still have enough energy for a little night time activity, we will take you to Trinidad’s favourite music spots for a Canchanchara, a live band and maybe a Salsa or two!

We will return to Havana for one final day and night.

With more than 18 years experience working with groups in Cuba, our Itinerary has been carefully and thoughtfully planned with expert knowledge in order to provide you with the holiday experience which will stay with you a lifetime.

Day 1: HAVANA

Arrive into Havana where our private transfer and guide will be waiting to take you to your accommodation in Havana. We will have a short introduction and welcome cocktail while we get to know everyone embarking on this experience together! You will have time to explore a little of Havana tonight or maybe you prefer to get some rest and get your body clock into Cuban time!

 

Day 2: HAVANA

After a sumptuous breakfast we will take you on a guided walk around Old Havana stopping off at Hemmingway’s favourite jaunts for a Mojito or Daiquiri while soaking up the essence of Cuban culture in the streets full of life and music. This afternoon is free but we highly recommend you join us for a private Salsa lesson with our professional teachers – when in Cuba you just have to! This evening we will eat together at a traditional Cuban Paladar before heading out to our favourite open air venues by the sea to experience the essence of Cuban Salsa and music, it doesn’t matter if you don’t want to dance, you’ll absolutely love this venue!

 

Day 3: HAVANA TO HANABANILLA

This morning we start our journey across to to Hanabanilla Lake, the beginning of our time in the Escambray Mountain region. We will take a scenic route through Cuban’s small towns, villages, and farms where you will see the stark contrast from Havana city. Our destination today is Lake Hanabanilla, just outside the town of Manicaragua and close to Santa Clara & Cienfuegos. When you see the view from your hotel room you will be in heaven! This afternoon we will take you on a scenic boat ride meandering between the serene mountains to the spectacular waterfall waiting at the end. Here you can take a little wander and photos and see autochthonous species of flora and fauna which are preserved in this region. Tonight we will have dinner at a local Paladar and an early night. Tomorrow our adventure begins!

 

Day 4: HANABANILLA: 5KM MODERATE – DIFFICULT TREK

We start our morning appreciating the beautiful  views over Lake Hanabanilla with a little Yoga and Stretching in preparation for our walk today. After breakfast we will begin a medium intensity trek with some tougher parts through the lush mountains to reach the view point with spectacular views over the Escambray Mountains. Our decent will be quite steep in parts but thoroughly rewarding with the national bird likely to be spotted in this area along with wild mountain goats and pigs. Our boat will be waiting to take us on a leisurely ride down the Lake, through the mountains back to our hotel where there will be time to relax and enjoy the pool and sunshine. Tonight we will eat locally in the town of Manicaragua.

 

Day 5:  PARQUE EL NICHO TO TRINIDAD: 3KM EASY TREK

After breakfast we will meet our guide who will explain the route of today’s trek. Destination: Parque El Nicho. A 20 minute boat ride will take us to our starting point, from here we will trek approximately 3km through lush vegetation, coffee plantations and spot some of Cuba’s national wildlife we will reach a series of beautiful waterfalls and crystal blue water holes where you can swim and enjoy. We will refresh with a traditional Cuban lunch before meeting our transport to take us on to Trinidad. Here we will meet the wonderful hosts of our elegant Casa which will be our home for the next few nights! Our Casa host is a trained chef and the food is simply incredible! We will enjoy a sumptuous meal and then if you have energy we will take you to Casa de la Musica on the famous Trinidad steps to see a live Cuban band along with a Cuba Libre (or two!).