Cuba authentic

An autotour

Based on 12 nights 13 days

From $1,030

Itinerary

Stay in the most beautiful guest houses, in direct contact with the local population and culture and appreciate the Cuban way of life in this tailor-made stay.

Live the Cuban adventure from the inside by staying exclusively with locals in guest rooms.

From Havana to Trinidad, you will discover the main cities of the island passing through the lush and rural town of Viñales with its green valley, its mogotes and its farms. Make a detour to Playa Larga via the famous Bay of Pigs, a must in Cuban history.

Then, continue to Trinidad, the third city built by Velazquez and a jewel classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Roots Travel has selected the best of Authentic Cuba for you in a 14-day circuit, flexible according to your desires.

Thus, stay in the most beautiful guest houses, in direct contact with the local population and culture and appreciate the Cuban way of life in this tailor-made stay.

On the program:

Havana, an essential stage. In the heart of the Cuban capital, navigate between the historic center of Old Havana or the modern district of Vedado, then stroll through the picturesque village of Viñales, built on a background of mogotes (mountainous limestone mounds), where fields tobacco and coffee plantations expand. Then head for Cienfuegos, which is located in one of the most beautiful bays of the Caribbean Sea and the small town of Trinidad, a colonial city par excellence, with its beautiful colorful houses...

Here is a small preview of what awaits you… Finally, to modulate your stay, add nights and stopovers, please contact the Roots Travel agency by email or by phone.

Day 1 Arrive in Havana

Arrival in Havana. Meeting and pick-up by our representative directly at the José Marti airport before a transfer by car to your guest house immersed in the Old Havana district.
Installation in your room.
First steps in Havana.
Meals in a palader (a restaurant run by a local family in their personal home) or on the terrace of the casa to get to know your hosts.
We recommend the grilled lobster a la plancha!
Overnight in Havana.

Day 2-3 Havana

Day 2
Breakfast. Departure at 9 a.m. for a visit to Habana Vieja with our local French-speaking guide. Between the port and the Malecón, the popular historic center, witness of the Spanish colonial period, has kept its beauty of yesteryear intact somewhere between suspended time and sketches captured on the spot. Old aristocratic palaces with faded pastel facades, cobbled streets that get lost in a nostalgic tangle, squares and squares that follow one another... We submit to the old-fashioned charm of this little gem, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Day 3
After breakfast in the guest house, discover on foot or by bike the Cuban Centro Habana and Barrio Chino, the Havana chinatown. Optional taichi lessons.Afterwards, visit the largest farmer's market in Havana.Then, (depending on time and desires) initiation ceremony to Santeria, Afro-Cuban religion cousin of Afro-American voodoo which Cubans are very borrowed. The former slaves from Africa hid behind each saint of Christianity an African god to practice their worship in secret. And in the evening, we go to attend a classical dance show in the large and old Alicia Alonso theater opposite the capitol or listen to a jazz concert at the Cuervo de la Zorra.Possibility of dining at the gastronomic restaurant of the theater or dining at the table d'hôtes.Overnight in Havana.

Day 4 Cienfuegos

Head to Cienfuegos to reach your next accommodation.Installation in your casa, a beautiful colonial house mixing art deco objects and more contemporary furniture, located in the city 500 meters from the sea. It has 4 bedrooms, each with private bathroom.

Nestled in the hollow of a sumptuous bay, Cienfuegos, an elegant colonial city nicknamed "the Pearl of the South" because of the beauty of its listed historic center, will welcome you in a warm and provincial atmosphere. With its mixture of remarkably preserved neoclassical buildings, its “Paseo del Prado”, its shaded green islands, its small pastel-colored alleys and its Malecón, Cienfuegos has kept its authentic side.

Day 5-7 Trinidad

With its famous Plaza Mayor, its preserved colonial architecture, its narrow cobbled streets, its pretty pastel-hued houses and its old colonial mansions with wrought iron balconies, Trinidad exudes a warm and festive atmosphere. Classified by Unesco, Trinidad, known as a "city-museum", never ceases to surprise both by its cultural side and by its sweetness of life. Behind its facades, there is an effervescent local life, an atmosphere of nonchalant Cubanness.

Day 5
Breakfast. Heading for Trinidad. Halfway on your journey, stop at El Nicho, a Cuban enclave between waterfalls and natural pools. Accompanied by a guide, you cross a hiking trail for about 1.5 km to discover the various points of interest in the Natural Park.
After the excursion, continue your journey to Trinidad. Arrival and installation in your casa. In the afternoon, tour of the old town in the company of a French-speaking Cuban guide, between a gentle stroll on the Plaza Mayor, a visit to the Romantic Museum and meeting the city's artists in galleries (Elizagaray and De Arte Universal Bonito Ortiz).
At the end of the afternoon, a relaxing break on the sublime beach of Trinidad, playa Ancon.
After dinner, it is a good idea to end the evening with a drink in the Casa de la Trova or the Casa de la Musica, two places that immerse you in the atmosphere of popular music and Cuban dance.
Overnight in Trinidad.

Day 6
Breakfast - Departure at 9 a.m. for the "Topes de Collantes" park, located in the Escambray massif, one of the three main mountainous areas of the island. You will be in the center of a vast forest camped at an altitude of 700 m, former refuge of the rebels behind Che during the 1958 revolution. Lush vegetation: bamboos, coffee trees, pines, orchids, hydrangeas and eucalyptus as far as the eye can see.
Overnight in Trinidad.

Day 7
Breakfast. Departure by car, or on an old train for the Valley of Los Ingenios.
Immersed in the history of the sugar economy, the slave trade, the Spanish influence and the beginnings of the struggle for independence. This tour includes a visit to the craft market.
Then we will have a drink at the bar “le mirador” from where you will have a breathtaking view of the valley.
Overnight in Trinidad.

***Valley of Los Ingenios means “Sugar factory”.
In the 19th century, it had more than 50 and more than 10,000 slaves were forced to work there. It is said that it was here that a slave rose up for the first time in Cuba, subsequently triggering a series of events and demonstrations against slavery throughout the island. The Valley is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Day 5-9 Vinales

Landscapes eroded and chiseled by time, mogotes rising here and there in the middle of the fields and standing out from the horizon, bouquets of flamboyants, orange trees, caves and tobacco plantations, houses with palm roofs built on ocher, this is Viñales, a picturesque little village that has become touristy at the foot of a valley with very special vegetation.

Day 8
Breakfast - Early departure by car to the Viñales Valley. On the road, discover the countryside village of Soroa and visit an orchid farm.
After your arrival, installation in your casa in the heart of the charming village of Viñales.
In the late afternoon, Salsa lessons.
Night at the casa in Viñales. Casa Mirta y Blanco
La Casa, right in the city center, offers the necessary comfort to feel good, large porch and rocking chairs, spacious and airy rooms with private bathrooms.
The interior decoration is simple but it has the merit of giving a feeling of freshness, not insignificant after long walks.

Day 9
Breakfast - Departure at 10 a.m. for a hike in the Valle de Viñales National Park on foot, by bike or on horseback. On the program: tour of the Valle del Silencio. With your guide, you flush out the local flora and observe the birds of the region before setting off to meet the tobacco growers and farmers who cultivate the valley. Moments of exchange where you will learn about the reality of the trades in the field and the secrets of tobacco and coffee production. A cigar and a glass of exclusive rum from the province offered and possible purchase on site of rum, tobacco, honey and coffee. You will also have the opportunity to visit 2 families from the Comunidad los Acuáticos. In the past, the peasants of the mountains were treated for illnesses with the water of the region because they were convinced that it had curative powers.
Lunch in a farm with their organic products.
Cocktail in the heights of Viñales with a breathtaking view of the Valley and beautiful sunsets.
Night at the casa in Viñales.

Day 10-12 Cayo Levisa

This small island surrounded by a 3 km long white sand beach where crystal clear water comes to curl up. It can only be reached by boat (about 30 minutes). Far from the big resorts of Varadero, Cayo Levisa has managed to retain all its authenticity and charm. The Cayo Levisa hotel has 20 small bungalows to accommodate you, Robinson Crusoe style, guaranteeing you calm and a change of scenery. To make the most of the assets that the island has to offer, and in particular to admire the fish on the coral reef, you can rent masks, pedal boats, canoes, catamarans...

Days 10,11,12
Recommended activities: beaches, water sports, boat trips and scuba diving. A snorkelling trip by boat will allow you to discover a real tropical aquarium.
In addition, a diving club that offers several sessions a day will allow you to discover magnificent seabeds and enjoy the coral reef.
Nights in Cayo Levisa.

À la carte :
Snorkelling trip by boat and discovery of a real tropical aquarium (duration of about 1h45 including 40 minutes on site).

Day 13 Departure

Return from Palma Rubia to José Marti Airport in Havana

Homes

Roots Travel has selected for you accommodations in perfect harmony with the spirit of Cuba. Depending on your needs and desires, we offer different categories of comfort, from standard to premium.

Cuban Homes

Our Cuban hosts are used to receiving and will welcome you in a friendly and authentic setting. They will open the doors of their old-fashioned casas to you, where objects preserved for ages mingle with art deco in a cheerfully kitsch tone.

Transportation

In Cuba, the most optimal solution for getting around the country, especially in the corners of the Cuban countryside, remains the car. At Roots Travel, we offer you 2 options to choose from, car rental in “complete freedom” and car rental “with driver”.

Car rental without driver

This option allows you to discover Cuba freely with our range of manual or automatic cars, from the Kia Rio to the 4/4, with a maximum capacity of 5 seats.

Vintage Car with Driver

Immerses in a stylish and relaxed “made in Cuba” atmosphere, especially when you board the old vintage car
Your driver will allow you to cross the country step by step by the most pleasant and practical roads, within a quota of 8 hours per day, to be distributed according to your needs.
This solution is practical for small groups of 3-4 people and for itinerant stays with 1 or 2 nights in each city.