Places: Holguin / Pinares de Mayari / Guardalavaca / Santiago de Cuba / Baracoa

Description: Designed by the island’s historians and most well versed, this unique circuit provides an in-dept look at what Cubans refer to as the Orient. It highlights the warmest and most welcoming part of Cuba, where the island’s history and its rebellion were born and where the heat, tropical flavours and the Caribbean’s festive spirit blend perfectly with Afro-Cuban and catholic divinities. You will discover the most beautiful parts of Cuba through all of these aspects.

Day 1: Santiago de Cuba. Arrival and welcome drink. Dinner and free night to explore the city.

Day 2: Santiago de Cuba, Cuba’s second city, is speckled with busts of revolutionary heroes and features great public squares and catchy music that can be heard all over town. Our visit will begin with guided tours of museums and popular historical and cultural sites. Surprise tour and free night.

Day 3: Santiago de Cuba – Baracoa. Departure for Baracoa, the first city in Cuba founded by Christopher Columbus. Travel along the spectacular La Farola road, which winds through the mountains and offers breathtaking scenery.
Dinner at the local restaurant. Lodging in the city. Free night to explore the city and discover its unique music: the Changüí.

Day 4: Baracoa – Pinares de Mayari. Panoramic tour of Baracoa to take in the various stunning backdrops, a place where the tropical forest blends perfectly with the marine paradise between the ground and the mountains. Departure for Pinares de Mayari. Lodging at the mountain hotel, an experience reminiscent of the Amazon.

Day 5: Pinares de Mayari. Visit of popular cultural and natural local sites. Hiking along these spectacular trails and picnic in nature. Visit of the Mensura national park and its huge waterfalls, vast forests and an array of endemic birds, plants and animals. Return to the hotel. Dinner and peasant celebration.

Day 6: Pinares de Mayari – Holguín. Departure for Cayo Saetia, a small island in the Nipe Bay that is part of the national system of protected areas in Cuba. Cayo Saetia is mostly African savannah: several years ago, animals were brought directly to the island from Africa. A safari aboard a jeep or truck is a must in order to watch exotic animals, such as antelopes, zebras, deer, buffalos and leopards, in their natural habitat. Following the safari, a brunch on site and time to enjoy one of the most beautiful beaches on the island. Return to Holguín. Dinner and night at the hotel.

Day 7: Holguín. Panoramic tour of Holguín—the city of parks. Completely take in its rich culture and splendid nature. Visit of the seaside town of Gibara, once the main port on the northeastern coast of Cuba and a Mediterranean-style gem. Then, the panoramic tour resumes and lunch at the Ordono Hotel’s restaurant. Return to Holguín. Afternoon free. Dinner at local restaurant.

Day 8: Holguín – Guardalavaca. Departure for Cayo Bariay. Visit of the majestic monument commemorating Columbus landing. Bariay complex and the museum housing the island’s first aboriginal village, a Spanish fortress and historic restaurant. Local brunch. In the afternoon, visit of the Naranjo Bay Dolphinarium, show and swimming with the dolphins to end the trip on a high note! Transfer to the hotel. Airport.