ITINERARY: 10 DAY ART TOUR
Day 1: Arrive Havana
Welcome to Cuba! Today we arrive in Havana and settle into our accommodations. We will walk to a charming restaurant in our neighborhood for dinner and relax after our long journey.
Meals Included: Dinner
Day 2: Havana - Tour Havana
In the morning we will visit a 1930s mansion stuck in time with little changed since the Revolution and that has slowly aged over the years. After that we will visit the home studio of one of Havana's leading women photographers and see her work.
Mid-afternoon we will go for a ride in some of Cuba’s classic cars and tour its many neighborhoods and the famous Malecon. Before dinner we will stop for a cocktail at the legendary 1930’s era Hotel Nacional. After that we will have our welcome dinner with our Cuban guide at one of Havana’s lovely restaurants and then visit Fabrica de Arte, a unique multi staged art gallery in an old factory.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 3: Havana - Old Havana & Artist Visit
First thing in the morning we will have a walking tour of Old Havana and walk in the footsteps of Havana’s colonial past, visiting the main plazas of Old Havana with our expert guide offering insightful history along the way. At the end of our walking tour we will try and visit an artist's studio in Old Havana.
For lunch we will eat at a seaside restaurant and then travel on to the fishing village of Jaimanitas and the home of the famous artist Jose Fuster. Fuster has made his entire home, and much of the surrounding neighborhood, into an artwork using tiles in mosaic forms and created an amazing artists environment to visit.
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Day 4: Havana - Artist Visit
Today we will visit some more of Cuba’s leading and most interesting contemporary artists as well as make a stop at Cuba's contemporary art museum in Old Havana. That night we will eat at one of Havana's most famous restaurants in Old Havana with incredible views.
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Day 5: Matanzas
In the morning we will depart for the seaside town of Matanzas. We will possible do something in the morning in Havana or explore Matanzas when we arrive. Late afternoon we will check into our houses. Before dinner we will have a cooking class with a delightful woman who will teach us some classic Cuban dishes. We will enjoy our dinner and following that a group of 13 musicians and dancers will come perform a Rhumba "Spectaculo" on the house's roof top terrace just for us.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: Matanzas and Farm Visit
In the morning we will drive to an amazing an organic farm and learn about how they run their farm and are also self-sufficient. The wife is a ceramic artist so art plays a bit part in their farm with large sculptures all around and a ceramic studio where you can shop. The whole design of the farm is a masterpiece. The family who will show us around the organic farm and also talk about their beekeeping. We will enjoy a deliciously fresh and diverse meal, a truly authentic farm-to-fork experience. Following lunch we will drive to a nearby small town that used to be a resort escape in the 30s and wander its abandoned mansions and see the small town rural life. For dinner back in Matanzas we will wander down to the river front and eat at one of the charming cafes.
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Day 7: Trinidad
Today we will depart for Trinidad. we will stop at a little town on the coast for a simple lunch and a swim in the ocean. There is also a botanical garden we might visit. We will then drive on to Trinidad to check into our casa and relax a bit before we go to town for dinner and an evening of music.
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Day 8: Trinidad
The beautiful colonial city of Trinidad is an UNESCO landmark and it is a joy to walk and explore its cobblestone streets. In the morning we will go up to the plaza and explore the central sqaure a bit. Then we will go see an Afro Cuban group of musicians and dancers that will perform for us and then do dance and percussion demonstrations we can participate in. Following that we will wander and explore the streets of Trinidad. We will eat lunch on the plaza and meet and listen to one of the town's many delightful Cuban groups. Late afternoon we will go out to Playa Ancon, stop and collect coral and then relax at the beach with a specially cooked meal just for us. What Cuban's call a picnic is a large delicious feast!
Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner
Day 9: Trinidad
In the morning we will stop at the ceramic studio of a well known local ceramic artists. Then we will willride out into the countryside and visit an Afro-Cuban family at their farm house. They are very warm and welcoming and cook a big feast for us, roasting a hog and more. The family are all musicians and they will perform for us as we relax in the shade. It is a simple day but everyone always loves it. In the evening those who are interested can go to town with me to hear music.
In Trinidad music is everywhere, with numerous live music venues and many dance performances every day of the week, day and night, all amongst the enchanting setting of old colonial buildings and cobblestone streets.
Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner
Day 10: Trinidad
We will leave Trinidad to head back to Havana via Cienfuegos and visit a charming small town Palmira. Palmira is a very friendly relaxed town that has a large Afro-Cuban population. We will visit a Santeria temple where they will do a special musical and dance presentation just for us. This is not a town tourists normally visit and it will be an opportunity to see authentic life in small town Cuba. We will have lunch there in a local paladar. We will then head back to Havana where we will have some free time to freshen up before our farewell dinner.
Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner
Day 11: Havana
In the morning we will relax before our flights then wave goodbye to the city’s warm waters, colonial palaces and vintage cars before boarding our flights back to the US. Breakfast and Transport to the Airport.
Meals Included: Breakfast
