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Sorry! Registration for this tour is now closed. Please consider joining one of our other Cuba Education Tours. |
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| Welcome to the Official 2010 Cuban Legal System Tour |
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| PROGRAM OVERVIEW |
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| CITIES AND SITES VISITS |
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Ancient and modern Havana |
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Cayo Levisa, a remote island |
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Viñales Valley and Pinar del Río |
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| TRIP ACCOMMODATIONS |
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Hotel Habana Libre An upscale luxurious respite during an action packed itinerary at this historic five-star facility. |
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Picturesque Resort Hotel Los Jazmines positioned atop a mogote (hill) in breathtaking Viñales Valley with breakfast and dinner included. |
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| TOUR HIGHLIGHTS |
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Lectures and discussions on Cuba Law and Society with former Cuban Ambassador Dr Manuel Yepe, University of Havana Law Professor and Historian Dr Delio J. Carreras, and University of Havana Professor Dr Marta Núñez Sarmiento, author and specialist in gender studies |
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Special meeting with members of the Cuban National Union of Lawyers (UNJC) |
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Converse with legislators of the National Assembly of People's Power and learn about the case of the five anti-terrorist Cubans languishing in U.S. prisons |
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Meeting with a Cuban law collective |
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Enjoy evening venues where the best Cuban music is performed |
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Swim and snorkel in the warm waters and sunbathe on white sand beaches of tropical Cayo Levisa |
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Visit a cave, giant mural and a botanical garden in Viñales Valley |
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Private guided walking tour of the main historical sites of Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site |
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Tour the Museum of Rum, and the Scale Model of Old Havana |
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Salsa, cha cha chá, and rumba dance lessons taught by Cuban pros |
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Guided tour of the Museum of the Revolution by Dr Manuel Yepe |
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Private panoramic motor coach tour of Modern Havana |
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Many fine meals at the best eateries in Havana are included |
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Attend a regal cannon firing ceremony dating from 1519 |
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Tour the former Capitol Building, an architectural wonder |
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Guided tour of the Palacio de Bellas Artes containing 300 of Cuban masterpieces |
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In Cuba from Saturday 27 March to Sunday 4 April 2010 |
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The only official program for North American legal professionals |
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Nine days and eight nights in the Jewel of the Caribbean on the 51st year of the Revolution |
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We'll visit the former Cuban capitol building. |
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An unprecedented and intimate look at jurisprudence in Cuba |
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Tour members attend Cuban-led law workshops and receive a certificate of participation |
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Explore Cuban architecture, culture, music, dance and ecology |
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Relish the island's best food, amenities and entertainment in the five-star comfort of the Hotel Habana Libre and mountaintop Resort Los Jazmines |
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Four thousand kilometers (2,485 miles) of pristine warm beaches, lush tropical flora and unique fauna engulf Cuba. Click photo to enlarge. |
CUBA'S LEGAL SYSTEM is constitutionally enshrined and dedicated to advancing equality amongst its people. Autonomous professionals conduct island law. This tour will contrast an alternate jurisprudence system to that of the Canadian and US models. You'll engage with island legal professionals and intellectuals directly. Legal themes are complemented with culture, art architectural and nature activities. Many legal professionals treat this trip as a tax-deductible professional development expense.
Who should attend? All members of the North American legal professions – attorneys, paralegals, judicial staff and administrators, and law educators and students – are warmly welcomed and encouraged to participate, including their spouses and partners.
This tour is designed by Cuban legal experts to provide participants with a rare opportunity to candidly examine the island's legal system and issues firsthand.
The program is fully escorted from the minute you touch down in Havana until you return home. While on the island you're in the conscientious care of our expert multilingual Cuban guides together with our professional bus chauffeur. Our Canadian and Cuban staff ensures worry free island travel before, during and after your trip.
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| TIME TO COMMIT |
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This tour is limited in size and fills up fast (see costs). Registration is first-come, first-served – don't miss out. Consider signing up now. Shy, budget-minded or independent? Review the benefits of group Cuba travel. |
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| TOUR ACTIVITIES LEGEND |
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Face of La República for special law events |
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Shoe icon for music and dance activities |
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Turret icon for history and architecture |
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Face icon for art, museum, and education visits |
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Owl icon for flora and fauna stuff |
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Fork icon for tour meals included |
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Ball icon for beach, sun and swimming |
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Smiling girl icon for free time and leisure |
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Hint BLUE text links across this site offer extensive details and pictures.
USA travelers This program is legal and licensable for professionals whose work is related to this tour's theme. LegalCubaTravel.com provides an easy step-by-step application kit.
Travel for change Cuba Education Tours is a Vancouver Canada based organization dedicated to green, ethical travel that benefits Cubans and our guests.
 Five-star treatment round-the-clock from our Cuban and Canadian staff ensures worry free travel abroad.
Included in costs are all activities listed below unless noted otherwise.
Island transportation You travel in a private fuel-efficient luxury air-conditioned tour coach chauffeured by a fulltime professional driver.
Meals All breakfasts are included. Some lunches and dinners are not. Your guide is glad to suggest eateries for every taste and budget.
Getting to Cuba Call 1-877-687-3817 toll free or email us. We can help.
Memories of Cuba last forever. Discover the island on routes less traveled with Cuba Education Tours.
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Few swine flu fears in Cuba. Click here for updates. Cuba Education Tours prides itself on an impeccable ten-year health and safety record for our travelers. |
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| TELL YOUR FRIENDS |
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Announce this website to your friends by email or on social networking sites. |
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| CLICK TO REVIEW EACH TOUR DAY :: 01 :: 02 :: 03 :: 04 :: 05 :: 06 :: 07 :: 08 :: 09 :: |
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| Day 1 :: SATURDAY |
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HELLO CUBA |
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Rooftops in Old Havana. |
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Cuban girls perform folk dance. |
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One-in-ten cars in Cuba are pre-1959. Click photo to enlarge. |
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Streets are alive with music. |
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The city of Havana as seen from the El Morro Castle and La Cabaña Fortress, across the harbor from your hotel. Click photo to take an incredible virtual tour of El Morro and La Cabaña. |
Arrival at Havana's José Martí International Airport.
Collect your bags and go through customs. See What to take to Cuba.
You're welcomed at the airport by your Cuba Education Tours guide and professional bus chauffeur.
Your Cuba Education Tours guide will direct you to a bank or exchange bureau (CADECA) to purchase Cuban Convertible Pesos.
Group transfer to the Hotel Habana Libre located in Vedado, the heart of Havana's cultural and entertainment district.
Private check-in with assistance from your guide.
Evening is free for you to settle in, rest up, explore Vedado's vibrant music milieu or stroll the Malecón seawall next to your hotel.
Tour meals Complementary breakfast buffets are served daily from 7:00am to 10:00am at your hotel. Lunch is included on Days 2, 3, 4, 7 and 8, and dinners on Days 2, 6, 7 and 8. Your guide is happy to suggest eateries for every taste and budget for meals not included in tour package.
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José Martí International Airport in Havana – a colorful welcome. |
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Havana's Malecón seawall near your hotel – a place for relaxation and new friendships. |
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| Most common questions 1 Is Cuban food good? It's healthy and simple but not spicy. 2 Am I free to ask any question? You'll insult your island hosts by being less than candid. 3 Is the water safe? Yes, but we suggest bottled water for peace of mind. 4 Are vaccinations needed? No. 5 Can Americans join? They are especially welcome to do so! 6 Can I stay in Cuba after the tour? Absolutely and we are glad to help. 7 Do Cubans like tips? Yes, please see our Gratuities Guidelines. |
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Colorful indigenous Cuban Tody. |
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CUBA IS THE LARGEST and least commercialized island in the Caribbean. It hosts 6000 plant species, half of which are endemic. There are 20 million palms in Cuba comprised of 30 species. Other flora includes the rare cork palm, a holdout from the cretaceous period; the jagüey, a fig with aerial roots; the palma barrigona (pot belly palm); the ceiba (sacred silk-cotton tree); and the mariposa (butterfly jasmine, Cuba's national flower). The most abundant land fauna is reptilian: crocodiles, iguanas, lizards, salamanders, turtles and 15 species of nonpoisonous snakes. The biggest land mammal is the jutía, a tree dwelling rodent the size of a cocker spaniel. The native bee hummingbird or zunzún is the world's smallest warm-blooded vertebrate weighing between 1.6 and 1.8 grams. The Cuban trogon or tocororo is the national bird – its red, blue and white plumage reflecting the colors of the Cuban flag. |
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| Day 2 :: SUNDAY |
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GETTING TO KNOW THE CARIBBEAN'S LARGEST CITY |
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Example of restoration in Old Havana. |
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Street pantomime in Old Havana. |
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Above Dance dedicated to the Santería goddess Yemayá. Right Afrocuban folk dance based on sugarcane cutting. It has its roots in the slave era. |
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| Exterior and interior of the Cathedral of Havana initiated by Jesuits in 1748 and completed in 1777. Click photos for larger view. |
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Merchant at Havana market. |
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Entrance to La Guarida restaurant. |
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| Left Many buildings from the colonial era feature cloisters. Right El Capitolio and the Gran Teatro where the Ballet Nacional de Cuba performs. |
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Ornate filigree and statuary adorn Havana's Gran Teatro where the National Ballet performs. Click photo for view of interior. |
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Morning 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. It contains the largest collection of remaining colonial-era architecture. This is a private tour led by your Cuba Education Tours guide.
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.
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| Square of Arms, an ancient military parade ground for Spanish soldiers, surrounded by impressive buildings such as: |
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Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, former seat of colonial government. Today the building houses the Museum of the City. |
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Palacio del Segundo Cabo, seat of the second authority of the island. Today it houses important publishing concerns. |
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Museo de Artesania at Castillo de la Real Fuerza, the second oldest fortress built by the Spaniards in the West Indies. Today it displays treasures of artistic ceramics by the most prestigious Cuban artists from the middle of the last century to present. The institution is host to the Ceramic Biennial. |
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We continue onto San Francisco Square, one of the oldest plazas in the historical quarter. The square is named after magnificent Iglesia y Monasterio de San Francisco de Asís dating from the 16th century. The basilica is a striking example of Cuba baroque architecture.
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Plaza Vieja in Old Havana. |
And later to Plaza Vieja, the only civic square of colonial times. Absent are churches and government buildings, and is in contrast surrounded by opulent aristocratic 17th century residences. We'll visit an important center for the visual arts.
We'll visit the Scale Model of Old Havana to learn about the community, its history and its development plans.
Now we'll tour the Rum Museum, an ancient three floor colonial residence, in Old Havana, is the venue of the Rum Museum. Built in 1780, it was owned by the Counts Mortera. In 1982 it was declared Cultural Patrimony of Havana by the UNESCO. Your guide will take you through all the steps in the manufacture of the original Cuban Rum from slave to modern times, from the sugar cane field through bottling. You'll conclude with a final toast to the rhythm of Cuban traditional music. Visitors can learn how to prepare a mojito (right), the delicious Cuban cocktail, made of rum, lime, sugar and mint leaves.
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Musicians perform at your restaurant. |
Lunch at La Mina Restaurant where you'll enjoy traditional Cuban dishes and live music!
Free time in the famous open-air handicraft market of Old Havana where you can purchase all sorts of amazing crafts and souvenirs by local artisans.
Welcome dinner at La Guarida paladar, location for Oscar-nominated film "Strawberry and Chocolate."
Tour highlight Tonight we have a Cuban band playing for us. You'll learn how to play and dance to Salsa, Son, Rumba, Mambo and other popular Cuban rhythms from the band members of Grupo Dulce María. |
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| Day 3 :: MONDAY |
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HAVANA COACH TOUR AND HEALTHCARE OVERVIEW |
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RESTAURANTE EL ALJIBE Always filled to the brim with clued-in local and foreign diners who appear to be having the time of their lives, this joint's barbecued chicken served in bitter-orange, lemon, and chicken juices sauce is the house dish, at once dark and tangy. And, oh yes, the house special of black beans, rice, chicken Aljibe, and tostones is a sumptuous all-you-can-eat delight.
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The ratio of students to teachers at the primary level is 15 to 1. They enjoy free education from preschool through university. They achieve among the highest academic scores in the Americas. Healthcare too is free and universal resulting in lower infant mortality rates and longer life spans than in the United States. |
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Soldiers fire the 9PM Cannon. |
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Students watch the blast of the 9PM Cannon. |
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Presentation on the current social and political situation in Cuba today by Dr Manuel Eugenio Yepe Menéndez. Dr Yepe is a lawyer, economist, and former ambassador to Rumania. His memberships include: the National Association of Combatants of the Cuban Revolution, National Association of Economists and Accountants, and the Cuban National Union of Lawyers. Dr Yepe is a prolific writer and lecturer on topics such as the Cuban Revolution, USA-Cuba Relations, Cuban Foreign Policy, Cuban Economic Policy and Political System, Race Relations in Cuba, Contemporary Cuban Society, Terrorism and State Terrorism, the Cuban Movement for Peace, the Cuban Five, Environmental Issues in Cuba, Cuban Electoral System and Freedom of Religion in Cuba. As a youth he was an assistant to Che Guevara.
Get ready for an air-conditioned luxury coach tour of the most important sites of Modern Havana such as the Capitol building, the Grand Theatre, Central Park, Prado promenade, Plaza de la Revolución, Coppelia Ice Cream Park, Plaza José Martí (in front of US 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.
Lunch at one of Havana's most popular restaurants: El Aljibe (included in program cost).
Presentation on Law and Cuba Society Today by University of Havana professor Dr Marta Núñez Sarmiento. Ms Núñez holds a Master's in Sociology from the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences in Santiago, Chile and a PhD in Economics from the Academy of Sciences in Moscow, Russia and has been a visiting professor at universities in the Dominican Republic, Switzerland, Sweden, the United States, Canada, Spain and Argentina. Professor Nunez is a fascinating lecturer who will discuss unique aspects of Cuban society including family rights, property law and gender issues. Lecture will take place at Hotel Nacional.
Tour highlight Visit to the Fortress of San Carlos de la Cabaña where we'll witness a most dramatic ceremony – El Cañonazo – the Firing of the 9PM Cannon at Fortress La Cabaña. This enchanting colonial reenactment dates 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 beautiful section of modern Havana. |
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| Cubans come in all colors and are proud of it! |
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Island billboard reads: 200 million kids in the world sleep in the streets, none of them are Cuban. |
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Locals fishing on the Malecón. |
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Baseball is the national sport and kids practice in every available spot. |
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Plátanos (a type of banana) to market. All produce in Havana is raised organically. Urban gardens supply 40% of fruits, herbs and vegetables consumed in the city. |
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Morro Castle and Fortress of San Carlos de la Cabaña guard entrance to Havana Harbor. |
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| Day 4 :: TUESDAY |
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LAW AND JUSTICE MEETINGS IN HAVANA |
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Havana's former capitol building is today home to the Academy of Science, and an internet cafe. |
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Interior of El Capitolio. The statue La República at end of hall. |
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Bronze La Estatua de La República stands 15 meters (49.25 ft) tall in Cuba's former capitol building in Havana. It weighs 49 tons and is gilded in 22-carat gold leaf. Cast in 1927, it was the second highest freestanding sculpture in world at the time, the Great Buddha of Nara being taller. Click here for a larger view. |
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Logo of La Unión Nacional de Juristas de Cuba. |
Morning meeting with members of the Cuban National Society of Social Sciences and representatives of the Unión Nacional de Juristas de Cuba - UNJC (Cuban National Union of Lawyers). The UNJC holds special consultative status on the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), a body facilitating international cooperation on standards making and problem solving in economic and social issues.
The theme of the encounter is Cuba's Penal and Justice System. The format is a presentation and discussion.
Following the discussion tour participants will have lunch with their hosts from these two organizations.
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Dr Delio Carreras' sense of humor is infectious. |
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Visit to the University of Havana, led by its distinguished official historian and professor of law Dr Delio J. Carreras Cuevas, we'll tour the campus, the beautiful Aula Magna where opening ceremonies for conferences and other important functions are held, the law library and meet students from that faculty. Dr Carreras has hosted world leaders such as Hugo Chavez, Pope John Paul II and Jimmy Carter, among other luminaries. The University of Havana, founded in 1728, is an esteemed institute of higher learning with academic ties to venerable universities in Canada, Europe and Latin America.
Now we'll tour El Capitolio (Capitol Building) designed by Cuban architects and built by the American construction company Purdy and Henderson. This monumental building is one of Cuba's most outstanding architectural heritage sites packed with art work from Cuban and foreign artists.
Evening venue: Peña del Chan Chan at Casa de La Amistad to hear a traditional septeto band playing live (optional). |
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Old cars in front of El Capitolio. If you're lucky, you can score a ride in one. |
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University of Havana, established in 1728, is an esteemed institution of higher learning. You'll visit its Faculty of Law. |
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Grupo La Peña del Chan Chan performs at Casa de la Amistad. |
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Entrance to the Casa de la Amistad. |
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| Day 5 :: WEDNESDAY |
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LEARNING MORE ABOUT CUBAN LAW |
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Presidents Hugo Chávez, Venezuela; Fidel Castro, Cuba, and; Evo Morales, Bolivia. They have established a cooperative trade and social bloc known as the Bolivarian Alternative for Latin America – ALBA – to counter Washington's free market Western Hemisphere Trade Agreement. |
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Horse drawn vehicles are still common. |
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Hundreds of thousands of children in Africa benefit from the voluntary services of Cuban doctors and nurses. People in the Caribbean also benefit. In Haiti, for instance, the first doctor 90% of the population has met was Cuban. |
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Panorama of Plaza Vieja (Old Plaza). We'll explore it on foot and learn its historic features. |
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Morning meetings with the president and representatives of the Commission for Constitutional, Administrative and Legal Matters of the National Assembly of People's Power (Asamblea Nacional del Poder Popular, ANPP). The ANPP has 609 members elected from single-member electoral districts for five-year terms. Each is accountable and can be recalled at any time.
The theme of the encounter is threefold: Cuba's Legal System, Analysis of Cuba's Constitution, and Cuba's Electoral System. The format is a presentation and discussion.
Following lunch (not included) we'll meet with representatives of a Bufete de Servicios Legales Especializados (Specialized Law Collectives).
The theme of the encounter is threefold: The Structure and Role of Specialized Cuban Law Collectives, The Role of the Cuban Lawyer Today, and A Legal Analysis of the Case of the Cuban Five (see sidebar right).
Afterwards we'll enjoy a farewell cocktail with our hosts who will present tour members with Certificates of Completion for their two days studying the Cuban Legal System.
Your evening is free to explore the sights and sounds of the city with your tour mates and new Cuban friends. |
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| Fountain in San Francisco Square. |
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July 2007: Eight US medical students graduate from the Latin American School of Medicine. Their schooling was paid for entirely by the people of Cuba. Some 22,000 foreign students study medicine on the island – for free. Photo Javier Galeano, AP |
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2002 agitprop poster popular in Cuba and North America. It reads: "Free the five Cubans who defended their country against terrorism and are now in U.S. prisons for preventing deaths on the island." You'll learn more about their cause while in Cuba. In the meantime, check out these resources to prep for your trip. |
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| Day 6 :: THURSDAY |
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MUSEUM OF THE REVOLUTION, ARTS, CULTURE |
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Entrance to the Palacio de Bellas Artes. |
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Modernist sculpture by noted Cuban artist Rita Longa stands outside the entrance to Palacio de Bellas Artes. |
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The Museum of the Revolution displays a vast and fascinating journey through Cuba's hundred years' struggle for independence. |
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Museum's magnificent domed ceiling. Click photo to enlarge. |
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Víctor Manuel's Gitana Tropical, known as the Cuban Mona Lisa, was painted in Paris in 1929. |
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Morning 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 cultural roots. Notable works include those of René Portocarrero and Wilfredo Lam.
Afterwards we'll explore the Museum of Revolution, the former Presidential Palace. Today it exhibits the history of the Cuban Revolution through documents and objects among which we find the famous Yacht Granma that returned Fidel and his 82 guerilla fighters from México to Cuba to launch the struggle for liberation from the Batista dictatorship.
Free time to explore the famous open-air handicraft market of Old Havana where you can purchase all sorts of paintings and souvenirs by local artisans.
Farewell dinner for tour participants at La Cocina de Lilliam where president Jimmy Carter dined during his historic visit to Cuba in May 2002.
Evening venues: Cabarets Parisienne or Tropicana to see fabulous dance shows the inspired the same in Las Vegas (optional). Don't stay up too late – we're off to Pinar del Río in the morn. |
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The statue of and monument to national hero José Martí dominates the Plaza de La Revolución. Fidel Castro had a unique role as a young attorney in the development of the monument. |
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Cuban grade school children. |
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La Cocina de Lilliam: One of the most beautiful garden restaurant in Havana with some of the best food you can find. Jimmy Carter dined here. |
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Cabaret Parisienne at the Hotel Nacional. |
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Tropicana show in Havana. |
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| Day 7 :: FRIDAY |
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NATURE DAY – PINAR DEL RIO AND VINALES VALLEY |
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Exotic and unique plants and animals thrive in Cuba. The island has more protected areas than any other country. |
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Young person staffs farmers market. |
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Background A mogote is a freestanding rock formation unique to Viñales Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Foreground World famous tobacco is raised here. |
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Downtown Viñales. The village is an historic 19th century agricultural settlement. Colonnaded red-tiled houses in the neo-colonial style flank its main street. |
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| 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. |
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Your Hotel Los Jazmines (left) over looks Viñales Valley and its dramatic mogote landscape. |
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Morning excursion to the rural agriculture-based Viñales Valley. You'll be in awe of its spectacular natural landscape featuring the most interesting and varied geological formations in the Caribbean. The valley is particularly famous for its great freestanding rock formations called mogotes. Viñales is the heart of tobacco cultivation on the island.
Followed by 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.
Four kilometers from Viñales Village, on one side of the Dos Hermanas (Two Sisters) mogote, stands the Mural de la Prehistoria (Mural of Prehistory), an impressive 120-meter high fresco 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.
Lunch at the restaurant of Hotel La Emita. You'll enjoy fine food and a beautiful view of the farmlands and mogotes of Viñales Valley.
Free time to explore Viñales Village at your leisure. Examine its open-air craft market, Parque Martí, main parish, and other interesting highlights of this charming colonial hamlet.
Visit Carmen and Caridad Miranda's magical mini-paradise, known as the Viñales Botanical Garden. These two elderly widows maintain a little Eden full of fruit trees, orchids and medicinal plants nurtured lovingly and organically.
Now we're off to your Resort Hotel Los Jazmines. Time to settle in and rest up. Dinner is included at the hotel.
Evening options An opportunity to enjoy the beautiful natural environment surroundings of your hotel, and its amenities. Or, your guide will let you know of local happenings. |
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In the countryside many youth are engaged in organic agriculture combined with rigorous academics. Animal partners help out on the farm. Eco-friendly practices result in tasty produce and high productivity. |
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The jutía, native to Cuba, is a large rodent the size of a cocker spaniel. They dwell in trees and are vegetarians. Jutías are the preferred breakfast of crocodiles and the largest endemic island mammal. |
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A river runs through the Cueva del Indio used by the Guanahatabey Amerindians as a burial site and a refuge from the Spaniards. |
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| VINALES VALLEY is 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. The 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 naturally beautiful spot in Cuba. |
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| Some among many Cuban staples grown organically in Pinar del Río province: Left to right Bananas, coffee beans, cucumbers, pineapple, sweet potatoes, eggplant, and avocados. |
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| Day 8 :: SATURDAY |
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DAY TRIP TO CAYO LEVISA BEACH |
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Cayo Levisa beach. A cayo is a small island. |
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Savor a complementary fruit-of-the-sea lunch in Cayo Levisa. |
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Early morning departure to Palma Rubia Pier for boat ride to Cayo Levisa. Enjoy the day on this islet with snorkeling and catamaran activities. Seafood lunch (included).
Late afternoon return to Los Jazmines Hotel. Evening is free to rest up, enjoy your hotel, or local entertainment opportunities. Your guide will keep you posted on local activities. |
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Baby barracuda off the shores of Cayo Levisa. They do not bite. |
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| Day 9 :: SUNDAY |
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GOODBYE CUBA – HELLO NORTH AMERICA |
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| KEEP IN TOUCH with your new Cuban friends – exchange email addresses! Bring some business cards to pass out on the island. Take pictures and keep a journal. Upon your return, we'll post them on this website for all to see and enjoy. |
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Invite your friends to join you on the island for the Official 2010 Cuban Legal System Tour. |
Early morning transfer to Havana's José Martí Int'l 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.
Want to stay longer in Cuba following your tour? Contact us and we will help make it happen. |
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Old Cuban saying, "a true friend remembers the song in your heart when you have forgotten the lyrics." |
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We'll miss you and hope you return soon! |
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