Experience the colorful, diverse Cuba by rental car very close to Cuban everyday life on this varied self-drive tour with accommodation in private accommodation with Cuban families. The accommodation is booked for you and the route is therefore predetermined. No excursions or tour guides are included, but excursions, city tours or shows can be booked at any time. The rental car and private accommodation are included in the self-drive tour, the program points listed are suggestions and can be individually arranged by you.
Day 1: Arrival in Havana
Reception and welcome at Havana airport. Then private transfer to the casa particular. Dinner on your own.
Day 2: Havana (B)
Pick up the rental car in the morning. After breakfast you will meet with a German-speaking representative at the rental car station: handover of the information documents and assistance in filling out the contract and advice on questions about the route. Now you can set off on your own. We recommend a tour of Havana's old town. Experience the morning panoramic view from the statue of Christ, take the Lancha de Regla ferry and have lunch in the beautiful Cathedral Square. In the evening, you have the opportunity to go dancing in the local salsa and nightlife scene. Depending on the weather, you can dance in the open air at the Malecón in 1830 or in style at the legendary Hotel Florida.
Day 3: Havana (B)
Immerse yourself in the life of the Habanieros. Take a ride in the famous cocotaxis and visit one of the old car workshops where Cubans restore vintage cars and other vehicles: VW Beetles, Chevrolets and much more are on the agenda.
Day 4: Havana - Soroa - Viñales (B)
Today we head out into nature. Drive along the tobacco route towards the province of Pinar del Río. We recommend a stopover in Soroa and a visit to the orchid garden with over 350 species, with a cocktail in the “Cloud Castle” with a magnificent view over the landscape. Afterwards you can go to Patio Pelegrín, a support program of the artist Mario Pelegrín and prepare lunch together with Pelegrín and his team. In the afternoon, panoramic tour through the Mogote Valley with its imposing cone-shaped cliffs, the Mogotes, and the picturesque village of Viñales, where time seems to have stood still. You can visit a tobacco drying house, a Casa de Veguero.
Travel time today: 2 hrs 30 min - 3 hrs
Day 5: Viñales - Playa Larga (B)
Today a longer drive to the south coast of the island. At last we are heading for the Caribbean Sea! Our suggestion: visit the Cueva de los Peces with opportunities for snorkeling. This lagoon has formed from karst lagoons and an extensive system of caves that are under water and extend for more than 30 km from Playa Larga to Caleta El Toro. Possibility to spend the rest of the day on the beach of Playa Larga in the Bay of Pigs and opportunity to snorkel in this beautiful coral reef.
Travel time today: approx. 5 hrs 30 mins
Day 6: Playa Larga - Cienfuegos - Trinidad (B)
Suggestion: In the morning to the park “El Nicho” for a guided hike through diverse nature to a waterfall that pours over rocks into small lakes. There is the possibility of swimming. After the hike, drive towards central Cuba to Cienfuegos, which is characterized by French colonial architecture. Walk through the main square Parque Martí with the nostalgic Terry Theater. Visit to the magnificent cultural center of the Casa de la Cultura Benjamin Duarte. Then a detour to the Punta Gorda peninsula with a cocktail in the Moorish Palacio del Valle. Then on to Trinidad, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with unique colonial architecture.
Travel time today: 3 hrs 30 min
Day 7: Trinidad (B)
Experience beautiful Trinidad with its romantic cobbled streets or take a trip to the nearby Valley of the Sugar Cane Mills with the hacienda of the sugar barons Iznaga and the legendary slave tower. You can enjoy a typical Cuban lunch on a finca. Optionally (surcharge € 18,- p.p.) you can enjoy the thrill of canopying over five ziplines. In the evening, you can explore the romantic nightlife on your own with live music and dancing.
Day 8: Trinidad - Santa Clara - Havana (B)
In the morning, drive from Trinidad to Santa Clara, where Ernesto Ché Guevara won his greatest victory and found his final resting place and memorial. Santa Clara is one of the most famous colonial cities in Cuba and is inextricably linked with the Comandante, whose tomb is located here in Santa Clara. The famous Ché led the battles of the Cuban revolution to victory and is the hero of the time. Visit the monument and the Tren Blindado from the Revolutionary War. Then continue via Varadero to the airport in Havana.
Travel time today: 3 hrs 30 min - 5 hrs.
B = breakfast / L = lunch / D = dinner
Notes:
The road conditions in Cuba do not meet European standards. It is therefore often necessary to drive slowly and this may result in longer journey times.
As a precaution, we would like to inform you that there may currently be supply bottlenecks for “Especial/Super” gasoline throughout Cuba. Our 24-hour service and our representatives are in constant contact with the local authorities and petrol stations. Through our representatives and emergency numbers, we are available to our guests with advice and assistance that the situation is constantly changing.
Important booking information: After your request, our service team will check the availability of the rental cars and the desired category with our agency in Cuba. No availability or category can currently be guaranteed and prices may therefore vary.
