Cuba: Discovering Its People and Culture

Experience Cuban culture the most authentic way possible—through its people. On this unique and inspiring program, get acquainted with Cubans in diverse settings, from Old Havana to colonial Cienfuegos. Engage Cubans directly in discussions about their lives and work, culture and traditions. Meet with Cuban historians, teachers, students, artists, naturalists, and others, and experience this fast-changing island nation through their eyes.

Day 1 — U.S./Havana, Cuba

Depart from Miami on a charter flight. Upon arrival in Havana, enjoy lunch and visit the Plaza de la Revolución before transferring to our hotel. Gather for a welcome reception and dinner tonight.
Hotel Parque Central
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Day 2 — Havana

Learn about the restoration and changing landscape of Havana from preservationist Miguel Coyula. Then, set out to explore Old Havana, stopping in at local businesses and meeting the workers. On Calle Obispo, meet some of Cuba’s cuentapropistas (self-employed), who are part of an expanding private sector.
Hotel Parque Central
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Day 3 — Havana

Engage in a unique question-and-answer session with a Cuban legal expert, discussing education, economics, the role of government, and other topics of interest. Experience the inspiring Hogar de Ancianos Santovenia, a community project that supports the elderly and disabled. Later, meet the instructors and students at La Colmenita, an after-school program utilizing song and dance performance as a social development tool.
Hotel Parque Central
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Day 4 — Cienfuegos

Leave Havana and head to Cienfuegos, a port city with architecture that reflects its French colonial roots. Enjoy an orientation tour of Cienfuegos and meet local residents in Parque Martí. See the statue commemorating José Martí, a renowned author and a leader in Cuba’s quest for independence from Spain. Engage local cuentapropistas on Cienfuegos’ main commercial street before enjoying a choral performance and discussion with the Cienfuegos choir.
Hotel Jagua
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Day 5 — Trinidad

Travel to Trinidad where we explore Cuba’s best preserved colonial city with a restoration expert and interact with local community members, including a Santeria priest. Then meet Julio Muňoz, a local photographer and “horse whisperer” whose wife and niece were featured in an October 1999 National Geographic magazine article. Visit Julio’s colonial-era house and stables, the base for his program promoting equine care.
Hotel Jagua
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Day 6 — Cienfuegos

Near Cienfuegos, visit Cuba’s oldest botanical garden with a botany expert. Stop in a former sugar mill town and interact with the town’s present day inhabitants. Later, visit Benny Moré Art School to meet with students studying music, dance, or art and their teachers. This evening, get to know teachers and students in the Casa de la Cultura, a community project providing a positive environment for at-risk children.
Hotel Jagua
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Day 7 — Bay of Pigs/Havana

Today, head to the historic Bay of Pigs. Set foot on the famous Playa Girón, one of the two landing sites for the 1961 U.S.–backed invasion. Visit Australia, a former sugar mill town and Fidel Castro's headquarters during the Bay of Pigs invasion. There, meet with former mill workers and ride an old steam train through the sugarcane fields.
Hotel Parque Central
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Day 8 — Havana/Jaimanitas

Today, explore a community project at Muraleando, where local and international artists have been in formation changing a downtrodden neighborhood into a living work of art. After lunch, head to the charming fishing village of Jaimanitas to visit the workshop and home of ceramic artist José Fuster, called the “Picasso of Cuba.” Toast our new Cuban friends at a farewell dinner tonight, followed by a special musical performance.
Hotel Parque Central
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Day 9 — Havana/U.S.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight home.
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