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Captivating Cuba - A WAI Adventure

Republica de Cuba

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Click on the DATE to see all of the photos for that day

For more information on Walking Adventures International, check out this web site: https://walkingadventures.com/.

Sherry has had on her bucket list to visit Cuba. When WAI made the trip available, she signed us up immediately. We were on the inaugural trip that was from January 30 through February 9, 2020. We actually got there a day early so we could do the interesting Malecón event.

This page will cover the main highlights of our trip, with sample photos alongside the description of the day. For each day, I took many, many photos, and I have included links - click on the date headline - to the page with all of the unedited photos of each day's activities. Just so you know, I took over 1,700 photos and a bunch of videos during the 11 days on the road.

Here is a 5 and a half-minute movie showing an overview of the entire Captivating Cuba adventure
HINT: Full screen on a big monitor is best!

Day-by-Day, City-by-City for the Entire Trip

Wednesday, January 29th 2020 - Travel from Colorado to Houston to Havana, Cuba

On January 29th, 2020, we flew from Denver to Houston. In Houston, we purchased our Visa for Cuba, then flew on to Havana. We were met at the José Martí International Airport in Havana by our cab driver, and he delivered us to the Hotel Nacional de Cuba. We changed some US Dollars into the tourist special money, the Cuban Convertible Peso, or CUC (pronounced kook). This is the only acceptable currency for tourists. 1 CUC = 1 US Dollar. (The local Cuban Peso is worth approximately 1/25 of a dollar.)

Final approach and landing in Havana

Thursday, January 30th 2020 - Arrive Havana

Optional: Malecón and More Havana Walk - 7km, rated 1A

We rendezvous in sunny Havana today for one of the most unusual walking adventures we've yet experienced. We look forward to sharing an unforgettable array of activities with the Cuban people through a cornucopia of cultural connections and excursions into the unspoiled natural wonders of this Caribbean island that seems to be working their way through a late-19th to mid-20th century time warp.

OPTIONAL EXCURSION: MALECÓN & MORE HAVANA WALK
Travelers who opt to arrive early (all but 3!) are invited to join us for a walk along sections of the 7-kilometer Malecón (esplanade) that borders the Atlantic Ocean. The route takes us into Centro Havana for an optional visit to the Museum of the Revolution (Museo de la Revolución) to see that piece of history from a different point of view. We finish with a stroll down the Paseo del Prado to Central Park and the Capitolio. Originally the home of the Cuban Congress, it's currently under renovation to serve as the new home for Cuba's National Assembly.

Later this evening, we join travelers arriving today for a Welcome Orientation and dinner at Hotel Nactional de Cuba, Havana's most famous hotel and a magnet for foreign celebrities and diplomats during the pre-Castro years. [The dinner was at a restaurant a 10-minute walk from the hotel that took 25 minutes. I'm just sayin'.]

Friday, January 31st, 2020. Activities in Havana

Historic Havana Walk - 7km, rated 1B

Our day begins with a memorable tour of the city by convertible classic car. Perhaps the most iconic images of Cuba are these wonderfully restored automobiles from the 50s and 60s. Our vintage vehicles deposit us at the entrance to San Carlos de la Cabaña Fortress (Fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabaña) on the opposite side of Havana Bay to start today's walk.

This late 18th century behemoth is the third largest fortress in the Americas and sits atop the cliff overlooking Havana, providing outstanding views of the harbor and the city, and contributing an intriguing piece of Cuba's history.

From La Cabaña, our trail takes us to the fishing community of Casa Blanca to ride the local pedestrian ferry across the harbor. We disembark in Habana Vieja - Old Havana - to continue our walk through the oldest parts of the city, dating back to 1514! Of primary interest are Havana's lovely squares - four of which are featured on our walk. Lunch in Old Havana is followed by free time to explore this fascinating combination of wonderful architectural restoration and rampant decay, overlaid with a vibrant cultural vibe that continues into the night. The late afternoon and evening are free to relax and wander the area near our hotel, or enjoy its spacious grounds.

Saturday, February 1st, 2020 - Havana to Viñales

Viñales Viewpoint to Valley Walk - 3km, rated 2B

Jaimanitas is a small fishing village south of Havana better known as Fusterlandia after its most famous son, Cuban artist José Fuster. Inspired by Picasso and the modernistic images of Antoni Gaudi, Fuster transformed his home and neighborhood with a whimsical array of colorful tiles. A short stop here prepares us for color of a more natural sort at the Soroa Orchid Garden. Created by Spaniard Tomás Felipe Camacho in the 1940s to honor his deceased daughter, this Eden-like hillside is covered with over 20,000 plants, including 700 species of orchids (of the more than 35,000 worldwide!). Our day ends with more scenic driving into the very different landscapes of Viñales Valley and Viñales National Park. From the viewpoint overlooking the valley, our walk of the day descends through forest and field, passing tobacco farms and other agricultural pursuits, and winding our way around the signature geological wonders of the valley - mogotes. These unique limestone mounds pop up from the valley floor reaching heights of over 1000 feet. We spend the next two evenings in the town of Viñales in casa particulares, private guesthouses, enjoying the hospitality of the burgeoning private sector of tourism in Cuba.

NOTE: As we were traveling on the bus it was raining. When we arrived at the overlook it was decided the large amount of rain made the descent into the valley from here not safe enough. We went instead to our casa for the evening and an alternative walk was used for those interested in walking through the rain and mud. Sherry and I decided to bypass this portion (was supposed to be 3K but turned out to be 5K) because we would be walking over the same ground the next day.

Sunday, February 2nd 2020 - Activities in Viñales National Park

Viñales Mogotes & Prehistoric Mural Walk - 7km, rated 1B
Viñales Tobacco Farm Walk - 4km, rated 1B

A hearty homemade breakfast prepares us for a day of exploration in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Viñales National Park. Our first walk nearly circumnavigates one of the larger mogotes, passing farmers at work in the fields (probably behind a pair of oxen) and offering possible sightings of some of Cuba's 28 endemic bird species. We finish with some of Cuba's best piña coladas then return to Viñales and our guesthouses for a mid-day break and a chance to explore this interesting town. Later this afternoon, we head for a different part of the valley and a walk to a more remote tobacco farm. Here, we learn the time-honored techniques of tobacco farming and unique aspects of a state-controlled agricultural sector. Dinner this evening is at a picturesque organic farm offering sweeping views over the valley from a rambling hilltop farmhouse.

Monday, February 3rd 2020 - Viñales to Playa Larga

Driving all day

We leave western Cuba this morning for a lengthy but intriguing drive to the Bay of Pigs. En route, we stop for a no-host lunch and a nostalgic window into the sugar cane industry in Cuba, along with the trusty trains that carried the cane. Cenotes (water filled sinkholes) are a geological phenomenon of Cuba's Caribbean coast and this afternoon offers the opportunity to swim in one, or in turquoise waters of the Caribbean across the road. Our home for the next two nights is Playa Larga, a bustling village on the shores of Bahía de Cochinos, known to Americans as the infamous Bay of Pigs. Our private guest-houses for the next two evenings allow us the delightful opportunity to stroll the village and the dreamy, palm-lined Caribbean beach. Political reminders of the unsuccessful, American-backed 1961 invasion by Cuban exiles are strewn throughout this part of Cuba, but today's beautiful beaches and natural setting bely the violence and political turmoil of this chapter of the Cuban story.

Tuesday, February 4th 2020 - Activities from Playa Larga

Ciénaga de Zapata Walk - 6km, rated 1A
Challenge Walk: Gran Park Natural Montemar Walk - 2km, rated 2C

We are up with the birds this morning for a walk to see flamingos. Actually, we need our coach to drive us through Zapata National Park to the remote lagoon where colonies of these iconic pink wading birds congregate in large numbers.
Turns out the recent weather patterns have forced the flamingos further into the park, so we were only able to see a few. Later today, we drive along the coast to Museo Girón for insight into the Bay of Pigs Invasion from the Cuban point of view. On the return journey to Playa Larga, walkers are invited to join us on a trail through a completely different eco system, over challenging sections of fossilized coral surfaces to a pair of remote cenotes nestled away in Gran Parque Natural Montemar. Those who opt out will return to our guesthouses where we rendezvous this evening for dinner together.

Sherry and I opted out of this walk, because we saw the surface yesterday and know my back could not take it. Sigh. But on the bright side, Sherry was able to convince a really good looking Cuban guy to give her a massage on the beach. I have the movie on the daily page. Until she makes me take it down!

Wednesday, February 5th 2020 - Playa Larga to Cienfuegos

Zapata National Park Walk - 5km, rated 1A
Cienfuegos Bay Walk - 5km, rated 1A

We visit one more corner of magical Zapata National Park this morning on a early morning trail in the company of an informative park ranger. This is an easy route through a type of sub-tropical forest we've not yet seen. It's a showcase for Cuba's colorful endemic birds and it's likely that we'll see several species, possibly even the world's smallest bird - the bee hummingbird. Later this morning we arrive in Cienfuegos, a city with a UNESCO-listed colonial core set on one of Cuba's larger bays. Following time for lunch, we start today's second walk from Parque José Martí, lined with an impressive grouping of restored 19th century monuments, including Tomas Terry Theatre, Museo Histórico, and Cuba's only triumphal arch, evidence that Cienfuegos is Cuba's solitary French-founded city. Our route takes us along the Malecón, with nearly non-stop views of the harbor, to Punta Gorda, a narrow spit of land poking south inthe Cienfeugos Bay. Our walk ends with a break for refreshment on the terrace of Palacio de Valle, an eclectic blend of Gothic, Venetian and Neo-Moorish motifs funded by one of Cuba's wealthiest sugar magnates in the early 20th century.

Thursday, February 6th 2020 - Cienfuegos to Trinidad

Topes de Collantes Walk - 5km, rated 2B

Today's drive takes us into the mountains of Topes de Collantes National Park. Coffee is Cuba's second major export crop, along with tobacco, and we stop en route to the National Park at a humble coffee farmhouse to have lunch with the family. The simplicity of the kitchen and home, set on a hillside along a mountain stream, and the hospitality of our hosts, make this one of the more memorable stops on our journey through Cuba. The walk of the day is in the national park, and features a pair of delightful waterfalls, a rich variety of vegetation, and more oppportunities to enjoy Cuba's aviary wealth. As we descend through Topes de Collantes to Trinidad, we take in some of the loveliest panaramas of our trip. Trinidad is Cuba's third oldest town, and after checking into our private guesthouses, we stroll into the oldest parts of town for tonight's dinner in yet another UNESCO World Heritage setting.

This walk was a huge highlight for Sherry. To get to the start of the walk they loaded up into a Russian Zil 6-by deuce-and-a-half truck driven crazily into the park. The walk had lots of challenges, including steps with no hand rails and single planks across streams. A favorite. I sat it out because of difficulties with my back, and instead hung out in the cafe drinking rum, I mean, Vitamin R!

Friday, February 7th 2020 - Activities from Trinidad

Historic Trinidad Walk - 2km, rated 1B
Optional Walk: Cubano National Park Walk - 4km, rated 2B

Trinidad was probably our favorite place to explore in Cuba when planning this adventure. [Being here we disagreed with this statement. Trinidad was OK, but did not seem to be impressive or representative of the rest of Cuba we have seen. IMHO.] Today is set aside to experience the town in a number of ways. We start with a guided walk, enjoying several stops along the way and delving deeper into the 500-year-old story of Trinidad. After a late-morning finish, the balance of the day is free. We strongly encourage travelers to allow time for unscripted strolling; musicians play spontaneously in many corners of the old town; shops and markets offer a plethora of colorful distractions; quiet corners to sip a coffee and people watch abound.

There were several options for the afternoon: Salsa lesson, walk to a neighborhood pottery shop, a walk through Cubano National Park to a waterfall cavern, or head to the beach some 20km out of town.

Saturday, February 8th 2020 - Trinidad back to Havana

Driving all day with a stop at the Che Guevara Mausoleum

Valle de los Ingenios, or the Valley of the Sugar Mills, is just east of Trinidad and was combined with Trinidad in UNESCO's 1988 World Heritage Listing. The valley is a living museum, with over 50 former sugar plantations, and provides tremendous insight into the dominant role that sugar, and by extension, slavery, has played in Cuba's history and economy. Further north, a stop in Santa Clara at the Che Guevara Mausoleum introduces us to the life and times of perhaps the most revered of Cuba's revolutionary leaders. Argentinian by birth, medical doctor by profession, and Marxist revolutionary in his political views, Che's image has become a nearly universal symbol of counter-cultural rebellion in popular culture, and is one more key to understanding the Cuban conundrum. We finish the day back in Havana at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, looking forward to a farewell dinner and one final time to share and reminisce.

Sunday, February 9th 2020 - Depart Cuba

Travel from Havana through Houston and back to Denver

We return home from Havana today at leisure, with much to ponder. Cuba has challenged and delighted us. What a special opportunity to connect with a culture that has been virtually off-limits to Americans for nearly 60 years. We return home enriched and fascinated by this island at the junction of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean, North America and Latin America, Capitalism and Communism.