Cuba lies just 150 km off the coast of Florida and mainland USA, and a short island hop away from Jamaica. The country’s isolation, following the revolution of late 1958, meant for a long time few visitors ever ventured here, and today it remains one of the world’s last bastions of communism. Now, however, Cuba is once again open and as its tourist trade expands everyone can enjoy the delights of one of the most alluring islands in the Caribbean.
Hot sunny days, fields of sugar cane, palm trees, deep clear blue sea, vintage cars, cocktails and cigars. Cuba has all these things, but it is also a country with a deep-rooted, complex culture in which old traditions and new intellectual developments co-exist. It is a young and vital island, a place of music and colour, which despite severe economic difficulties in recent years has held on to its unique identity.
Journeys Elite is able to offer tailor-made trips throughout this varied island, anything from a week relaxing in the Caribbean, to a longer journey exploring its contrasting regions and warm hospitality. Come and enjoy Cuba now.
Havana – the very name has a magical ring to it. Habana Veija – Old Havana was built by the Spanish in the 16th & 17th centuries. The city is addictive and stimulating and its fine colonial-style architecture exudes an elegant charm. It's a city of great character, which should be explored at a leisurely pace.{mospagebreak}
Travel to the west and the Vinales Valley region, beautiful and peaceful, it is equally interesting from a geographical point of view. In the Jurassic era the area was topped by a limestone sheet that was eaten away by the rainwater seeping into the crevices in the rock. Vast caverns formed, their roofs supported by huge columns of rock that were slightly more resistant to the water. In time the roofs collapsed, leaving the columns behind. Erosion turned the rubble to a rich soil and flattened the columns, creating mogates, flat-topped stumps of rock that exist in only a handful of places on earth.
Vinales, the town of the valley is as pretty as the surrounding country, with rows of neat, freshly painted houses shaded by pine trees and a fine colonial church. Much of the surrounding land is planted with tobacco.
Trinidad, the city was founded by Diego Velezques in 1514, and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988. The original cobblestone streets and pastel-coloured houses give the impression that time has scarcely moved on since Colonial times. From the 1600s-1800s, the city was a major centre for trade in sugar and slaves, and the buildings around the Plaza Mayor, the heart of Trinidad, bear witness to the wealth of the land-owners of the time. A long period of isolation from the 1850s to the 1950s protected the city from any radical new building and the original town layout has been left largely unchanged. In the evenings the houses glow in the warm hues of sunset, and music fills the streets.
Take a look at our suggested itineraries page. These can be tailored to suit both your pocket and number in your party - for a couple or for a group of friends.