East to West: Nature and Beach, 13 nts multicentre holiday 4 Holguin, 3 Baracoa, 1 Havana, 1 Vinales, 1 Havana and 3 Varadero.

Places of Interest:

Holguin:

Loma de la Cruz - There are marvellous, farreaching views from the top of the Loma de la cruz (Hill of the Cross). The engenieers who founded Holguin used this site to plan the layout of the town, but it was only much later (from 1927-50) that the 458-step stairway was built to the top.

Plaza de la Revolucion - Situated east of the city centre, behind Hotel Pernik, this vast square contains a monument to the heroes of Cuban independence, tha mausoleum of Calixto Garcia and a small monument to his mother. Tha square is tha main venue for political rallies and popular festivities.

Catedral de San Isidoro - Consecrated as a cathedral in 1979, San Isidoro was built in 1720 on the site of the first mass held to celebrate the city's founding: Parque Peralta. It is also know as Parque de Flores, because a flower market used to be held here. Tha church contains a copy of the popular Madonna of Caridad, the original of which is in the Basilica del Cobre near Santiago de Cuba.

Banes - Guardalavaca - This country town, 32 km (20 miles) southwest of Holguin, is located in the middle of a vast and rich excavation zone. Banes is the home of the Museo Indocubano Bani, Cuba's most important archaeological museum outside Havana.

Baracoa:

Parque Independencia - In the main square, overlooked by the Cathedral, is a famous bust of the Indian leader Hatuey. Nearby are the Casa de la Trova,the Fondo de Bienes Culturales, which exhibits works by local painters, sculptors and craftsmen , and the Casa de Cultura an eclectic building with Colonial elements that hosts evening performances and events.

Fuerte Machatín - This is a small museum wich provides and interesting overview of local history, is housed in a military fortress built during the colonial period to defend the city from pirates. The displays start with archeological finds of the Pre-Columbian areaand are followed by documents, maps, paintings and prints related to Spanish domination, pirates, slaves and the plantations.

Hotel La Rusa - Halfway along the Malecon is Hotel La Rusa, a historic hotel that once belonged to the Russian princess Magdalena Rowenskaya, who fled her country with her husband in 1917 after the October Revolution.

El Yunque - A limestone formation, 575 m (1,885 ft) high, covered with thick vegetation, El Yunque was a sacred site for the Taino Indians for many centuries. Later it became a natural landmark for navigators about to land at the port of Baracoa. The Spanish called it "El Yunque" (The anvil) because of its unmistakable outline.

Havana:

Castillo del Morro - Contruction of this fortress, wich was designed by the Italian military architec Giovanni Battista Antronelli, began in 1589 at the request of the governor, Juan de Texeda. The function of the Castillo de los Tres Reyes de Morro(its the full title) was to detect the approach of any enemy(pirates specially). Various treasures of the New World were periodically concentrated in the port when ships docked in Cuba on their voyage to Spain, and it was necesary to protect them.

Memorial Jose Marti - Work on this monument in the middle of the Plaza de La Revolucion began in 1953, on the 100th anniversary of the birth of Cuba's national hero. Tha memorial was finished in 1958. It consists of a 109-m (358-ft) tower representing a five-pointed star and is built of grey marble from the Isla de la Juventud. At the foot stands a huge statue of Jose Marti in a meditative pose. The actual Marti Memorial is in the interior of the base, wich also houses the Sala de Actos, an auditorium used for concerts, lectures and poetry readings.

Tropicana - The most famous nightclub in Cuba, America and perhaps the world is located in the outskirts of Havana, in the Marianao district. many legendary figures of the 20th Century have performed here, including Josephine Baker, Bola de Nieve, Rita Montaner and Nat King Cole.

Capitolio - A symbol of the city, The Capitol(Capitolio) combines the elegance of Neo-Classicism with Art Deco elements. Inaugurated in 1929 by the dictator Gerardo Machado, it is a loose imitation of the Washington DC Capitol, but is even taller. It stands in an area once occupied by a botanical garden and later by the capital's first railway station. The home of government until 1959, police fired on a crowd gathered here during an anti-Machado demostration. Today the building houses the Ministry of Science, Technology and the Enviornment, but is open for tours, wich include the former government chambers and the magnificent library.

Vinales:

Valle de Vinales - A unique landscape awaits visitors to the Vinales Valley. The mogotes, the characteristic, gigantic karst formations that resemble sugar loaves, are like a stone sentinels keeping watch over the corn and tobacco fields, the red earth with majestic royal palm trees and the farmhouses with roofs of palm leaves.

Mural de la Prehistoria - On the face of the mogote the Cuban painter Leovigildo Gonzalez, a pupil of the famous Mexican artist Diego Rivera, painted the history of evolution (1959-62), from ammonites to Homo sapiens. The mural restored in 1980, makes use of the cracks in the rock to create special effects of light and colour.

Cueva del Indio - This cave, discovered in 1920, lies in the San Vicente Valley. The first part of the tour here is on foot through tunnels with artificial lighting. Then a small motorboat takes visitors up the underground San Vicente river for about a quarter of mile.

Palenque de los Cimarrones - In the depths of San Miguel cave, past the bar a its mouth, is a spectacular cave that was once a refuge for runaway African slaves (cimarrones). It now bouses a small museum and pleasant restaurant.

Varacero:

Parque Retiro Josone - This is a beautiful park, with elegant trees, tropical flowers and plants, three restaurants and a small lake where birds gather and tourists row boats. It was established in 1942 by Jose Uturrio, the owner of the Arrechabala ronera, the rum factory just outside Cardenas. He named it Josone, a combination of the first syllable of his christian name and that of his wife, Onelia. The park is a hit with children, who can enjoy a miniature train and camel rides, among other attractions.

Restaurante Las Americas (Mansion Xanadu) - Las Americas Restaurant was named in 1963. It is the most elegant restaurant in Varadero. It specializes in French cuisine, but can be visited without any obligation to eat there. The dining room still has its original furniture, and in the library there are books and photographs of the Dupont family on display. Ther large terrace overlooking the Varadero Golf Club course is part of the bar area.

Punta Hicacos - For those interested in wild-life, the most fascinating part of Varadero is the area near Punta Hicacos, which has become a nature reserve. Here you can visit several caves, including the Cueva de Ambrosio, wich Pre-Columbian rock paintings, a lagoon area (Laguna de Mangon), and some quiet, schedule beaches. The peninsula is also an attraction for scuba divers, who have 23 dives sites to choose from.

Museo Municipal - The Municipal Museum recounts the history of Varadero both as an urban and tourist centrte and also has a collection of Indian tools on display. It is interesting primarily becasue of the building wich it occupies. The white and blue wooden chalet with French roof tiles is characteristic of the architectural style imported from the US and in fashion in Varadero and the Caribbean area in the early 1900s.

Note:
- All hotels are sold ON REQUEST which means that once you pay to us, we will request its confirmation. We are constantly revising the availability of Cuba hotels by loading stop sales reports whenever we receive them from hotels in Cuba but unfortunately this information is not 100% accurate. If the hotel(s) requested are fully booked, we will do our upmost best to find suitable alternative accommodation of equivalent standard and/or location. As per Booking Conditions, if we cannot provide the initially agreed accommodation, on top of offering you alternative accommodation, we will offer 100% your money back unless agreed otherwise in writing.
- Accommodation for infants (0-2 years old) is free when sharing room with 2 adults.
- Children (11 or less) enjoy a discount of 50% of the accommodation.