After breakfast, your guide will take you on a walking tour of old Havana, Cuba’s capital and the finest surviving Spanish colonial city in the Americas. Havana is a bustling capital full of historic monuments, cathedrals, palaces and colonial plazas brought to life by the unmistakable sound of Cuban son. It has been preserved by a combination of very little war damage, post Revolution restoration work and the millions of dollars invested since it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. After the walking tour we’ll visit the Cuban collection at the Museo de Bellas Artes, where we’ll explore the best in contemporary Cuban art with the help of a local expert. We’ll have lunch in Old Havana in a local paladar and then the rest of the afternoon is free for you to spend at your leisure. Early evening loosen your hips taking a salsa class with a local teacher before heading out for dinner (not included) and a night at one of Havana’s world-famous music dance venues or bars.

Today we will start by seeing a very different side of Havana by catching the local lancha, or ferry, in Old Havana and crossing the bay to the neighbourhood of Regla. Habaneros associate Regla with Afro-Cuban religion and music and it is here that Cubans will come to consult with Santeria priests, hear Afro-Cuban drumming, and pay their respects to Yemaya, one of the most important gods in the Santeria religion. A visit to the church of Our Lady of Regla introduces us to Santeria, brought to Cuba by slaves in colonial times and still practised by millions of Cubans.

We then carry on to the local museum where we will learn more about the rituals and artefacts associated with it. After lunch in a restaurant serving traditional Cuban creole cuisine you will have the rest of the afternoon to continue exploring on your own. You could visit another of the city’s museums such as the Museum of the Revolution, which is housed in an impressive building that served as the Presidential Palace from 1920 to 1965.

Alternatively, take a taxi through the tunnel under the harbour to visit the historic Morro-Cabaña fortress complex that was built in colonial times, and from which there are beautiful views back across the bay. This evening we will have the quintessential Cuban experience: a tour around town in one of Cuba’s iconic vintage cars. You will discover new Havana neighbourhoods from the backseat of a pristinely-preserved classic American car. Highlights include Plaza de la Revolución, the face of Fidel’s revolution, and the Malecón, Havana’s romantic seawall. The cars will drop us off for dinner one of Havana’s best
loved paladars.

Enjoy this morning at leisure to spend as you please. Then transfer to the airport for your onward flight. And so it’s adiós, or, as we prefer to think of it hasta luego, see you later! Have a safe onward journey and we very much hope to see you in Cuba again soon.