🏛️ Magical Eastern Cuba
Eastern Cuba Culture & Nature Tour
Custom Itinerary Designed for an 11-day tour
Discover the history and culture of Eastern Cuba, the least visited region of Cuba. From dominoes to UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, experience all the wonderful things Cuban on this hands-on adventure while exploring the unspoiled eastern region of this magical island nation.
Eastern Cuba is perfect for exploring the natural and cultural heritage of the lesser-visited region of Cuba. The five provinces of eastern Cuba played a central role in the island's history and the forces that shaped Cuba. Among the beauty of nature, also find La Comandancia, the former headquarters of the rebel army of Fidel Castro.
Beginning near the town of Holguin, Eastern Cuba extends to the easternmost point of Cuba, Punta Maisi. The impressive Sierra Maestra mountain range is home to Cuba's highest mountain peak, Pico Turquino, standing at 1,974m (6,476 ft), is a favorite hike that offers expansive views of the mountains and beautiful sand beaches. Sierra Maestra National Park is home to endangered and endemic birds, wild orchids and giant ferns growing in the beautiful cloud forests.
The oldest town in Cuba, Baracoa, dates to 1510 and where Christopher Columbus first set foot in Cuba in 1492. Earlier, around the year 1100, the aboriginal Taino people arrived in Cuba from Hispaniola. Several local museums trace the Taino culture.
Join Mariah Travel and explore the lesser visited, naturally & culturally exciting Eastern Cuba.
Travel Highlights:
Day 1: Holguin, Bayamo
Day 2: Bayamo, Delta del Cauto, Santiago de Cuba
Day 3: Santiago de Cuba, Gran Piedra
Day 4: Santiago de Cuba, Baitiquirí, Baracoa
Day 5: Baracoa, Yara Majayara
Day 6: Baracoa, Yumuri
Day 7: Baracoa, Humboldt, Pinares de Mayarí
Day 8: Pinares de Mayarí, Salto del Guayabo, La Sabina
Day 9: Pinares de Mayarí, Gibara
Day 10: Gibara
Day 11: Gibara, Holguin, and the airport.
Daily Itinerary:
Day 1: Holguin to Bayamo
Arrive in Holguin early afternoon and drive south to Bayamo (approx. 1 hour)
Lunch in a paladar in Bayamo (A Paladar is a locally owned, private restaurant)
Enjoy a horse and carriage ride around town!
Walking tour of the historic downtown
Dinner in a private restaurant
Accommodation in Royalton Hotel or similar
Bayamo is among Cuba’s original 5 settlements, with an important role in colonial and revolutionary history of Cuba, covering a large area of the mountains and coastal regions, with high biodiversity levels and rich in local endemism.
Day 2: Bayamo, Delta del Cauto, & Santiago de Cuba
Drive to Delta del Cauto Swamp and El Mango, begin our journey by boat, exploring the canals.
Lunch in a paladar at the El Mango Biological Station, serving typical Cuban food.
Follow the country roads to the city of Santiago de Cuba.
Dinner at a private restaurant.
Accommodation in Hostal Heredia or similar.
The Cauto Delta Wetland is the most extensive and complex delta system in Cuba and is one of the most important in the Caribbean. This wetland is formed by a complex of estuaries, lagoons, tidal areas and swamps that are at the end of the largest river system in Cuba (Río Cauto). They form the second most important wetland in Cuba.
Day 3: Santiago - Gran Piedra
Morning drive to Piedra. Early birding around our mountain top bungalows on Gran Piedra. Hike to the summit while birding along the mountain trails offering magnificent views of the coast and surrounding mountains. Visit the Gran Piedra banding station and discuss bird banding with the local ornithologist about the research work on Cuban endemic species.
Visit El Paraiso Botanical Gardens, hosting over 200 varieties of ferns, including 350 varieties of orchids, eucalyptuses, pines, cypresses and a variety of fruit trees. Maybe observe the endemic Gundlach’s Hawk.
Lunch at Gran Piedra Restaurant, located at 4500 feet elevation with incredible views.
After lunch, explore Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca fortress, a historic site overlooking Santiago’s rugged, unspoiled coast.
Dinner at a private restaurant
Accommodation in Hotel Porto Santo or Private Casas in Baracoa
Day 4: Baitiquirí- Baracoa
From Santiago drive over the “Cuban Alps” toward Guantanamo Bay along the stunningly scenic Via Mulata. This mountain range includes both temperate and arid zone habitat. In essence, this drive takes us from Cuba’s wettest region to its driest region. Birding near San Antonio del Sur (Baitiquirí) on Guantanamo’s semi-desert south coast, main targets are Cuban Grassquit, Zapata Sparrow and Cuban Gnatcatcher.
Lunch in a facility that was once the headquarters of a Salt mining Company. It was restructured, with a Ranch inside as a restaurant, adorned with recycled plastic found ashore. Typical food served by the locals on handmade wooden plates.
Continue to Baracoa, through the most scenic and breath-taking road of Cuba, La Farola, stopping at lookouts for the incredible views.
Dinner at a private gourmet restaurant.
Accommodation in Hotel Porto Santo or Private Houses in Baracoa
Day 5: Baracoa- Yara Majayara
After breakfast, depart for the Boca de Miel community, where the Miel River meets the sea. Boca de Miel is a tiny fishing community surrounded by mangroves.
Yara-Majayara is a protected area in Baracoa. The natural and cultural beauty includes the delta of the Miel River and its system of geological terraces with numerous caves and archaeological evidence of Cuba’s ancient people.
Enjoy the best panoramic views of Baracoa’s bay and mountains.
Lunch in a local restaurant in the Boca de Miel community.
Leisure time in the afternoon; explore the town.
Dinner at a “Baracoando,” buffet style, all prepared with locally farmed vegetables.
Day 6: Baracoa & Yumurí
Visit a private cacao farm and learn about the process of chocolate production.
Explore the Yumuri River Canyon by boat, followed by a short hike in search of endemic birds.
Enjoy lunch at a scenic location with views of the northern coastline of Guantanamo and its emerged marine terraces.
Join a guided walk around the historic town and discover its rich history.
Dinner at a gourmet private restaurant featuring typical local dishes.
Baracoa is the oldest city and one of the most charming ones in Cuba. It is a home for a large variety of unique sceneries and natural scenes among the most inviting ones of the Antillean islands. Its foundation dates back to 1511 when the Spanish Conquistadors commanded by Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar arrived in the island, and it is known as the First City of Cuba. Baracoa cuisine is the most unique and typic of the whole island, where the local use coconut milk to prepare recipes that give to the dishes a characteristic and amazing flavor.
The Yumurí Valley is considered to be one of the most beautiful valleys in Cuba. Located 100 kilometers east of Havana, the majestic gorge is formed of an 80 hectare plain at its widest point and elevations of up to 150 meters.
Day 7: Baracoa, Humboldt National Park, and Pinares de Mayarí
Visit Alejandro de Humboldt National Park, eastern Cuba’s premier natural habitat. Located in the provinces of Holguín and Guantánamo, the park is named after German scientist Alexander von Humboldt, who visited the island in 1800 and 1801.
This area holds global significance as one of the most biologically diverse tropical ecosystems in the world. It features 16 of the 28 plant formations found in Cuba, and many species remain undiscovered. The park has exceptionally high endemism rates among both vertebrates and invertebrates, with many species having extremely limited ranges.
Spot unique species like the Zunzun, the Bee Hummingbird—the world’s smallest bird—and the critically endangered Monte Iberia eleuth, the smallest frog in the Western Hemisphere, found only in two isolated micro-habitats in the park. The area is also the best known location for sightings of the elusive and critically endangered Cuban Kite.
Stop at the Visitor Center to interact with park naturalists and rangers, and enjoy a view overlooking Taco Bay, home to the endangered Antillean manatee.
Observe the Polymita picta, also known as the Cuban painted snail or eastern tree snail, a colorful species of large, air-breathing land snail.
Lunch along the Recreo River, featuring traditional dishes prepared by locals. Take a refreshing swim in the crystal-clear mountain streams.
Dinner at one of the local paladares (privately owned restaurants).
Overnight accommodation at Villa Pinares de Mayarí or similar.
Day 8: Pinares de Mayarí, Salto del Guayabo, and La Sabina
Observe Salto de Guayabo, one of the highest waterfalls in Cuba, offering stunning lookouts and excellent birding trails.
Enjoy lunch at a comfortable lookout point with panoramic views of the waterfalls.
Take afternoon hikes in La Mensura National Park, where key birding targets include the Cuban Solitaire, Olive-capped Warbler, and the Cuban Sharp-shinned Hawk.
Dinner and overnight accommodations at the hotel villa, nestled in a mountain pine forest habitat and surrounded by an inspiring natural setting.
Day 9: Pinares de Mayarí, and Gibara
Early departure to Gibara, a northern coastal town in Holguín.
Enjoy a walking city tour of Gibara, exploring its colonial charm and seaside atmosphere.
Lunch at a local restaurant.
Visit a cigar factory to learn about the traditional cigar-making process.
Overnight accommodation at Hotel Ordoño or a similar property.
The city of Gibara, located around 33 km from the city of Holguín, comprises stunning places such as the charming fishermen village of the same name and better known as La Villa Blanca, due to its old defensive walls which protect them in the Colonial times, and which still has some remains. It is believed that in 1492 Gibara was the port in which Christopher Columbus landed in the Greater Antilles. Although it is generally accepted the closeness of the Bariay Bay as the true landing place, the truth is that this port was the most important one in Colonial times.
Day 10: Gibara
The Caverna de Panaderos located in Gibara, is one of the main archaeological finds in the area. This cave has 19 galleries. It is astonishing as well as imposing, the cave formations have particular figures that make them look like the famous Casper ghost as well as a mammoth and also a local and endemic blind cave inhabitant. A great option for hiking lovers and birders a unique opportunity to enjoy the flora and fauna of the area whilst having a nice walk.
· Early departure to Cueva de Los Panaderos, birding along the way to the cave. Making a stop at Las Balsas Wetland for viewing shorebirds and other wetland birds.
· Lunch in a local restaurant
· An afternoon Catamaran boat ride in the bay of Gibara with the opportunity to see many seabirds.
· Enjoy a delicious farewell dinner.
· Accommodation in Hotel Ordoño
Day 11: Adios amigos! Return to the Holguin airport for flights home.
COST: From: $3950 double occupancy
$500 single supplement
Included in Your Tour:
Cuban Tourist Visa.
Airport transfers.
Comfortable lodging at casa particulares and bed & breakfasts.
All breakfasts, welcome dinner, and select lunches.
Air-conditioned transportation and full-time driver.
Mandatory Cuban medical insurance.
Not Included in your Tour
International Airfares (Mariah Travel will assist with the best flights)
Meals not described in the itineraryPersonal expenses
Personal expenses
Drinks during meals, hotel extras and personal spending.
Tips to guides and hotel staff
Travel Insurance (Highly Recommended USI Travel Insurance Services)
**PLEASE NOTE: US Passports MUST be valid for 6 months after your arrival date to Cuba.
This itinerary is subject to change and probably will. We will be confirming casas and hotels as soon as possible and will update everyone as changes occur.
Cuba is a wonderful country with beautiful people and natural/cultural beauty, however sometimes things simply do not go as planned. Flexibility and patience are key.
As always, your health & safety is our #1 concern. I hope you will continue to feel comfortable trusting Mariah Travel to ensure your well-being while traveling.
Contact Us Today
Ready to start your next adventure? Call or email us to begin planning your custom-designed tour.
Phone: (406) 222-5660
Email: info@mariahtravel.com
Website: Mariah Travel
Mariah Travel: Your Gateway to Discovery.