Mexico and Cuba 14 Days

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Arrival 

Arrival. Welcome to Mexico. Transfer to hotel and free time. Our guide will contact you late in the afternoon or provide information through the informative panels in the hotel reception area.

Today we have a fantastic day acquaint ourselves with Mexico. 

We include a sightseeing tour of the city. We will visit the Plaza of Three Cultures, and the historic centre in which the Zócalo (main square) and its Metropolitan Cathedral stand out, the main Aztec temple, Chapultepec Park, the “Paseo de la Reforma” Avenue and the other main avenues of this impressive city. At the end of the visit we travel to the BASILICA OF GUADALUPE, the most visited Catholic temple in the Americas where the Virgin of Guadalupe is found. There we will be able to explore the old basilica dating back to the 18th Century and also the modern temple. In the afternoon we travel to the neighbourhood of XOCHIMILCO, a wonderful place with its canals and semi-floating gardens. Here we include a ride in a “trajinera”, one of the boats festooned with flowers.  In the evening we include a transfer to the Plaza de GARIBALDI, with its bars, restaurants and bars where tacos and tequila are served and the Mariachis sing. Dinner is included in a traditional restaurant. 

We leave México DF, and amidst green countryside we enter the state of Michoacán. We travel to MORELIA, the splendid Michoacán capital whose centre, with its magnificent cathedral, was declared Unesco World Heritage. Time for lunch and a stroll in the centre. Then we will go on to the beautiful Lake Pátzcuaro, the heart of the Purépecha region. We embark and travel to the island of JANITZIO, where after our 25-minute crossing, we reach this picturesque village full of life and craft shops. After this, we see PATZCUARO, a pretty colonial village with its outstanding Basilica of Our Lady of Health and the house of the eleven courtyards which today is a craft centre. Night in this “magical village”.

We leave for the state of Jalisco. We see Lake Chapala, the largest natural lake in Mexico, surrounded by mountains.

CHAPALA, time for a stroll and lunch in this small tourist city by the lake. Arrival in GUADALAJARA. The end of the afternoon, we include a transfer to the TLAQUEPAQUEdistrict, with its picturesque streets full of shops and craftsmen. You can have dinner in “El Parían” a large square with many typical restaurants where there will be no lack of Mariachis. 

In the morning we include a visit to Guadalajara, the modern metropolis with its colonial historic centre, its cathedral, its market, its Tapatía square. We will enter the Cabañas Hospice, declared Unesco World Heritage. After the visit, we will go on to the next town of TEQUILA, we include entrance to the MUNDO CUERVO distillery and will see how this famous Mexican drink is made (entrance and tasting included). After this, time for a stroll and lunch in the picturesque town of Tequila. After lunch, we return to Guadalajara.

We travel to the state of GUANAJUATO. Arrival at midday. In the afternoon we include a city tourof this very beautiful university city declared World Heritage, its steep slopes, its narrow streets, its churches, and we also include a cable car ride to admire the view from “el Pípila”. 

Amidst the mountains, we will travel to DOLORES HIDALGO, the city that is the cradle of Mexican independence. Following this, we see SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, a beautiful city with vice regal architecture and cobbled streets declared World Heritage. Time for a stroll.  In the afternoon, we see the ATOTONILCO Sanctuary, known as the “Century of God and the Patria”, World Heritage (sometimes it will not be possible to visit the inside due to the retreats made there). We then come to QUERETARO, with its very beautiful colonial centre, its square of arms and its busy restaurants and pedestrian streets.

We travel to TEOTIHUACAN, in Náhuatl “the place where men become gods”, one of the most impressive cities in the ancient world. Here we admire the pyramids of the sun and the moon, entrance and tour. Continuation to MEXICO CITY, arrival at lunchtime.

After breakfast a transfer takes you to the airport to take your flight to La Havana. Upon arrival, we shall be waiting for you to transfer you to your hotel. To welcome you at the end of the afternoon we will include a trip in an old classic car to the fortress of San Carlos passing the ‘Malecón’ and we will attend the cannon shooting ceremony (admission included). Return to the hotel (by coach or vehicles) and accommodation.

This morning we include a visit of about 4 hours; we will include a stroll through Colonial Havana; declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a panoramic tour of Revolution Square and the University. We will include a boat trip across the bay in the little boat to Regla where we will see the church of the Virgin of Regla, a place of great devotion where there is a strong syncretism between the Catholic religion and the Afro-Cuban. Will you buy flowers and have a daughter of Ochun read your hand? After this, at lunchtime, we will take you to the area of the ‘Callejón del Chorro’, an area with multiple “paladares” (private restaurants) where you can have lunch. Afternoon free. In the evening, those who wish may optionally attend the famous Tropicana cabaret-show.

We will leave Havana for the south of the island, where we can enjoy its beautiful tropical landscapes. Arrival in GUAMA, and a visit to the crocodile farm, including a boat trip to admire this area declared a national park. In the village of Taina we will see a little more about the population that existed before the arrival of the Europeans. We continue along the Caribbean coastal road. Have your swimsuit to hand! We will have time in CALETA BUENA, where we will include lunch, and you can swim, see its cenotes or snorkel! After that in GIRON, we will visit the Girón Beach Museum which tells us about the Bay of Pigs invasion and the revolution. Continuation to CIENFUEGOS, “the pearl of the south”, a very nice colonial city, where we will walk through its French neoclassical colonial streets. Dinner included and accommodation.

A little under a hundred kilometres take us to TRINIDAD, arrival and visit to Cuba’s most beautiful and best-preserved colonial city, a true “open-air museum”, declared a world heritage site. After the visit we will see the “Temple of Santería Yemayá”, dedicated to the orisha (God) of the Sea, with its offerings of fruit, water and stones; a santero will tell us about this religion and its beliefs. After the visit and lunch included, we will stay at our resort hotel at Ancon beach. You will have the afternoon free to enjoy the Caribbean Sea on this magnificent beach, or, if you prefer, to stroll at leisure in Trinidad. At night we provide a transfer to the cathedral to enjoy the “place of music” and its little restaurants with Cuban music.

Our day is full of beautiful landscapes and unforgettable experiences. By coach we travel to MANACAIZNAGA, at the centre of the sugar zone that brought Trinidad prosperity; here we will remember the story of the slaves next to the ancient 44-metre tower that was used to watch over them. We will then take a historic train with its old wooden carriages that slowly runs through the hacienda. The train stops at FENOTA, a sugar mill today a museum, and goes on to GUACHINANGO, in this beautiful area of hills we will have time to relax over lunch (included). In the afternoon, we return to Trinidad on our old train, where there is free time to relax at the hotel.

In the morning, after breakfast we will return to HAVANA. Depending on the number of participants, this may be done on the “Vía Azul” tourist coach line. HAVANA, arrival at 16:30. End of our services. Please, check the time of your flight in case you might need an additional night.