Bird Watching Full Cuba Tour

Welcome to Cuba!

• Arrival at Havana International Airport Jose Marti.
• Meet and greeting at the airport.
• Private transfer to hotel.

A meeting to explain the Bird Watching program planned to be implemented for clients, creating the atmosphere for such an incredible adventure starting the following day. Also promoting the exchange with your Tour Guide about any aspect of your trip to Cuba. Included is also a briefing to explain the Bird Observation Program.

Accommodation in B&B at Hotel NH Capri 4* or similar.

• Breakfast.
• Panoramic tour of Old and Modern Havana.
• Departure to San Diego de los Baños in Pinar Del Rio province (around 2.30 hours drive). On the way you’ll visit the beautiful Viñales Valley, with the rare Mogotes Hill, one of the most beautiful Cuban landscapes. Visit the area, the town, optional luncheon.
• Continue trip to Las Cumbres in San Diego de los Baños.
• Check-in and dinner at the hotel restaurant.

Accommodation in H&B at Hotel El Mirador 2* or Eco Hotel Finca Mil Cumbres.

Breakfast and dinner included.

• Breakfast.

Today you will be bird watching at the Mil Cumbres area know as the “paradise of birds”.

This is considered to be the site per excellence for bird watching in Cuba with more than 50 species having been reported, among them the cartacuba, tocororo, zorzal gato, tomeguín de la tierra, tomeguín del pinar, cabrero, chillona, aparecido de San Diego and the nightingale.

This walk allows one to appreciate the great biodiversity of the ecosystems, the beauty of the scenery and the high endemic level of the flora and fauna of the Sierra de los Órganos. It has been classified as an IBA site.

• Optional lunch in a local restaurant.
• Check-out hotel and return to Havana.
• On the way you’ll visit the Las Terrazas community project, the first Cuban Biosphere Reserve Site declared by UNESCO. Visit the community, the ruins of the French coffee plantation, and the interpretation center name Curujey before continuation to Havana.
• Dinner at the hotel restaurant.

Accommodation in B&B at Hotel NH Capri 4* or similar.

Breakfast and dinner included.

• Early breakfast.
• Transfer to the airport in the morning to take the flight to the eastern part of Cuba, Santiago de Cuba. Ticket included.

Tour of the City of Santiago de Cuba, second largest city of Cuba, also the most Caribbean of the cities in Cuba. Panoramic tour of the historical Céspedes Park at the center of the city, visit the Cathedral. Santiago de Cuba is the home of Afro-Cuban culture and rhythm and rivals Havana in literature, music and politics. The city has a noticeable Caribbean flavour, thanks to the French planters and Haitians who settled here in the 19th century.

• Check-in.
• Dinner at hotel restaurant.
• Free evening to enjoy Santiago nightlife.

Accommodation in H&B Hotel Iberostar Imperial 4* or Iberostar Casagranda 4*

Breakfast and dinner included.

• Early breakfast.

Bird Observation Area: The Great Stone

75 bird species have been listed, grouped into 27 families. The best represented order is Passeriformes, with 10 families. Bird species endemism is represented by 9 species: long-tailed hawk (Accipiter gundlachi), sijú cotunto (Gymnoglaux lawrencii), sijú platanero (Glaucidium siju), tocororo (Priotelus temnurus), cartacuba (Todus multicolor), green woodpecker (Xiphidiopicus percuss) juan chiví (Vireo gundlachii), pechero (Teretistris fornsi) and totí (Dives atroviolaceus).

• Dinner at hotel restaurant.
• Free evening to enjoy Santiago nightlife.

Accommodation in H&B Hotel Iberostar Imperial 4* or Iberostar Casagranda 4*

Breakfast and dinner included.

• Early breakfast.
• Check-out and departure to Rio Cauto, Contramaestre in the Granma province, 112 kilometers from Santiago de Cuba.

Bird Observation Area: El Mango, Cauto River

Ramsar site, 11 endemics are reported: the long-tailed hawk, the catey and the churroso woodpecker, among others. Nest of the pink flamingo where its population approaches 50 thousand individuals.

It is one of the largest waterfowl reservoirs in Cuba, standing out among them for its abundance, the pink flamingo, which uses this area for its reproduction. It can also be highlighted that the endemic birds of Cuba are highly represented in this area, among which you can see the Catey (Aratinga euops), the tocororo (Priotelus temnurus) and the caracolero sparrowhawk (Rostrhamus sociabilis)

• Continue trip to Bayamo to make overnight at Hotel sierra Maestra in Bayamo.
• Check-in.
• Dinner at the hotel restaurant.

Accommodation in H&B at Hotel Sierra Maestra 2*

Breakfast and dinner included.

• Early breakfast.

After breakfast, tour of this historical city of Cuba, the cadre of the Cuban nationality, where first great war against Spanish colonialism started commanded by nationalist Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, who is considered the Father of the Cuban land.

Continuation for 3.30 hours to reach Najasa, where you will be making overnight at Hotel Eco Hotel La Belen.

Accommodation in H&B at Eco Hotel La Belen.

Breakfast and dinner included.

• Early breakfast.

Bird watching Area: Sierra del Chorrillo

Sendero de las Aves: located in the "Sierra del Chorrillo" Managed Resources Protected Area, this is a fascinating trip where visitors can find a great variety of birds such as the blue heron (Egretta caerulea), mountain sparrowhawk (Buteo jamaicensis), quail (Colinas virginianus), torcaza cuellimorada (Columba squamosa).

Accommodation in H&B at Eco Hotel La Belen.

Breakfast and dinner included.

• Breakfast.
• Departure for a 4.15 hours’ drive to reach Cayo Coco in Camaguey province.

Time to relax and enjoy beautiful Cayo Coco beach. Cayo Coco is the second-largest key in Cuba (recently connected to the mainland by a rock-fill road).

Accommodation in all-inclusive plan at Hotel Sol Cayo Coco 4* or similar.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

• Breakfast.

The Parque Nacional El Baga is one of Cuba's seven national parks. It's located at the northwestern tip of Cayo Coco.

Bird-watching of both land and water species, visiting the different ecosystems present in the park with high levels of biodiversity among the birds, remarkable plants and beautiful scenery.

The area is toured from Batey Campesino up to the Exhibition Center where visitors can see species such as the green woodpecker (Xyphydiopicus Percussus), the Jabao woodpecker (Melanerpes surpeciliaris), the chichinguaco (Quiscalus niger), sinsonte (mockingbird) (Mimus polyglottos), tomeguín de la tierra (Tiaris olivácea), etc. On the Bagá Route: cartacuba (Todus multicolor), pechero (Teretristis fornsi), Juan Chiví (Vireo gundlachii), barbiquejo (Geotrygon chrysia), zunzún (Chlorostylbon ricordii).

Accommodation in all-inclusive plan at Hotel Sol Cayo Coco 4* or similar.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

• Breakfast.
• Departure after breakfast to Topes de Collantes in the Sierra del Escambray hills range, second highest in Cuba belonging to central province of Sancti Spíritu.
• Approximately after 5 hours drive you will be arriving at Topes de Collantes (including stops for bath and lunch).
• At leisure to recognize the beautiful natural area.
• Dinner included at the hotel restaurant.

Accommodation in H&B at Hotel Los Helechos 3*, dinner at the hotel restaurant.

Breakfast and dinner included.

• Breakfast.

Los Helechos Trail: The most abundant birds are the tocororo (Priotelus temnurus), cartacuba (Todus multicolor), zorzal (Turdus plumbeus). In its mountains there is a wide birdlife, including the Swift of the Collar and the Long-tailed Hawk, endemic to Cuba. It is an IBA site.

Accommodation in H&B at Hotel Los Helechos 3*.

Breakfast and dinner included.

• Breakfast.
• Transfer to Bay of Pigs.

Tour of the City of Trinidad, which was established by the Spaniards in 1514 and lined with cobblestone streets and colorful houses. The town of Trinidad is easy to wander around and almost every scene offers superb photographic opportunities – from locals casually smoking their huge cigars on the doorsteps of their homes to old Chevrolets cruising by. Visit Santa Ana and the Major Square.

• Optional lunch.
• Continue trip to Bay of Pigs.

Accommodation in H&B at Hotel Playa Larga 3* or Hotel Playa Giron 3* or Private Guest House

Breakfast and dinner included.

• Breakfast.

Las Salinas: this route is a harmonious combination of hiking and boating. You set out hiking from Playa Larga along a trail that parallels the western shore of the Bay of Pigs. On the way, you will go through several wooded areas and types of vegetation; pass some large but very shallow lakes, where several species of birds—including Roseate Flamingos (Phoenicopteus ruber) and Roseate Spoonbills (Ajaia ajaja) live.

Along this route, you may also see some endemic species, such as Zapata Sparrows (Torreornis inexpectata) and Bee Hummingbirds (Mellisuga helenae). When you get to Las Salinas, you’ll continue your trip in a small boat, going across the lake to Cayo Venado. The trip may include other cays, as well, so you can see different species of iguanas, hutias and crocodiles in their natural habitat.

Accommodation in H&B at Hotel Playa Larga 3* or Hotel Playa Giron 3* or Private Guest House.

Breakfast and dinner included.

• Breakfast.

Bird Watching Areas: Bermejas (ramsar site)

Target species: endemic quail-doves and owls; also we will be looking for Neartic migrants, such as Swainson’s Warbler and Worm-eating Warbler. This is the place to look for Fernandina’s Flicker. Cuba’s two endemic owls (Cuban Pygmy-Owl and Bare-legged Owl), Cuban Nightjar, Bee Hummingbird, Cuban Parakeet, Cuban Trogon, Cuban Tody, and all four quail-dove species (the two rarest species are frequently encountered) can also be seen here, as well as many Nearctic warblers.

• Check-out and departure to Havana.
• Check-in and your last lodging in Havana.
• Last evening in Havana to enjoy nightlife.

Accommodation in B&B at Hotel NH Capri 4* or any other Havana Hotel or at private guest house comfortable, modern equipped and located in centric Havana area.

Breakfast and dinner included.

• Breakfast.
• Havana tour in the morning for the ones interested.
• Transfer out on time to Havana International Airport to take flight out of the country (clients must be 3 hours in advance).

Breakfast included.

End of services.