"Bienvenidos!" - "Welcome!"
	In the following, we would like to give you an example of an individually worked out self-drive tour to Cuba. It is a trip we have experienced and tested ourselves in March 2006. We hope you enjoy the virtual tour!

Cuba's wild East, March 2006
	We start out in the city of Holguin, spend some time in the Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt near Baracoa. From there, we carry on to Baracoa, later we travel via Guantanamo to Santiago de Cuba. After that, we go hiking in the Sierra Meastra and return to Holguin via Bayamo. It was a relaxing trip for 14 days.

San Isidro de Holguin
	Holguin was founded in 1545. The cathedral, Catedral de San Isidro, is a little neglected, like many churches in Cuba, but the old glory is still visible. The town itself shows a lot of colonial charm, offers many good private guest houses and excellent shopping opportunities for the rest of the trip.

Mayari
	The next stop is Mayari. A very comfortable private guest house is one of the town's assets, along with two lovely churches and some colonial style houses. Mayari is an ideal starting point for excursions into the surrounds. About 20 km away is the National Park La Mensura with its beautiful waterfall named Salto de Guayabo.

Mayari
	In the afternoon, Playa Juan Vicente on the Bahia de Nipe is a lovely place to have a swim and relax. Many travel guides ignore Mayari, but we think the town is definitely worth a visit. Mayari is surrounded by beautiful scenery and is at present still an insider's tip.

Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt
	The journey continues along the Northern coast, past the nickel mines of Moa, where photography is strictly prohibited, to the Bahia de Taco. This marine sanctuary is a part of the Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt.

Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt
	A boating excursion across the bay driven by an almost silent electric engine is definitely worth while. With a bit of luck, guests can spot a manatee -or sea cow. The guides are vey knowledgeable and teach the visitors a lot about the impressive rock formations and the surrounding mangrove forests.

Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt
	True nature lovers can spend several days in the park, discovering new things of interest with every step. We recommend a hiking tour with a guide during which a guest can learn much about the flora and fauna of the island. Just the beauty of the tropical mountain landscape is worth the effort.

Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt
	Gorgeous orchids grow wild everywhere, in March they are in full bloom. Many different species of Palms and coniferous trees are indigenous to the area.

Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt
	Ornithologically minded visitors will be able to admire some remarkable bird species. The Cuban Trogon is the heraldic bird of Cuba because of the blue white and red colours of its plumage.

Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt
	The Cuban Tody is tiny, occurs quite frequently but is hard to photograph because it never stops in one place for long.

Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt
	The smallest frog in the world is found only in Cuba, it is about one centimetre long when fully grown.

Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt
	This brightly coloured spider is only a little bit smaller than the frog.

Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt
	After a long hike, it is time for relaxation. Visitors are encouraged to bathe in the crystal clear water of the park's rivers.

Baracoa

Baracoa is the oldest European settlement in Cuba. Even today, visitors admire the many beautifully restored colonial style buildings. The town offers the traveler many good private guest houses and a few nice hotels. Even so, not every visitor to the island includes Baracoa in his route. The town is far from Havana and many travel guides have awful things to say about the access roads. We drove a normal compact rental car and had no problems at all.

Baracoa
	Baracoa is known for its small harbour and for the chocolate factory that produces a wide range of seductive and delicious products. A few kilometres from town several quiet, clean beaches offer the visitor some hours of relaxation.

El Yunque de Baracoa
	Baracoa is also an excellent starting point for a guided hiking to the top of the strangely shaped mountain El Yunque. It takes about two hours to reach the plateau that is about 575 metres abive sea level. Some parts of the path are steep and slick with clay but the view from the top is worth every step.

El Yunque de Baracoa
	The narrow path through the rain forest...

El Yunque de Baracoa
	About half way up...

El Yunque de Baracoa
	...and the view over Baracoa and its surroundings from the summit.

La Farola
	The road that winds in many curves and serpentines from Baracoa to Guantanamo is named La Farola. Visitors should take their time for this leg of the trip, not only for safety reasons but also in order to enjoy the interesting and varied scenery.

Santiago de Cuba
	Santiago is Cuba's second largest town and calls a major port its own. Here, too, many of the colonial buildings have been elaborately restored.

Santiago de Cuba
	The impressive cathedral forms one side of the Parque Cespedes, a square with many shady benches. It is an ideal place to stop for a rest and a chat after a morning in the city.

Santiago de Cuba
	Santiago is the city of music. Live music can be heard everywhere in the streets and in the clubs, day or night.

Santiago de Cuba
	Dancing is also a part of everyday life in Santiago.

Castillo del Morro, Santiago
	If you visit Santiago, you should on no account miss spending a morning at Castillo del Morro San Pedro de la Roca, about 8 kms from of the city.

Castillo del Morro, Santiago
	The castle was built between 1633 and 1639 in order to protect the city and the harbour from pirates. Today, the Castillo is a well-tended museum with informative exhibits. It also offers some beautiful views of the sea and the the adjacent coastline.

From Santiago to Manzanillo
	From Santiago, the next part of the trip takes us along the South coast in Westerly direction towards the Sierra Maestra. This area is sparsely populated and virtually untouched by tourism. The route is very scenic and varied.

From Santiago to Manzanillo
	At first the road winds along the coast line, later the Sierra Maestra, Cuba's highest mountain range, becomes visible to the North.

From Santiago to Manzanillo
	In some areas, the ravages left by Hurricane Dennis the previous year were still very obvious in March 2006.

Manzanillo
	Our destination on this day was the small town of Manzanillo. There are one hotel and a few private guest houses to choose from. The town is known for the very well tended Parque Cespedes with its Moorish pavillion.

Manzanillo
	Along one side of the parque is a well-preserved church. Another of the square's sides is bordered by buildings in moorish style.

Manzanillo
	In the early evening people meet along Manzanillo's Malecon -the town's waterfront- for a sunset stroll.

Manzanillo
	A fisherman tries his luck in the fading light.

Sierra Maestra

About 1,5 hour's drive inland from Manzanillo is the village of Santo Domingo, the starting point for most trips into the mountains of the Sierra Maestra. An hotel as well as a private guest house are available. Close to the village is the visitor's centre of the Parque Nacional Turquino. From here, visitors can hike with a guide to the former headquarters of Fidel Castro and his army of rebels. The path begins at an altitude of about 950 metres at the Alto del Naranjo.

Sierra Maestra
	Photographing at the actual headquarters is prohibited. All the same, the historic site is very well worth a visit. Both the scenery and the former rebel base leave a lasting impression on the visitor.

Sierra Maestra
	Santo Domingo also serves as a starting point for day trips on foot or horseback into the surrounds with a knowledgeable guide.

Sierra Maestra
	In the dry season, the river bed of the Rio Yara serves as a connection between the villages along its course for pedestrians and mule trains. Santo Domingo is the last village that can be reached by car, the smaller hamlets in the mountains depend on mules and horses as means of transport.

Bayamo
	The last stop on our tour is the city of Bayamo. Once again, many lovingly restored colonial-style buildings attract the visitor's eye.

Bayamo
	Bayamo is only 80 kms from Holguin airport on a well-maintained tar road. The tour described here is planned for a relaxing 14 day's holiday. The only really long drive is from Santiago to Manzanillo.

Travel Tips

Entry formalities: Visitors need a passport and a tourist card. This is available from your tour operator at a cost of approximately € 28,- per person. This applies to German citizens! Please inquire with us directly if you are not a German citizen! Driver's license: You need a valid national driver's license, an international driver's license is recommended additionally. The minimum age for renting a car is 21 years and you need a minimum of one year's driving experience. Vaccinations: None are required. Cuba is malaria-free Prices: These are rough estimates for the high season, December to April. We do not guarantee that these data are up to date or accurate! Flight: Thomas Cook (Condor) from Frankfurt to Holguin and return, approximately € 800,- per person. Car rental: Compact car with air conditioning approximately € 55,- per day, plus theft and collision damage waiver of CUC 10,- (approx. 10,- US$/day) per day, payable on arrival. Private guest houses: As a general rule these cost about CUC 20,- to 25,- per double room per day. Breakfast in private houses is usually between CUC 3,- and 5,- per person, dinner between CUC 8,- and 10,- per person. The CUC (=Peso Convertible) is about the same as the US$. As yet, we regret that we can not prebook private guest houses for you. Hotels: Hotel prices can not be generalised. In Havana and Varadero, every category from simple tourist hotels to five star luxury is available. In the smaller towns, the hotels are usually moderately comfortable. We would be happy to provide you with more information personally and to pre-book hotel accommodation for you, please do not hesitate to contact us. Tourist card: This is the equivalent of a visa, the price is about € 28,- per person. This card must be acquired prior to departure. This applies to German citizens! Please inquire with us directly if you are not a German citizen! Some basic knowledge of Spanish is very helpful, especially outside the big cities. Recommended reading: The Rough Guide to Cuba