The Real Cuba, Austin-Lehman Adventures

For decades, American citizens with a hankering to see Havana had to engage in some serious (and not recommended) 007 business to make that happen. But now, with the launch of Austin-Lehman Adventures' "theReal Cuba" itinerary, visiting Castro country is easy and—more importantly—legal. 

 

The ten-day trip, a far-ranging intro to Cuban life, includes visiting private homes, helping out with community projects, and meeting artists, artisans, and Santería practitioners. After exploring Old Havana, you'll travel via old steam train, vintage car, and even horseback to tobacco farms, coffee plantations, and rural villages. Best of all, Austin-Lehman arranges the charter flight from Miami or Cancún and handles the visa process. 

 

• Meet in Miami or Cancun for a charter flight to Havana. Transfer to the Hotel Iberostar Parque Central. This evening we are joined by a group of trip leader Christopher P. Baker’s Cuban friends spanning the spectrum of ages and professions as we get oriented with an introductory presentation—‘Chris Baker’s
• learn about the two-decade-old restoration project that Leal leads; how the effort is self-financed; and how the strength of the local community is maintained in this heavily touristed region.
• Visit the Flores district to visit the Casa-Estudio de Fuster, the studio-home of José Fuster, commonly called the ‘Picasso of the Caribbean.’
• Drive through the province of Pinar del Río to Finca Pinar San Luís, the private finca of the late and legendary tobacco farmer and Cuban cigar ‘ambassador,’ Alejandro Robaina.
• Follow the old Carretera Central via Cuevas de los Portales, Che Guevara’s headquarters during the Cuban Missile Crisis; the faded old spa town of San Diego de los Baños; and Soroa, with a stop at its orchid garden.
• Board a 1906 steam train to visit the Valle de los Ingenios (Valley of the Sugar Mills), with lunch at Hacienda Iznaga, a former slave plantation where we learn about the roles of sugar and slavery in Cuba’s history

 

Call 800.575.1540 to Book

By: austinlehman.com