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Cuba Expedition Travel Guide THE ULTIMATE CUBA EXPEDITION TRAVEL GUIDE Presented by Sara’s Amazing Travel Company and another line of copy After 50 years, Cuba is once again opening her doors to Americans. The recent thaw in US-Cuban relations means a new generation can now experience this enigmatic Caribbean island nation. Be among the first to discover its varied, vibrant culture and copious heritage and natural sites that, for now at least, remain seemingly frozen in time. • What to Know ........................... page 2 > • Where to Go ............................. page 3 > • Culture and Cuisine ................... page 4 > • Natural History .......................... page 5 > • Practical Information .................. page 6 > • By Land and By Sea ................... page 7 > • Resources ................................. page 8 > WHAT TO KNOW After Columbus left Spain in 1492, he landed in the Bahamas just before reaching Cuba’s shores. There he found thick vegetation and peaceful Tainos Indians, who had inhabited the island for at least 3,000 years. Within the next 20, the Spanish Empire would wipe out most of the indigenous population and, in turn, transport upwards of 30,000 slaves from Africa to work vast plantations of verdant crops, most notably sugar cane. Between the late-1700s and late-1800s, Cuba dominated the world’s sugar market; until the 1961 embargo, a third of the United States’ sugar imports came from there. Numerous slave rebellions arose during the early 19th century; in 1868, Cuban landowners joined in, launching the first war for independence. The second, in 1898, subsequently sparked the Spanish American War and US influence on the island. For the next half-century, Cuba would be America’s tropical playground; yet a series of dictators, culminating in the reign of Fugencio Batista in the 1950s, led to one more revolution—and a 50-year-halt in friendly relations. While the Castro era was fraught with tensions between the US and Cuba, by 2013 those tensions began to thaw. The US embassy reopened in Havana, trade and travel restrictions were loosened. Today the island once again welcomes Americans to her shores, revealing a fascinating culture, landscape and infrastructure that have stood unchanged for a generation. Soon-to-arrive commercial flights and major cruise lines promise an influx of new tourists, making it all the more imperative for expedition travelers to visit now and experience Cuba’s diverse and distinctive character before the inevitable changes that tourism brings. ZEGRAHM EXPEDITIONS < 2 > WHERE TO GO Visiting Cuba is a bit like traveling in a time warp, Zapata Swamp with much of the country appearing as if from a The Caribbean’s largest wetlands and a UNESCO Biosphere bygone era. It boasts nine UNESCO World Heritage Reserve (see page 5) is home to an amazing array of flora and Sites, including the entire old city of Havana. Here fauna, with nearly 1,000 plant species alone. A number of its are a few attractions that top our list. 170 bird species are endemic including bee hummingbirds, the world’s smallest living bird. Museum of the Revolution Chorro de Maita Museum Batista’s former palace (complete with interiors designed by This archaeological site in Holquín—comprising an excavated Tiffany’s) now pays tribute to the Castro revolution. Artifacts village, cemetery and skeletal remains—provides great insight include weaponry from the Bay of Pigs invasion and a U-2 spy into Cuba’s indigenous Taíno Indians. plane shot down during the Cuban missile crisis. Santiago de Cuba Finca Vigía While looking a bit tatty, the cobblestone streets of this Ernest Hemingway spent two decades at this lovely villa just colonial treasure, founded in 1514, have produced some of outside Havana. Now a museum, it houses more than 20,000 Cuba’s greatest cultural contributions (see page 4). The city’s items belonging to beloved “Papa,” including paintings by San Pedro de la Roca or Morro Castle was granted Picasso and Miró and more than 9,000 books. independent UNESCO status as “the most complete, best- preserved example of Spanish-American military architecture” in the Americas. Cienfuegos Founded by 19th-century French colonialists, the “Pearl of the South” showcases lovely gardens and magnificent architecture including one of Cuba’s finest gems: the Spanish-Moorish Palacio Del Valle, noted for its masterfully crafted mosaics, ironwork and Carrara marble. Trinidad Time seems to have stood still in this picturesque Spanish colonial town, a living-museum where roaming troubadours strum guitars and guajiros with their donkeys pass by 19th- century mansions and other red-tile-roofed masterpieces. Valley of the Sugar Mills Set adjacent to Trinidad, the 100-square-mile Valle de los Ingenios (which actually comprises three different valleys) is home to more than 70 former sugar plantations, many of their factory mills still still intact. ZEGRAHM EXPEDITIONS < 3 > CULTURE AND CUISINE Culture Cuisine A rich mix of Tainos, Spanish, African, French and English After the 1959 Revolution, Cuba suffered frequent food short- influences, Cuba’s soulful culture is all its own. This small ages due to the embargo, and many of the island’s top chefs country has contributed mightily to Latin-Caribbean literature, and restaurant owners fled. Cuban cuisine, therefore, is rather art, music and dance. Poet, writer and national hero José basic, although some innovative dishes are being served at the Marti helped usher in the Moderismo literary movement; works many paladars or privately run restaurants popping up around by painter Wifredo Lam hang in MoMA and Paris’s Centre the island, usually in people’s homes. Pompidou, and the National Ballet of Cuba, based in Havana, is world renowned. Look for art everywhere, from hundreds of Fried plantain and black beans and rice (known as moros y museums and galleries to roadside murals. cristianos or “Moors and Christians”) are served as nearly every meal. Grilled chicken or pork, ajiaco (a traditional stew) Home to a number of distinguished cultural institutions (as well and empanadas de carne (meat-filled pies) are typical dishes. as the world’s first lithographic workshop), Santiago de Cuba For dessert, grab some helado (ice cream), flan (often served gave birth to just about every form of Cuban music, including with caramel sauce) or a churro from a street-side vendor. Be the son genre made famous by Buena Vista Social Club. The sure to try chorote, a traditional drink made from cocoa. legendary group still performs regularly at Café Taberna in Havana. Other Afro-Caribbean musical styles permeate the island air as well, including salsa, rhumba, jazz and merengue. Recommended Reads - Cuba, What Everyone Needs to Know, Julia Sweig A worthwhile stop: The Korimacao Cultural Project, a - New Art of Cuba, Luis Camnitzer multi-faceted arts academy in Playa Larga, offers young - Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba, Tom Gjelten people from across the country a chance to develop and - Waiting for Snow in Havana, Carlos Eire hone their skills in music, dance, theatre and the literary arts. Interesting Tidbit: Cuba’s adult literacy rate is 95.9 percent (compared to 86 percent in the US). ZEGRAHM EXPEDITIONS < 4 > NATURAL HISTORY Since Cuba has remained relatively untouched by Guanayara National Park tourism, expedition travelers are able to explore Hiking trails through this jungled parkland near Trinidad teem pristine natural environments ranging from coral with native plants, many of which are still used for medicinal reefs and white-sand beaches to flourishing purposes. The 65-foot-high Salto El Rocio waterfall drops into wetlands and tropical forests. A few natural a crystalline pool, perfect for a cool dip. sites not to be missed: Viñales Valley Zapata Wetlands Peppered by mogotes or karst outcroppings that reach up to Comprising five separate protected areas spread across more 1,000 feet high, this fertile valley in western Cuba is noted than 1,600 square miles, Zapata’s mangroves, tidal pools, for its traditional farming methods, particularly in its tobacco coastal lagoons and forests supports a dizzying array of flora fields. Along the outskirts lie numerous caves, many featuring and fauna. A bird lover’s paradise, the swamp is home to half rock art. of the island’s 346 known bird species, including the endemic Zapata wren and Zapata sparrow. Coral Reef System Cuba’s diverse coral reefs, which span 1,000 square miles, Topes de Collantes comprise a full third of those surrounding the Caribbean’s This protected area, located some 2,600 feet up in the islands. Dubbed the “crown jewel” of Cuba’s reef system, Guamuhaya Mountains, once provided strategic cover for Jardines de La Reina (“The Queen’s Gardens”) offers Che Guevara. Its thick forests of mahogany trees, mosses and the best shark diving in the entire region. enormous ferns now offer refuge for numerous avian species including Cuba’s national bird, the Cuban trogon. While many of Cuba’s natural treasures are under both environmental and economic threats, progressive conversation Cuevas de Bellamar policies, grassroots education and international outreach Just outside the city of Matanzas lies this easily accessible cave efforts have, so far, maintained these unspoiled landscapes system, its lichen-lined corridors and caverns stretching for for expedition travelers to enjoy. nearly half a mile some 150 feet underground. ZEGRAHM EXPEDITIONS < 5 > PRACTICAL INFORMATION American citizens may now travel to Cuba without prior approval, although some restrictions remain in place. The purpose of your travel must fall within 12 approved categories, including family visits, journalistic activities, professional research and humanitarian projects. (Americans still may not visit on their own.) Zegrahm’s “people-to- people” expeditions are considered educational in nature, as guests engage in meaningful interactions with Cuban individuals. Participants travel under a specific license issued by the US Department of Treasury, and must carry a copy of the license, as well as an authorization letter, throughout their travel.
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