Diving in Cuba
Habana, Viñales, Cayo Las Brujas, Remedios
The Diving in Cuba is one among the best cuba holidays all inclusive. You through some of the main diving destinations of the archipelago. In this way you can observe the wonders of our seabed while you feel how the Cuban inhabitants welcome you. It will be an experience to integrate with the culture of this Island of the Caribbean Sea.
Pick up at the airport and transfer to accommodations.
Excursion on foot through the old part of the city. Havana is modern and historical, warm and comforting. She has been sung, painted, studied, described and filmed. Centuries ago, exotic music already echoing the Spanish taverns in almost every corner. Elegant European aristocrats strolled along the Alameda de Paula promenade. Shipowners and merchants of sugar and tobacco negotiated in the Lonja del Comercio. His people sold flashy homemade treats for visitors on the streets. Bohemian artists provided the city with an artistic identity. This is how the city got its current profile.
For more than half a century, the landscape of the streets of Cuba is strongly marked by classic cars. In other countries you will find them displayed in a car museum. In Cuba, Chevrolets and Buicks still roll along the Havana promenade. You will take a tour in one of these cars through the most interesting places outside of Old Havana. Where you have done the previous tour on foot.
After breakfast, we go to Viñales. As we approach Pinar del Río, you will see a small and quiet city of stately homes with Corinthian and Ionic columns. The terrain begins to be mountainous and even greener. After Pinar del Río, the road snakes towards Viñales. The landscape is dazzling. Bright green tobacco fields next to vermilion earth and dark green cedars are interspersed with imposing palm trees. Tobacco drying houses are guarded by majestic mogotes, those characteristic karstic hills that dot the valley.
From your balcony at the Los Jazmines hotel or from a private house you can enjoy all Viñales. The fields, the mogotes and even the farmers who drive their oxen and plows. The city is small but cozy and pretty with wooden houses and portals. Sitting in their chairs in the portal, they enjoy the beautiful view of the Sierra de los Órganos. It is an agricultural area where fruits, vegetables, coffee and tobacco are grown according to traditional methods.
In 1999, Unesco declared the Viñales Valley a World Heritage Site. Great recognition for its special karstic formations and traditional agricultural methods centuries old. Especially in the cultivation of tobacco, which are practiced here.
A beautiful landscape path passes through typical rural towns such as Guanes, Isabel Rubio, Sandino and the Cayuco. Everyday life here is a kind of romance. The houses look like those of a child’s drawing. Experts believe that four of the seven species of marine turtles on the planet owe their survival to the Guanahacabibes peninsula. The area is know as the refuge for the original inhabitants who resisted the Spanish conquistadors.
In addition to a rich flora and fauna, here you can also find archaeological sites. The rooms at the María La Gorda hotel are cabins. The oldest is built of wood and located closer to the beach. While the modern and elegant are in different buildings, with two floors, all along the place. The newest wooden cabins are located in the forest and are accessible by small wooden bridges. They are both panoramic and tasteful and harmonize with ecotourism and outdoor activities.
It may happen that you wake up and find cows grazing next to your room. During the day you will dive in the warm waters of the gulf, you will sit in the sand to relax. At night, the guests usually have a beer at the beach bar, barefoot on the sand. The seabed of this area is unique, Shipwrecks of the Caribbean that exhibit a wide variety of corals and caves. There are around 32 dive sites, accessible by boat, from 5 minutes to one hour of navigation.
Notable places are the Hall of Mary and the Admiral. The first is a cave with three entrances, furnished with sponges and coral formations visited by many tropical fish. The second is a wall covered with sponge and sea fans. There you can find fish such as shad, angelfish, grunts and groupers. The International Diving Center Maria La Gorda focuses on divers of all levels. Dives can be booked together with your accommodation.
In the afternoon you can visit Cabo San Antonio. This is the westernmost point of Cuba, with one of the most important lighthouses known as Roncali.
If you want to stay one more day in this exclusive environment, do it. The nature and leisure conditions of this earthly place are heavenly.
Return to the road to Pinar del Río, passing through Consolación del Sur, Los Palacios, San Cristóbal and arriving at The Terrace. In 1968, the Cuban government launched a reforestation project in the hanging hills surrounding The Terraces. This created a town where today some 1,300 people live and who largely maintain an independent community. It became an internationally recognized achievement.
The design of the buildings in Las Terrazas is, as far as possible, in harmony with the natural environment. The beautiful Moka hotel is a good example. In 1985 Las Terrazas and the Sierra del Rosario Natural Park are declared a Biosphere Reserve by Unesco. There you can swim in natural pools and bike paths. You will make nature walks around the ruins of 19th century coffee plantations. In addition, the guided hiking routes are a series of activities in this area.
If you still feel the need for a splendid espresso or cappuccino after breakfast, then walk to the Café de María. For years, she made coffee at home and served it in her living room. The same tasty coffee is now served in the cafeteria next door. When you finish your cup, we go to Santa Clara, about 347 km ahead.
A visit to Santa Clara is necessary and obligatory, especially for his contribution to the Cuban revolution. Santa Clara looks like a modern city and is nice. It has one of the most famous universities in Cuba. The visit to the monument and the mausoleum of Ernesto Che Guevara cannot be postponed.
In 1997 the mortal remains of Che and six of his companions returned to Santa Clara from Bolivia. The monument became a kind of pilgrimage for Cubans of all ages. Admission is free and you can now appreciate the mausoleum Frente de Las Villas.
We leave for Remedios or the direction towards three C. Cayo Las Brujas, Cayo Ensenachos and Cayo Santa María. Part of Jardines de Rey, which in turn belongs to a larger archipelago Sabana and Camagüey. It is a beautiful rural road.
Remedios is one of the oldest cities in Cuba. Today is a beautiful and idyllic village with approximately 30 000 inhabitants. The examples of Spanish architecture of the seventeenth century are still present. In 1980, the center of the city is declared a National Historic Monument. Remedios is the smallest city in Cuba with two churches in the central plaza. Every year, from December 16 to 26, the city becomes a party with one of the oldest events in Cuba that shows its history in the Parrandas Museum.
We suggest Las Brujas as a destination, the name and the legend coincide in a certain way with María la Gorda. The location of Cayo Las Brujas is more concentrated in water sports such as diving and sport fishing. With facilities provided by the International Diving Center. Diurnal and nocturnal dives are organized at different levels of the coral reefs. The underwater world hosts shipwrecks and caves. Villa Las Brujas is a simple accommodation in an exclusive and natural environment.
If you are looking for more comfort and a wider gastronomic offer, you can go to Cayo Santa María, with many attractive hotel offers. The most luxurious is Cay Ensenachos, located between Las Brujas and Santa María, with two private beaches.
Beach day, sun and diving in Cayo Santa María, Cuba.
To return to Havana, you can do it by taxi or by plane. Domestic flights are available from the airport from Las Brujas to Havana. A technical or other situation that may occur could damage the connection of your international flight. If you want to organize a national flight, book a last hotel night in Havana or in Varadero.