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 11 days / 10 nights. Coda Tours is introducing the only all-gay trip to the "Undiscovered Cuba," as we head across the length of this historic Caribbean island for in-depth People-to-People exchanges in Havana, Santa Clara, Camagüey, Holguín, Santiago de Cuba and more. This tour for intrepid travelers provides a deeper understanding of the diversity of the island and its marvelous people.
Get acquainted with the romantic city of Havana and its people through interactions with the residents, visiting communities, sharing stories and experiences. Of special interest for our travelers, we will visit several artists and explore the museums and art scene in Havana. We will also have an opportunity to meet with officials and members of the Cuban gay community and learn about their struggles and successes in bringing about an atmosphere of acceptance.
Note that flight times are subject to change and flight specifics do not become available until a few weeks prior to departure. If you do not live in South Florida (withind driving distance of Miami International Airport), you will need to plan to come to Miami (or the nearby area) at least one day before departure,i.e. Tue Feb 23. The tour price does not include an overnight in Miami. We canassist you with reservations in South Beach or other areas.
Day 1 - Tuesday, February 23, 2016
 9:00am – Check in at Miami International Airport for your charter flight to Havana (Typically an MD80 aircraft)
1:00pm - Fly Miami to Havana, arriving 2:00pm.
Welcome to Havana! Upon arrival in the dynamic city of Havana, we'll clear immigration and customs and meet our Cuban guide at the airport. On our way to the hotel, discover breathtaking colonial buildings, the picturesque, seaside Malecón and other iconic sites. We'll see prominent landmarks, former palaces, scenic squares and locals going about their daily routines as we drive through the streets dotted with Russian-built Ladas and a rainbow assortment of vintage American cars.
Check-in to the hotel and gather around for a quick orientation with the tour leader.
This evening we dine at Paladar Moneda Cubana, where the mojitos are among the best on the island.
Meals: Dinner
Hotel: Hotel Nacional de Cuba , Havana, 5*
Room: Executive Floor
Day 2 - Wednesday, February 24, 2016
 Our first morning will start with a stroll through the streets of historic Habana Vieja, exploring the famous Cathedral Square, Plaza de Armas, and the City Museum. The city has been restored to its historic splendor by UNESCO World Heritage; it exudes colonial charm at its finest and is a must-see for all travelers. On our walk we'll stop by Taller Grafica for a PEOPLE TO PEOPLE meet and greet with artists and to learn more about arts in Cuba.
Lunch is at Paladar La Fontana.
After lunch, our PEOPLE TO PEOPLE exchange will be at the Cultural Center of "El Divino" for a musical presentation by "Compas Danz" or "Danza Combinatoria." We will interact with the dancers and the founder of the company who will explain the life of a dancer in Cuba.
This evening dinner at is at the paladar La Esperanza. We'll hear a PEOPLE TO PEOPLE EXCHANGE from Umberto, the owner, about the challenges of having a private business in Cuba. Drive to Casa Fuster.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Hotel: Hotel Nacional de Cuba, Havana, 5*
Room: Executive Floor
Day 3 - Thursday, February 25, 2016
 After breakfast, drive to the Museum of Fine Arts for a PEOPLE TO PEOPLE visit with an art historian. Discover four centuries of art created on the island, from the colonial period through the 19th century and 20th century avant-garde, and the new generations since the 1950s up to young artists of the 1990s. Afterwards, walk to the Revolution Museum, where the offices of all presidents from Menocal to Batista where located prior to the revolution.
Lunch at Ivan y Justo.
Stop at Colon Cemetery for a guided visit of the one of the great historical cemeteries of the world. Afterwards, drive to the former home of Ernest Hemingway, La Finca Vigia, to see the rooms as they were left in 1961. This afternoon we will have a PEOPLE TO PEOPLE exchange with a famous Art Curator and see a private collection in her beautiful home. Dinner will be at a private paladar.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Hotel: Hotel Nacional de Cuba, Havana, 5*
Room: Executive Floor
Day 4 - Friday, February 26, 2016
 Drive over to Jaimanitas to see the studio of Jose Fuster, considered "the Picasso of the Caribbean". Jose engraves, sketches and is also one of Cuba's most original ceramists. As you enter the gray, concrete neighborhood with broken sidewalks and gravel roads, you begin to see ceramic splashes of color as you approach to Jose Fuster's gallery and home. His artwork embodies life in Cuba.
Lunch at a local restaurant.
This afternoon we will enjoy a PEOPLE TO PEOPLE visit at the Cultural Center of "El Divino" for a musical presentation by "Compas Danz" or "Danza Combinatoria."
This evening classic cars will come to our hotel to take us to dinner at Le Chansonnier, a popular gay-owned paladar.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Hotel: Hotel Nacional de Cuba, Havana, 5*
Room: Executive Floor
Day 5 - Saturday, February 27, 2016
 We depart Havana this morning, we will have our PEOPLE TO PEOPLE exchange en route as we stop to meet local artisans and craftsmen, see demonstrations of their various projects, and talks about local enterprise. Upon arrival in Santa Clara, we will have lunch at a paladar. In the afternoon, we visit the Che Guevara Mausoleum, a memorial complex honoring Ernesto "Che" Guevara de la Serna. Che was an Argentine-born physician, Marxist and military leader who played a key role as Fidel Castro's second-in-command in the Cuban Revolution. Continue with a city tour of Santa Clara and stop to see a local artist. Dinner is at a paladar.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Hotel: Los Caneyes Hotel , Santa Clara
Room: Standard Room
Day 6 - Sunday, February 28, 2016
 This morning we drive to Sancti Spiritus where we learn about the traditional Guayabera, a four-pocketed shirt that has become an iconic symbol of Cuba. We will visit the Guayabera Museum, set in a historic 1858 villa.
Lunch will be at the Sancti Spiritus Paladar 500.
PEOPLE TO PEOPLE exchange: Discuss the challenges of turning a private home into a restaurant. In the afternoon, we will have a guided walk of the town. Continue to Camagüey and check in to the hotel. Dinner is at Paladar Cava de la Ciudad. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Hotel: TBA, Camagüey
Room: Standard Room
Day 7 - Monday, February 29, 2016
 Camagüey is home to many of Cuba's most celebrated artists. Located in the middle of the country, Camagüey feels different to its neighbors, though with its history of defiance — it has nurtured revolutionary poets and thinkers — this comes as no surprise. Dubbed "the Maze" or "the City of Squares" for its labyrinthine lanes and squares, they say the city's twisted layout was designed to confuse and disorientate the pirates and pillagers who frequently ransacked the city. With low rise, brightly colored houses, it feels distinctly South American. As the third largest city in Cuba, it is decrepit in parts, but the beautifully restored historical center was awarded UNESCO World Heritage Status in 2008, the 9th Cuban city to achieve this.
We enjoy a full day of PEOPLE to PEOPLE exchanges in Camagüey. We begin with a visit to Alfarería Casanova, a ceramics manufacturer, where the famous tinajones are made. Known as "the city of tinajones," the residents once used them to collect rainwater to stave off drought. Now the pots have become the city's trademark. After lunch in a paladar, we will enjoy a welcome drink at the home of Joel Jover and his wife Ileana Sanchez, two of Cuba's most prodigious contemporary painters. Their home in the center of Camagüey functions as both gallery and a bona fide piece of art with every surface covered in work.
Dinner this evening is at Paladar 1800.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Hotel: TBA, Camagüey
Room: Standard Room
Day 8 - Tuesday, March 1, 2016
 Before leaving Camaguey this morning, we will see a performance by the local ballet company. Depart for Holguín. Lunch will be at a paladar in Holguín. Take a tour of the city which may include the Casa Editora Cuadernos Papiros (Papyrus Papers Publishing House) where a historic 19th-century printing press is still in use. Continue tour hotel in Gibara.
Upon arrival, we will take a walking tour of Gibara and interact with the local citizens and visit the Gibara Cultural Center. Gibara is an independent-spirited, coastal fishing village of charming squares and run-down Spanish-era buildings on a cobalt bay. The train line was suspended in 1958, just before the Revolution, and there's a feeling that the town has been snoozing ever since. No one has bothered to plaster the town with revolutionary slogans and there is no internet, but its isolation has helped it retain its character and natural good looks.
Check in to Hotel E. Ordoño.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Hotel: E Ordono Hotel, Gibara, 4*, or similar
Room: Standard Room
Day 9 - Wednesday, March 2, 2016
 Our final destination will be Santiago de Cuba on the eastern end of the island. Santiago has strong African influences, a thriving music scene and passionate people, all which give the city a vibe all its own. Stop in Biran en route to Santiago. Biran is the birthplace of Fidel and Raul Castro. We will explore Finca Mañacas, the family estate, with a local historian. Lunch will be in Biran. Continue to Santiago for check in at our hotel.
This afternoon we will tour the city and see a performance by the Afro Cuba Dance Company. The company is committed to the preservation of Afro-Cuban folklore as well as to encouraging the cross-cultural understanding of the dance and music forms derived from African culture.
Dinner is at a local paladar.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Hotel: Melia Santiago Hotel, Santiago de Cuba
Room: Standard Room
Day 10 - Thursday, March 3, 2016
 Visit one of modern Cuba's key historic sites, Cuartel Moncada Memorial (Moncada Barracks). Now a school and museum, this was the Cuban army barracks attacked by some 100 rebels led by Fidel Castro on July 26th, 1953, one of the earliest actions in the Cuban Revolution. We will talk with docents about the attack and its aftermath as we view exhibits on the event and its role in Cuba's history. Continue to the Cemetery of San Efigenia, where the tomb and memorial of Cuba's national hero, the poet, journalist and freedom fighter, Jose Marti (1853-95) is located.
Lunch at is at a restaurant on Santiago Bay. In the afternoon, visit Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca, the 17th-century fortress built in defense of raiding pirates.
Enjoy a Farewell Dinner will be at a local restaurant.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Hotel: Melia Santiago Hotel, Santiago de Cuba
Room: Standard Room
Day 11 - Friday, March 4, 2016
After breakfast, transfer to the Antonio Maceo International Airport in Santiago de Cuba for the return charter flight to Miami. Allow three hours for flight changes.
Meals: Breakfast
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Hotel Nacional De Cuba Havana features a variety of meal options with in-house restaurants, Comedor de Aguiar and La Veranda. Guests wishing to socialise can do so in the bar, which is conveniently located on the property. Guests can also try one of the various bars and restaurants in the vicinity. 
After undergoing a complete restoration in order to meet the demands and standards of international tourism, the Encanto Ordoño was reopened in January 2013. And the results are impressive: this special property has been designated a Hotel Encanto (encanto means charm), meaning it has been designed for cultural tourism and maintains the highest level of historic authenticity.
