In this tour to Eastern Cuba the aim is to take you to some of the most important areas for viewing birds, plants and discovering the amazing history, culture and people while giving you time to relax and enjoy the spectacular beaches and warm waters surrounding this tropical island. I know of no other company offering such a program to this region and be assured that your accommodations, meals, guides, transfers and specialized services will be of the highest quality. You will travel and stay at some of the most unique areas in Eastern Cuba and I know you will go away with lasting memories of your tour. Like my Central/West tour, it will be limited to 14 people and therefore it is most important to book as soon as possible. The tour will only go if there is a minimum of 8.
Look forward to having you along and having a wonderful experience in Cuba.

Key species seen on birding tour

Itinerary:

Day 1 - Arrive in Cayo Coco in the Archipelago of Camaguey and transfer to a 4* all inclusive beach resort. Most of these properties have some local plant and bird species which can be viewed by walking around the property. Evening entertainment is free to all guests. We will gather for a happy hour to get to know each other and talk about the next day’s activities.

Day 2 - Breakfast and early departure for the first birding hike. This morning the local guide will meet us in the lobby of the hotel and we will depart from there to several of the best birding areas in the key. We will come back to the resort for lunch and the afternoon will be free to enjoy a swim or simply relax.

Day 3 - Breakfast and transfer to the historical city of Camaguey in the centre of Cuba for a tour of the city centre. It is a fascinating city with narrow, winding streets and a rich history. After lunch we will transfer to the Sierra de Najas region with accommodation and dinner at Finca La Belen a small lodge in the middle of a protected area. You will love it here and be able to take in some self guided, evening birding. (Because there are only 10 rooms we may be forced to stay at hotel Camaguey which is 4 kms from down town and this is where we would have dinner). Lunch is not included this day.

Day 4 –Breakfast and the hike will begin right from the lodge with a local guide if we stay there. (If we are at hotel Camaguey we will have an early breakfast and depart to the Sierra Najasa mountain range). Some Cuban bird species can only be seen in this area so with luck you will be privy to them. After our morning hike we will have lunch and transfer to Cuba's "cleanest" city, Bayamo. Accommodation and dinner will be at the Royalton hotel situated on the central square and all the main areas of the city. This is a pleasant city to walk around or have a beverage overlooking the square.

Day 5 - Breakfast and departure to El Salton set in the Sierra Maestra mountains to the west of Santiago de Cuba. Accommodations, lunch and dinner will be at Villa El Salton, surrounded by lush vegetation and a natural swimming pool at the base of a waterfall. You can begin spotting birds and enjoying the many plant species right at the villa.

Day 6 - Breakfast and early morning guided bird watching hike directly from the villa. We will return to the villa and then transfer to Cuba's second largest city and one of the most important, both historically and economically. Accommodation and dinner will be at Villa Gaviota in a quiet upscale neighbourhood. Lunch not included. (we may have some sandwich’s made up that you could buy at Salton)

Day 7 - Breakfast and guided city tour to give you an understanding of the historcal significance of the city and to discover the culture of the Cuban people. The tour will end in the central square, parque Cespedes, where you can walk around or take the elevator to the top of hotel Grande for a panoramic view of the city. Lunch is not included, but the Grand hotel is a great place to take a snack. Dinner tonight will be at a restaurant at a small hotel called El Caney.

Day 8 - Breakfast and transfer to the oldest settlement in Cuba, Baracoa where Columbus landed in 1492. We will drive along the Caribbean coast (this is where we stopped for a photo and spotted the white tailed tropicbird) and then up one of the most spectacular drives in Cuba, the Farola viaduct, which takes you over a mountain range and down to the Atlantic ocean. We will have lunch at La Punta restaurant which is at one of the three original forts built by the Spanish to protect Baracoa. Accommodation and dinner will be at hotel Porto Santo overlooking the bay and town.

Day 9 - Breakfast and head off early for your first bird and nature tour of this area. This is truly one of the most beautiful areas of Cuba with mountains coming down to meet the ocean, a number of rivers and lush vegetation. In this area you can find the world's smallest frog as well as a number of endemic plants and birds. We will return to Baracoa and have lunch at a local restaurant.. Dinner will be at the hotel.

Day 10 - Breakfast and early departure for Alejandro de Humboldt park where you will go on another birding/nature hike with a specialist from this area (wear shoes you are not afraid to get wet or be prepared to go bare foot as you will cross a narrow river several times). We will have lunch at a small beach resort where you will have time to go swimming in the Atlantic ocean and relax on the white sand beach. This night we will go to Finca Duaba, a small farm, for dinner.

Day 11 - Breakfast and transfer along a coastal route to Pinares de Mayari. Although the distance is not that great it is a slow go due to the road conditions, although they have been working on them. Pinares is at an elevation of about 700 metres and we will be staying at a very unique lodge with all the buildings made out of logs from this area. Great birding spot as well as having many rare and endemic plants. Accommodation and dinner will be at the lodge.

Day 12 - Breakfast and early morning hike to make the most of the local birds and after we will go for an eco hike at a research station close to the lodge where you will see more birds and some endemic plants. We will have lunch at the lodge and the afternoon will be at your leisure. Dinner will be at the lodge.

Day 13 - Early birding hike on your own, breakfast and transfer down to the coast to Playa Pesquero with accommodation at the all inclusive 4* beach resort Playa Costa Verde. Great place to wind down. Between the resort and the beach you cross over a walking bridge which gets you across a protected mangrove swamp and you will see a variety of birds here.

Day 14 – Transfer back to Cayo Coco and the accommodation at the all inclusive resort where you started.

Day 15 - Breakfast and transfer to the airport in Cayo Coco for your return flight.