¡Bienvenidos a Cuba! (D)

All participants will fly to José Martí International Airport in Havana, arriving early enough to transfer to our accommodation by taxi, check in, and rest before gathering at 4:00 pm for an introductory meeting followed by a delicious, traditional Cuban dinner, featuring dishes such as ropa vieja, black beans, rice and yuca, with live music.

Overnight: Havana

Havana  (B, L, D)

You’ll have your first writing workshop with Laura in the morning. After lunch, our Cuban guide will lead us on a walking tour of Havana's historic center, Habana Vieja, where cobblestone streets echo with five centuries of stories. Along the route we will stop at La Bodeguita del Medio, the famous bar frequented by Ernest Hemingway, where mojitos were perfected. There is often live music here and we can enjoy a drink while soaking up authentic local culture.

Later in the afternoon, we will have a lively musical workshop with Obiní Batá, the first all-women's group in Cuba to play batá, traditional Afro-Cuban drums historically played only by men. We will learn about the sacred drums, the Orisha spiritual songs, and the history of this music while trying our hand at Afro-Cuban dancing.

Overnight Havana

Havana (B, L, D)

Our morning writing session will take place in our new creative space. After lunch we’ll visit Cuba Libro, an English-language bookstore cooperative started and managed by American writer Conner Gorry. Cuba Libro serves as an LGBTQ safe haven in Havana, as well as a welcoming place for open conversation rarely available to international visitors. Over Cuban coffee or fresh tropical juice, we will have an intimate Q&A with staff members, hearing their unfiltered perspectives on contemporary life in Cuba.

Later in the afternoon, we’ll head to Centro Habana to visit Callejón de Hamel, a vibrant neighborhood center of Afro-Cuban culture, religion, art and music, for an illuminating lecture on Santería, the most widely practiced spiritual tradition in Cuba. If we're fortunate, we might also witness live rumba drumming and dancing.

Overnight: Havana

Havana (B, L)

After breakfast, we will transfer to the outskirts of the city to visit Finca Tungasuk, an innovative organic farm owned by French-trained chefs who are revolutionizing Cuban agriculture. On our tour of the farm, we will learn about their sustainable agricultural practices and beekeeping before enjoying a hands-on cooking class, followed by a fantastic farm-to-table lunch served outside in the farm's beautiful garden paradise.

On our way back to Havana, we will visit Fusterlandia, José Fuster's extraordinary Gaudí-inspired neighborhood art installation that has transformed an entire community into a living mosaic masterpiece. In the afternoon we will have our daily writing session.

Dinner will be on your own and we will provide our favorite local recommendations.

Overnight: Havana

Travel to Playa Larga (B, L, D)

After breakfast, we will transfer by private minibus to Playa Larga, a sleepy fishing village and the gateway to Ciénaga de Zapata National Park. En route we will stop at Finca Vigía, Ernest Hemingway's beloved Cuban home, now a museum. We will have a private tour of his estate and learn about Hemingway's transformative years in Cuba and his deep relationships with the local community.

After lunch, we will visit Korimacao, a community art school where creativity flourishes despite economic challenges. We’ll enjoy demonstration performances of music and dance before participating in an energetic salsa lesson.

After settling in at our accommodations, we’ll have a late afternoon writing session as the Caribbean sun sets over this tranquil fishing village.

Overnight: Playa Larga

Playa Larga (B, L, D)

Today, we will hike Enigma de las Rocas, an easy, breathtakingly beautiful trail through pristine jungle featuring cenotes (limestone sinkholes filled with crystal-clear, cool water), native birds, small crocodiles, ancient turtles, and endemic fish found nowhere else on earth. Our local guide will help us identify the sights and sounds of this tropical paradise while explaining the unique karst geography of the limestone landscape.

After the hike, we will travel to a calm, protected bay for snorkeling and a picnic lunch on pristine white sand. In the afternoon we will return to our accommodation for writing as the sounds of the Caribbean lull us into creative flow.

Overnight: Playa Larga

Playa Larga (B, L, D)

This morning, we will venture to Las Salinas, a protected wilderness area within Ciénaga de Zapata National Park that encompasses a series of brackish lagoons and represents one of the Caribbean's premier birdwatching destinations. With our knowledgeable local guide, we can hope to spot storks, flamingos, and a spectacular array of migrating shore birds, as well as the occasional crocodile sunning on fallen logs. Returning to our accommodations in the afternoon, we will have our daily writing session.

Overnight: Playa Larga

Travel to Trinidad (B, L, D)

This morning, we’ll have a leisurely writing class after breakfast. Departing Playa Larga around noon, we’ll stop at the Museo Girón, the Bay of Pigs Museum, where we will learn about the failed April 1961 CIA-backed U.S. invasion of the Zapata Peninsula and its lasting impact on Cuban-American relations. After lunch, we’ll visit enchanting local Botanic Gardens before transferring to Trinidad, one of the most beautiful and authentically preserved colonial cities in all of Cuba.

Overnight: Trinidad

Trinidad (B, L)

After breakfast, we will visit the imposing Manaca Iznaga tower in the Valle de Los Ingenios. At 135 feet, it is the highest of all slave lookout towers in the Caribbean sugar cane growing region. From the top, we can photograph the sweeping valley views while learning the extensive, sobering history of the enslaved labor that built this region.

Afterward, we will return to Trinidad for an informative walking tour through cobblestone streets and a visit to the Municipal Museum housed in a stunning colonial mansion. The afternoon will be dedicated to writing. Dinner is on your own, allowing you to explore Trinidad's renowned paladares (private restaurants).

Overnight: Trinidad

Trinidad (B, L, D)

Today, we’ll have a full day in Topes de Collantes National Park, located in the dramatic Escambray Mountains of southern Cuba. Here we will hike La Batata, a spectacular jungle trail rich with native birds including the Tocororo (Cuban Trogon), Cuba's stunning national bird with its red, white and blue plumage. Depending on recent rainfall, we may be treated to a thundering waterfall at the trail's end or a refreshing natural pool where we can rinse off and cool down after our mountain adventure. We will return to our accommodations in the afternoon for a writing session before dinner, our minds filled with the day's natural splendor.

Overnight: Trinidad

Trinidad (B, L, D)

After breakfast, we’ll have a focused, intimate writing session. After lunch, we'll hike El Cubano, a trail in a different region of Topes de Collantes National Park, also featuring a spectacular waterfall and a refreshing swimming hole at the end—the perfect reward for our efforts. Today's hike is shorter, allowing us the luxury of enjoying some peaceful down time for writing, resting, or exploring Trinidad's UNESCO World Heritage streets and plazas at our own pace.

Overnight: Trinidad

Return to Havana via Cienfuegos (B, L, D)

After breakfast and a morning writing session, we’ll leave Trinidad in the late morning, stopping for lunch before arriving in Cienfuegos, a beautiful colonial city known as the "Pearl of the South" on Cuba's Caribbean coast. Here, we will enjoy a walking tour of the elegantly preserved old town, followed by a private performance of the legendary Cienfuegos Choir, a phenomenal, award-winning community ensemble that has been creating musical magic for over 60 years. In the afternoon, we will return to Havana for our final two nights in Cuba, bringing our journey full circle.

Overnight: Havana

Havana (B, L, D)  

After breakfast, we’ll have our final writing session where we’ll share reflections from our journey. In the afternoon, we will dive deeper into Cuba's literary, visual ,and musical arts heritage. We’ll visit the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Havana's world-class museum of fine arts, go on a walking tour through neighborhoods alive with revolutionary murals, and attend a performance by Banda de Boyeros, an eclectic contemporary band led by a charismatic young woman who incorporates a multitude of traditional and modern instruments with innovative choreography.

Overnight: Havana

Adiós, Cuba! (B)

You may depart any time today feeling deeply transformed after two weeks immersed in Cuba's revolutionary spirit, creative passion, and irrepressible joy for life. We will help arrange taxis to José Martí International Airport for your journey home, carrying not just your luggage, but also new friendships, and the rhythms, stories, and connections that will continue to inspire you in the months to come.

Meals included: B