Overview
NOTE: This trip is authorized by the US Government under the category of Support for the Cuban People.
On this hugely popular itinerary, you’ll get to photograph many of the finest iconic sights that Cuba has to offer, from the timeworn streets of Habana Vieja (Old Havana) to the fantastic limestone formations of the Valle de Viñales. But Chris shuns the usual tourist locations to explore some of his favorite off-the-beaten-path venues and with a flexibility that allows us to make the most of opportunities as they arise.
We’ll start in Havana, with its world-class street photography. We’ll also organize photo shoots, such as a funky and photogenic boxing gym, Afro Cuban dancers in a tumbledown colonial theater, and ballet dancers from the Cuban National Ballet posing in a sensational old mansion.
In the tobacco-growing region of Viñales, the scenery is nowhere surpassed in Cuba, but it is the traditional farmers that make it especially great. We are friends with many of the farmers in the area, and they will invite us into their homes, affording photo opportunities that the typical group will never have. Also we’ll be working with a local photographer who was born and raised there.
Finally we will journey to the colonial city of Trinidad, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is without a doubt the most beautiful city in Cuba. With the backdrop of the perfectly preserved 18th-century buildings, we’ll photograph cowboys riding horses and pulling horse-carts through the cobblestone streets. We’ll meet a local photographer there and visit a cowboy ranch outside of town, where we’ll be served an authentic country-style lunch. Trinidad also hosts a thriving local live music scene, and we will have the opportunity to photograph local musicians. Meanwhile, Chris has arranged a couple of fantastic surprise shoots, including of a quinceañera in a fantastic colonial setting.
Itinerary
Day 1:
Arrival Havana – check into your room in our private B&B. We’ll have an orientation meeting, followed by dinner at a terrific private restaurant. Spend the night in Havana.
Day 2:
In the morning, we’ll visit a boxing gym where some of the top boxers in Cuba train. After lunch, we’ll visit Galeria Raul Corrales, a studio dedicated to the famous photographer’s work, and run by his granddaughter and contemporary photographer, Claudia Corrales. We’ll have a late afternoon photo walk in Centro Havana, finishing at the malecòn. There, we’ll photograph the sunset, with old cars rumbling by along this seafront boulevard offering a microcosm of Cuban life: the elderly walking their dogs; fishers casting their lines, and musicians practicing their instruments. We’ll walk to a nearby restaurant for dinner. Spend the night in Havana.
Day 3:
After breakfast, photograph Ballerinas from the renowned National Ballet, in a beautiful old mansion, using the light streaming through windows and doorways. In the afternoon we’ll take a photo walk with our Cuban photographer, introducing you to Cubans along the way–a chance, perhaps, to poke and photograph inside humble homes, speakeasy nail salons, Santería shrines, etc. In the evening we’ll ride in classic convertibles and tour parts of the city, including Revolution Square, with a stop at Revolution Square with its giant monument to the national hero, Jose Marti, finishing at our dinner restaurant, the famous La Guarida. Spend the night in Havana.
Day 4:
In the morning drive to Viñales. We’ll have lunch in a private restaurant with a beautiful view of the Viñales Valley and the iconic mogotes (the limestone cliffs) which surround it. We’ll make a stop at a tobacco farm, where we may get a cigar rolling demonstration, and maybe stop at a rural school. We’ll then check-in to our rooms in private homes in the center of the town. In the late afternoon we’ll photograph in town. Dinner in a private restaurant in town. Spend the night in Viñales.
Day 5:
Early morning at a tobacco farm for sunrise, then a farmer’s breakfast before heading out to visit another tobacco farm. In the late morning back to our casas for some rest, and lunch on our own. In the afternoon we’ll venture to areas seldom visited by tourists – we’ll explore an authentic town unchanged by tourism and visit with farmers who seldom see outsiders. We’ll finish with dinner at a restaurant with its own organic farm in a terrific location to view and photograph the sunset. Spend the night in Viñales.
Day 6:
In the early morning we visit tobacco farms at the height of the harvest season. We’ll have a mid-day rest and some time to further explore the town. In the afternoon we’ll visit some colorful and friendly farmers and go to a farmhouse (the family has been friends of Jim’s for over 20 years) for dinner, drinks, and music. Spend the night in Viñales.
Day 7:
Depart Viñales, have lunch when we arrive in Havana, then visit the iconic and beautiful Hotel National, the base for the American Mafia in the mid-20th century. We’ll arrive at our B&B and check in to our rooms. Dinner on our own. We will arrange an optional evening at the Tropicana floorshow. Spend the night in Havana.
Day 8:
Havana – In the morning we’ll enjoy a private photo shoot with an exciting Afro-Cuban dance in a colonial building. We’ll finish with an afternoon photo walk, and maybe catch one more sunset on the malecòn. We’ll have our farewell dinner at a rooftop restaurant, then image-sharing party in the B&B. Spend the night in Havana.
Day 9:
Departures, you will be transported to the airport in a classic car.