Cuba Nature & Culture
Cuba is an extraordinary island with its unique culture, gorgeous beaches, and clear waters. The isolation of this country has resulted in well-protected natural areas and coral reefs and great opportunities to see wildlife.
Guanahacabibes National Park, the island's westernmost point, is a great place to witness nesting of green sea turtles and to swim in crystal blue waters. We will spend several nights on the beach with one of the country’s leading biologists, observing nesting and helping with data collection where possible.
In contrast with the remote park, the vibrant city of Havana offers a rich cultural experience including live music, fascinating architecture, and more. We’ll also visit the beautiful countryside with its charming towns, organic farms, and more. This trip will be led by a bilingual guide from our local partner Cuban Adventures along with our program director Adriana Cortes.
2026 Date: August 1 - 9
Price: $3,295 per person. $500 deposit to register, the balance can be paid over time.
*Please note: due to banking restrictions for Cuba, we can only accept registration and payment by check for this trip. Please contact us at right to be sent the forms to fill out. ——->
Includes: Bilingual guide, private transportation, accommodations, meals, activities, and a donation to turtle conservation.
Excludes: Airfare to Havana, one meal, and tips for the guide and driver.
Trip Highlights:
Spend two nights with researchers on a green turtle nesting beach
Visit the uniquely beautiful region of Viñales to see how tobacco and other local products are made
Explore the fascinating city of Havana, learning about its history, art, architecture, and more
Look for the world’s smallest hummingbird and other birds at Guanahacabibes National Park
Trip Registration Is By Mail
Contact Us Here For The Forms
All profits support conservation efforts
Work directly with local researchers
Unique experiences
Personalized service
ITINERARY
DAY 1: ARRIVE TO HAVANA
Start your exploration of Cuba in Havana. You’ll meet your guide at the airport and head to Hostal Buen Viaje in downtown Havana. That afternoon, meet for a welcome cocktail and orientation and then head with the group to have a welcome dinner at one of the city’s great locally-owned restaurants in private homes. Get a good night’s sleep or head out for some live music in the city after dinner. Overnight at Buen Viaje (1 night). (D)
DAY 2: HAVANA & VINALES
This morning after breakfast, we will take a walking tour of Old Havana. Lunch will be in the city. We will learn about the fascinating history of this city and its incredible architecture and art. Highlights of the tour will include Fusterlandia, a neighborhood of “strange, enchanting fantasy” and Muraleando, a community art project with beautiful murals, sculptures, statues, and more.
After lunch, board your private bus for a 2 hour drive to Viñales Valley, Cuba’s renowned tobacco growing region. The area is famous for its “mogotes,” enormous rock formations that afford some of the most scenic views on the island. We’ll have down time before dinner at an organic farm with a great view of the valley and then have time to explore the charming town. Overnight at a local guesthouse. (B, L, D)
DAY 3: TO GUANAHACABIBES
This morning, we will take a short horseback riding tour of this beautiful valley which will include an optional short walk through a fascinating cave, where we will learn about the geology of this region. We will also visit an organic farm for lunch. Afterwards, board your bus for the 3 hour drive to Guanahacabibes National Park.
We will be staying in community-owned cabins that are right on the beach. Arrive in time to take a dip in the ocean before dinner or relax with the ocean view. The national park extends into the ocean, protecting a large coral reef that is home to many species of fish and three species of sea turtles (hawksbills, loggerheads, and greens). After a buffet dinner, the group will receive a presentation from turtle biologist Dr. Julia Azanza, one of the country’s leading sea turtle experts, who has managed this program for more than a decade.
You’ll learn about the impressive effort that goes into protecting and studying these turtles and the success they have had in growing the number of nesting green and loggerhead turtles. That night, you’ll drive to the nesting beach to look for nesting green sea turtles and hatchlings (about a 30 minute drive each way). Overnight at Cabinas La Bajada. (3 nights). (B, L, D)
DAY 4: NATIONAL PARK EXPLORATION
Sleep in after the long night on the beach. Today you’ll have the opportunity to snorkel in one of the park’s reefs right from the beach. Around 9 pm, we will head over to the beach again to look for turtles coming ashore and observe the nesting as the researchers collect data. Participants may be able to help researchers with the data collection. (B, L, D)
DAY 5: SNORKELING & COMMUNITY PARTY
Guanahacabibes is a mix of forest, beach, ocean, mangrove, and other habitats that are home to more than 170 species of birds and many other animals. This morning you’ll join a park ranger to look for some of the unique bird life of the park, including the world’s smallest bird, the bee hummingbird, and many other species of birds.
There will be one more opportunity to snorkel the park’s coral reefs, before and after lunch. This evening will be a celebratory dinner with local families with music, dancing, and games. (B, L, D)
DAY 6: VIÑALES EXPLORATION
After breakfast, we will head back to the Viñales Valley to explore more of this region. We will take a horseback riding excursion to see more of the valley. During the ride, we will take a walk through a cave to learn more about the geology of the area. After, we will visit an organic farm to learn how crops are grown and sample a farm to table lunch. We will also visit a tobacco farm to learn how this important crop is processed. Overnight at a local guesthouse (1 night). (B, L, D)
DAY 7: RETURN TO HAVANA
We will board the bus to return to Havana after breakfast, stopping for lunch along the way (3 hour drive). The group will have some free time explore the some of the city's great museums that afternoon or take a tour with our local operator. Dinner this evening will be on your own (cost not included) to choose from the many wonderful options and then head out to see live music (entrance fees not included). Overnight at Buen Viaje (2 nights). (B, L)
DAY 8: HAVANA EXPLORATION
After a buffet breakfast at the hotel, we will explore Havana and learn about Cuban history and culture with a local expert. Afterwards, we will visit Restaurante DiVino, which has its own farm that teaches local people organic urban agriculture for a short tour and lunch.
The group will have more free time in the afternoon to explore the city and we will enjoy live music late in the afternoon. Dinner will be at one of Cuba’s unique activities, the famous Buena Vista Social Club. You’ll learn a lot about Cuban music and interact with the talented musicians and dancers. Head out on the town for more music after dinner or rest for the trip home. (B,L,D)
DAY 9: DEPARTURE
Head to the airport in time for your flight or extend your stay and explore the country.
Testimonial:
The SEE Turtles experience in Cuba was phenomenal. To learn and see history, culture, and art in urban areas, enjoying a smaller village and other nature attractions, and learning about and experiencing the nesting sea turtles at the beach was beyond our expectations. The organizations made us feel safe, comfortable, and seamlessly made it easy to navigate new experiences.
-Anonymous
Map of trip itinerary
Trip Notes:
Trip registration and payments are only accepted by mail due to banking restrictions with Cuba.
Minimum recommended age is 16, under 18 needs to be accompanied by an adult.
Individual travelers will be paired with no more than 1 other person of the same gender.
Group size is limited to 12 maximum and at least 8 people are needed to confirm the trip.
We give full refunds if we need to cancel a trip. If you cancel, your fees can be applied to a future trip, except within 60 days of departure when payments to local providers are already made. See our full terms and conditions.
Is This Trip Right For Me?
Cuba is a unique destination,which has both positives and negatives. The country is safe and legal for US citizens and our partners have permits from the US government to bring people to the country. This trip includes much time spent time outside, which means some activities are dependent on weather and there can be significant mosquitoes in this area around dawn and dusk. The trip also involves a lot of time on the private bus, including 3 hour drives and about half an hour each way from the cabins to the nesting beach each evening, which results in late nights (arriving back to the cabins as late as 2 am some nights).
