2012 Official Havana International Jazz Festival Tour | December 16 to 23


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2012 Official 28th Havana International Jazz Festival Tour.

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2012 Official 28th Havana International Jazz Festival Tour
In Cuba from Sunday 16 to Monday 24 December

Want a private customized Havana Jazz Fest Tour for eight or more people? Click here to order.

HOT, THROBBING, LIVE Latin rhythms morning, noon and night on the ultimate Latin jazz and Cuban culture dream tour!

CUBAN JAZZ MASTER Chucho Valdés and the Cuban Institute of Music (sponsors of the 28th Edition of the Havana International Jazz Festival, also known as Havana Jazz Plaza) warmly invite you to come to Cuba and meet its people on the Official 2012 Havana International Jazz Festival Tour.

THIS IS OUR sixth year helping North Americans experience the world's best jazz in the exotic Caribbean capital of Havana, Cuba. During this globally renowned celebration of Latin music you'll rub shoulders with jazz greats from scores of nations. You stay in the best digs the island has to offer. Our costs are low so regular people attend. Our Concierge Cubano Five Star Services are nearly all-inclusive. Our program is designed for participants to get an overview of Cuban culture, history and nature too. You'll enjoy front row seats at all jazz festival events and venues. We chauffeur you to the music activities. You'll be a VIP. You deserve it!

Do compare our costs and services to other Havana Jazz Festival junkets. You'll be glad you did.

Click color bars for details

Tour spots filled. This tour proceeds with a minimum of sixteen guests. It always fills to capacity. Sign up now.

Theme :: Ultimate Jazz Festival and Cuba Culture Dream Tour

Gold Access Jazz Festival Pass for every tour participant.

Chucho Valdés is a living treasure in Cuba. Visit his website.

See Atlantic Jazz Festival Manager Philip Theriault's Havana Jazz Festival Tour report.

	Nine days and eight nights of music, fun, learning and friendship in Cuba. Want to stay longer? We make it happen. Go for it!		Euphonium player. Click photo to enlarge. Bananas grow upside-down. Spaniards brought them to Cuba in 1516.

	Attend the gala opening and closing ceremonies of the Jazz Festival and all events in between on a deluxe Gold All-Access jazz pass.

	Eight nights in the historic five star Hotel Nacional de Cuba in heart of Havana's pulsating entertainment district of Vedado

	An up close highly personal examination of Cuba's renowned music and arts scene, and a big dose of authentic island culture.

	Be part of the daily life of Cubans in La Habana and Pinar de Río provinces.

	Experience island history, social and ecological achievements first hand.

	Glean insights into dynamic citizen engagement in all aspects of urban and rural development and national policy.

	Establish enduring personal and professional relationships with your Cuban counterparts and North American tourmates.

Cuba Education and Explorer Tours guide.

SAFE, FUN, people-to-people cultural travel. Your tour is fully escorted by Cuban experts from the minute you touch down in Havana until you return home. They are there for you.

You're in the conscientious care of our fulltime multilingual guide together with a professional bus chauffeur. They're eager to assist in everyway.

2012 MARKS THE 28th edition of the Havana International Jazz Festival. For nearly three decades the big names of world jazz have performed on Havana stages at this grand music celebration, including the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Charlie Haden and Chucho Valdés. You'll attend the stellar opening ceremony and the gala closing pageant with days of scorching hot Latin and international jazz in between.

TRAVEL FOR CHANGE. Cuba Education and Explorer Tours is an American and Canada based organization dedicated to green, ethical travel that benefits Cubans and our guests. Read what other educators say about this tour.

Cuba Education and Explorers Tours bus.

YOU ROVE CUBA in a new air-conditioned tour coach with a fulltime professional chauffeur from arrival to departure. Havana is one of the oldest and most architecturally stunning cities in the New World. During your many excursions in the capital, and beyond, your guide provides ongoing historical commentary for all points of interest. We want you to learn everything about our beautiful island.

Among site highlights are Modern Havana, the Capitol building, the Grand Theatre, Central Park, Prado promenade, Plaza de la Revolución, Coppelia Ice Cream Park, Plaza José Martí (in front of U.S. Interests Section), Malecón seawall, Monument to the Battleship Maine, Hotel Nacional, University of Havana, Cementerio de Cristóbal Colón, and the Miramar, Central Havana and Vedado neighborhoods.

See how Cuba ranks amongst its neighbors on the United Nations Human Development Index.

One-in-ten cars in Cuba are pre-1959. Click photo to enlarge.

Tour highlights :: An elaborate day-by-day itinerary follows

Concierge Cubana Means Five Star Service on Cuba Education Tours.

MUSIC KEY
Jazz Man logo throughout day-by-day itinerary below indicates tour events and activities where live music is performed.

CLUB CUBANO Join it and get rewards and cash discounts – even if you don't go to Cuba. When you enroll friends who travel, they get discounts too.

	All-access gold Jazz passes to all events and venues during the festival. Transportation to and from jazz activities is included.

	Dine with famed ceramist José Fuster at his whimsical Havana studio spanning several city blocks.

	Institute for Superior Arts (ISA) from which the island's best music, dance and visual arts talents emerge.

	Guided coach tours spanning old to new Havana, and environs.

	Private guided walking tour of the main historical sites of Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

	Be a special guest at the Hotel Nacional's colorful dramatic Cabaret Parisién show, a favorite of island visitors for decades.

	Explore the Afrocuban community of Regla whose rich traditions span centuries.

	Live music and dance lessons with the Afrocuban Grupo Dulce María. Learn son, salsa, rumba, mambo and cha cha chá steps.

	Visit the House of Africa displaying riches of art and culture from the great continent and Afrocuban artifacts.

	Inspect a scale model of Old Havana detailing every house and building down to post drops and street lamps.

	Attend a rumba performance at the Callejón de Hamel that sports hundreds of Afrocuban inspired murals.

	Tour the Museum of Music exhibiting the island's many contributions to the sounds of Our Americas.

	Take part in a performance of Conjunto Folklórico Nacional de Cuba.

	Private guided tour of the Palacio de Bellas Artes [Palace of Fine Arts] housing three centuries of Cuban master works.

	Las Terrazas eco-community in the Sierra del Rosario mountain range west of Havana in the province of Pinar del Río.

	Visit the house and farm of literary titan Ernest Hemingway, today a museum exhibiting his untouched library, manuscripts and personal effects.

	Tour and dine at the largest urban organic collective farm in Havana, employing 600 people and producing millions of pounds of vegetables, fruits and herbs.

	Witness the largest collection of colonial-era architecture in the Americas and learn about restoration and preservation efforts.

	Attend a regal cannon firing ceremony dating from 1519 at one of the best-preserved Spanish colonial fortification in the Americas.

	Dinner at La Bodeguita del Medio restaurant, a Hemingway hangout and birthplace of the tasty cocktail mojito.

	Group welcome dinner with your guide and tourmates to get to know one another, and farewell trip dinner to cement friendships and relish trip memories.

WE ENSURE Americans travel to Cuba legally. We've helped thousands. Not one has had problems. Discover how you can go to Cuba now.

OFFICIAL Cuban medical insurance is included in tour cost.

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TELL YOUR friends about this tour and website.

CUBA TRAVEL WORRIES

	Is Cuban food good? Yum. It is organic and tasty, but not spicy. If you like hot, bring Tabasco sauce.

	Am I free to ask all questions? You'll insult your island hosts by being less than candid.

	Is the water safe to drink? Yes, but we suggest bottled water.

	Are vaccinations needed? No.

	Can Americans join legally? Yes. They should do so now while the island is pristine and before it is overrun. We license for free.

	Can I stay in Cuba after the tour? Absolutely! We encourage this and assist sans commission and fees.

	Do Cubans like tips? Mucho! See our gratuities guidelines.

MEALS INCLUDED IN TOUR PACKAGE	DAY 1	DAY 2	DAY 3	DAY 4	DAY 5	DAY 6	DAY 7	DAY 8	DAY 9
EIGHT BREAKFASTS	IN AIR
SIX LUNCHES	IN AIR								IN AIR
FIVE DINNERS									IN AIR
Apple indicates meals included in tour cost at hotels and fine eateries.

Rooftops in Old Havana near your hotel.

Cuban girls perform folk dance.

Why is this photo of John Lennon here? Click it to find out.

Day 1

Sunday

Hello Cuba!

The city of Havana as seen from the fortress El Morro, across the harbor

The city of Havana as seen from the El Morro castle and San Carlos de la Cabaña fortress, across the harbor from your hotel.

Welcome mojito.

	Arrive at Havana's José Martí International Airport. Collect your bags and go through customs. You're welcomed at the airport lobby by your Cuba Education Tours guide and professional bus chauffeur.

	Your guide will direct you to an airport exchange bureau (CADECA) to purchase Cuban Convertible Pesos, or you can do this at your hotel to save time.

	Private transfer to your Hotel Nacional de Cuba in heart of Havana's pulsating entertainment district of Vedado.

	Private check-in with assistance from your guide. Followed by a welcome cocktail with hotel directors and staff.

	Free time to settle in and rest up.

	Highlight This evening you'll enjoy a group welcome dinner with your guide and tourmates.

Jose Marti International airport in Havana

José Martí International airport in Havana – a festive welcome.

TIME AND CLIME IN HAVANA

LONG RANGE FORECAST HERE

Panoramic view of Plaza Vieja [Old Square] not far from your hotel.

Decorative mail drop box in Old Havana.

Inside view of the dome of El Capitolio.

Plaza Vieja in Old Havana.

Exterior and interior of the Cathedral of Havana initiated by Jesuits in 1748 and completed in 1777. Click photos for larger view.

Example of restoration in Old Havana.

Street pantomime in Old Havana.

Marching grounds of the sprawling fortress of San Carlos de la Cabaña, the best-preserved Spanish colonial garrison in the world.

Cuban soldier guards Carlos de la Cabaña fortress.

Left Contemporary Cuban soldier in 18th century British military attire guards the Carlos de la Cabaña fortress (click his photo to enlarge). Right Cabaña turret.

British map from 1763 shows plan of the original walled city of La Habana (founded in 1519). The city was occupied by British and Canadian colonial troops from 1762 to 1763. Spain ended the dispute by trading Florida for Havana. Click here for another British occupation map. You stay in this section of Havana. Try to identify it on this interactive Google Map of Cuba.

See how Cuba ranks amongst its neighbors on the United Nations Human Development Index.

Click to graphic to learn more.

Day 2

Monday

Exploring Old Havana, our shared heritage

Ornate filigree and statuary adorn Havana's Gran Teatro where the National Ballet performs. Click photo for view of interior.

	Lay of the land We'll visit the Maqueta de La Habana Vieja [Scale Model of Old Havana] to learn about this community and its development plans. It's a 1:500 scale model of Old Havana complete with an authentic soundtrack meant to replicate a day in the life of the city. It's incredibly detailed and provides an excellent way of geographically acquainting yourself with the city’s original core.

	Followed by a walking tour of Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We'll visit four of the five historic plazas that make Havana unique in the western hemisphere. It contains the largest collection of remaining colonial-era architecture. This is a private tour led by your Cuba Education Tours guide.



	Cathedral Square, the most beautiful and private 18th century colonial plaza on the island. Named after the masterpiece of Cuban baroque architecture: the Catedral de San Cristóbal de la Habana built by the Jesuit order.

	Square of Arms, an ancient military parade ground for Spanish soldiers, surrounded by impressive buildings such as: Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, former seat of colonial government. Today the building houses the Museum of the City. Palacio del Segundo Cabo [Palace of the Second Lieutenant], dates from 1770. Today it houses the Instituto Cubano del Libro [Cuban Book Institute] and the Galería Raúl Martínez (famed poster artist). Museo de Artesanía at Castillo de la Real Fuerza, the oldest remaining fortress built by the Spaniards in the West Indies.

	We continue onto San Francisco Square, one of the oldest plazas in the historical quarter. The square is named after magnificent Iglesia y Monasterio de San Francisco de Asís dating from the 16th century. The basilica is a striking example of Cuba baroque architecture.

	And later to Plaza Vieja, the only civic square of colonial times. Absent are churches and government buildings, and is in contrast surrounded by opulent aristocratic 17th century residences. Here we'll visit an important center for the visual arts.

	Group welcome lunch at La Mina Restaurant where you'll enjoy traditional Cuban dishes and live music!

	Return to your hotel to freshen up before dinner.

	Now for a special group dinner at Restaurante La Divina Pastora. This seafood palace sets just behind the big cannons below Fortress of San Carlos de la Cabaña where Che Guevara established his headquarters after the Revolution came to power in 1959 – four hundred years after it was built on the backs of African slaves and endentured European laborers. La Divina is noted for its cocktails, good service and live music. You'll eat near the water on the north side of Havana Harbor overlooking Old Havana to the south.

	Highlight We witness a most dramatic ceremony – El Cañonazo – the Firing of the 9PM Cannon at the Fortress of San Carlos de la Cabaña. This enchanting colonial reenactment dates back to 1519 when the city of Havana was enclosed by a tall thick rock wall to ward off attacks from pirates and the English. The cannon firing signaled the closing of the city gates for the night. If you were outside at the time, you were in "vedado" or the forbidden zone. Today Vedado is an important cultural hub and beautiful section of modern Havana.

Incredible detail hallmarks the Maqueta de La Habana Vieja. It's a great way to get a sense of the city.

Havana's Malecón seawall near your hotel – a place for relaxation and new friendships. Click photo for alternate view.

Musicians perform at your restaurant.

La Divina Pastora Restaurante.

Restaurante La Divina Pastora, located in the Parque Histórico Morro y Cabaña overlooks Havana harbor with an incredible view of the city.

Soldiers fire the 9PM Cannon.

Cuban students watch the firing of the 9PM cannon.

Cuban students watch the 9PM Cannon blast.

Logo of the Cuban Institute of Music (Instituto Cubano de la Música

Your Cuban sponsor and host.

Jazz fiends collect festival passes as if they were missing stamps to complete a rare collection. This Havana pass is No. 294 from 2004.

Left Electrifying Central Havana and Vedado as seen from San Carlos de la Cabaña fortress.

FIRST HERO OF THE CUBAN PEOPLE
Taíno Indian Chief Hatuey from the island of Hispanolia traveled to and warned his Cuban counterparts about the horrific dangers of the impending Spanish invasion in the year 1511. Read about his legendary struggle – that of the premier independence and resistance fighter in our Americas who staked his life for freedom from foreign occupation and thralldom.

Cuban Trogon (Tocororo), Priotelus temnurus, is Cuba's national bird.

Cuban Trogon (Tocororo), Priotelus temnurus, is Cuba's national bird.

Cuban Trogon [Tocororo locally], Priotelus temnurus, is Cuba's national bird – its colors match the red, blue and white of the national flag. It is endemic to the island.

La jutía, the largest endemic island mammal, is a rodent the size of a cocker spaniel. These gentle tree-dwelling vegetarians are the preferred breakfast of the fierce Cuban crocodile.

La Bodeguita del Medio restaurant.

Day 3

Tuesday

Ecology, history and rural life in Cuba

Once completely deforested as a result of charcoal production for coffee processing, and mired in poverty, Las Terrazas today is a self-sustaining eco-community.

	Morning departure to Las Terrazas eco-community in the Sierra del Rosario mountain range spanning the provinces of Artemisa and Pinar del Río. We'll tour the rural village called Rancho Curujey and enjoy a welcome cocktail while learning about this self-sustaining community's successes in reforestation, historical preservation, environmental balance, and a good life.

	Next, we'll meet with local artists and craft workers in their homes and studios.

	We'll visit a local school, talk with its teachers and students.

	Later we'll walk the incredible ruins of a French Coffee Plantation built in 1801 worked by African slaves.

	We have lunch at Casa del Campesino restaurant specializing in traditional country cuisine – ever popular with tour participants.

	You'll have free time to swim in the fresh waters of the Río San Juan and explore the surroundings of this lush tropical paradise. Don't forget your swimming suit.

	Return to your Havana hotel and freshen up.

	Dinner highlight Old Havana's La Bodeguita del Medio restaurant is the birthplace of the mojito, and haunt for the likes of Pablo Neruda, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Salvador Allende, Agustín Lara, Nat King Cole, Marlene Dietrich, Nicolás Guillén and Ernest Hemingway. Its convivial ambiance, bohemian charm, and authentic Cuban music and food make it a must-do diner. The notorious eatery has been reproduced in over a dozen countries from Macedonia to Miami. La Bodeguita del Medio was and remains an effervescent hub for island and international avant-garde.

	Evening highlight Tonight we have a Cuban band playing for us. You'll learn how to perform and dance to salsa, son, rumba, mambo and other popular Cuban rhythms from the band members of the Afrocuban Grupo Dulce María.

Lake and camping huts for locals in Las Terrazas.

We'll swim in this heavenly pool at Las Terrazas. Don't forget your suit.

Exotic and unique plants and animals thrive in Cuba. The island has more protected areas than any other country.

Young person staffs farmers market.

Pre-Revolution Bacardi poster invites Cubanos to switch from beer to rum. The label Havana Club is now owned by the Cuban people.


An Afrocuban dance performance. Photos Barbara Fudge.

Orchid. Exotic and unique plants and animals thrive in Cuba.

Eggshells are affixed to tips of medicinal aloe vera plant to thwart bird attack.

Cuban organic gardening triumphs


	There are over 7,000 organopónicos across the island. This number increases daily.

	More than 200 gardens in Havana supply its citizens with more than 90% of their fruit and vegetables.

	Since 1994, yields have increased from 4 to 24 kg per sq meter (8.8 to 53 lbs per 1.2 sq yard).

	Over 900 million kilograms (one million tons) of food per year is produced on organopónicos: about 82 kg (180 lbs) per person.

	Today, 35,000 hectares (85,500 acres) of land is being used for urban agriculture in Havana.

	The urban agricultural workforce in Havana has grown from 9,000 in 1999 to more than 44,000 in 2006.

	Chemical pesticides and fertilizers are banned in the city of Havana.

	Urban gardens build communities resulting in jobs, better health, greater food supplies, urban beautification, reduction in fuel, energy and chemical use, improved safety, and ecological diversity locally.

Merchant at a farmers market offers organic pineapple and papaya.

Youth at a Cuban baseball game, the island's national sport and pastime. Click photo to enlarge.

Click to graphic to learn more.

Day 4

Wednesday

Hemingway house, urban agriculture, cabaret!

Be a special guest at the Hotel Nacional's colorful dramatic Cabaret Parisién show, a favorite of island visitors for decades. Click photo for large view.

War reporter, activist, man of letters, journalist and titan author Ernest Hemingway.

War reporter, activist, man of letters, journalist and literary titan Ernest Hemingway.

This morning we're off to visit Finca Vigía [Lookout Farm] where North America's literary giant Ernest Hemingway spent twenty-one of his most important and productive years penning building blocks of English literature. Claimed by both the United States and Cuba as their son, it was Hemingway himself who declared the island his true home. The house has been preserved just as it was when Hemingway lived there. You'll see his personal objects, thousands of books and photographs, as well as some "trophies" bagged on his frequent safaris.

In preparation for this afternoon's activity, watch this riveting British Broadcasting Corporation feature from Around the World in 80 Gardens on urban organic farms in Havana including a walk-through of Vivero Organopónico Alamar by fab host Monty Don.

We'll visit the UBPC Vivero Organopónico Alamar, 15 km (9.3 miles) east of Havana. It's one of the most successful urban organic farms in Cuba raising ornamental plants, medicinal herbs, and millions of seedlings for neighboring residential and collective farms. Established in the early 1990s, the Alamar cooperative has over 20 members and provides a range of healthy, organic vegetables to the community. Produce is raised employing the practice of permaculture: no chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Instead, natural biological methods are used to nourish the soil, frustrate pests and conserve water. The result is an increased rate of yield and reduced costs.

Highlight Special lunch prepared by members of Vivero Organopónico Alamar – a chance to dine with your new Cuban friends.

Return to your hotel and freshen up.

Special dinner and dance show We'll dine at the outdoor barbecue Restaurante La Barraca on the paradise-like grounds of the Hotel Nacional de Cuba atop a bluff overlooking Havana city and the Caribbean. Afterwards we'll attend a musical review at the Cabaret Parisién and relish this colorful dance extravaganza.

Havana youth sells fresh organic garlic on Havana street.

Havana youth sells organic onions from urban gardens on Havana street.

Delicious Cuban lunch at Vivero Organopónico Alamar.

Fresh from the farm. We have lunch at the Vivero Organopónico Alamar.

Cuban youth.

Youth are key to making it happen. New urban farms in the Metropolitan Park of Havana are producing an abundant harvest of a wide variety of crops, including tomatoes, green beans, lettuce, spinach, cassava, guava, papaya, bananas, carnations, zinnias, snapdragons and marigolds.

Welcome sign at Vivero Organopónico Alamar.

Welcome sign at Vivero Organopónico Alamar.

Vivero Organopónico Alamar welcome sign reads: We sell high quality seedlings, grafted fruits, fresh vegetables, and ornamental and medicinal plants as well as other agricultural products. (UBPC is Unidad Básica de Producción Cooperativa / Basic Unit of Cooperative Production.)

Many staples are grown organically in Cuba: Bananas, coffee, cucumbers, pineapple, sweet potatoes, eggplant, and avocados.

Students can major in modern dance and ballet at Havana's Institute of Superior Arts (ISA).

Cuba's most renowned musicians, dancers and artists hail from ISA.

Cuban bass player.

Day 5

Thursday

Arts and education, Jazz opening ceremonies!

Havana's Institute of Superior Arts (ISA). Its facilities are considered amongst the most unusual examples of modern architecture globally and are an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Morning meeting with Sonia Ortega, director of international relations for the Institute of Superior Arts (ISA). We'll tour the architecturally stunning campus and talk with its students – destined to become next generation of Cuban artists, musicians and dancers.

We'll feast on a delicious lunch hosted by José Fuster, one of Cuba's most important ceramists and painters at his whimsical studio in Jaimanitas, just outside of Havana. Fuster is known as the Picasso of the Caribbean.

Note on transportation During your many excursions in the capital, and beyond, your guide provides ongoing historical commentary for all points of interest. We want you to learn everything about our beautiful island. Please don't be shy to ask any question about what you see while on the bus.

Return to your hotel and freshen up. Dinner tonight is not included. You are free to explore different eateries. Your guide will advise on restaurants for every taste and budget.

Jazz Festival Opening Ceremonies We're off by coach to the big event! Tonight you'll experience the incredible sounds and melodies of world jazz greats. You'll be part of a tradition that has spanned three decades and provided a launching pad for young musicians who've gone on to fame and notoriety. Cameras and videos are welcomed to capture memories of this grand occasion.

Giant mosaic of crab by José Fuster. Click photo to enlarge. Photo Richard Harris.

Lunch item at the home of Cuban artist José Fuster.

José Fuster's lunch dishes are as colorful as his sculptures.

Fantasy garden and studio of acclaimed artist José Fuster. Click photo to enlarge. Photo Richard Harris.

Young father lofts his first child for the camera. Cubans come in all colors of the rainbow – mixed mainly – and are extremely proud of their offspring.

Regla's church honors a black goddess who protects fishers and sailors.

Yoruban "Virgen de Regla" Yemayá is paraded across the community on the Day of All Saints.

Cuban youth snake dance in the island's annual Festival – a Latin America tradition, also with strong Afrocuban influences.

Cuban cane cutters dance from the 1930s.

1930s photo of a Cuban sugar cane cutters dance. Island music and movement has its origins in labor combined with the admixture of African and Spanish cultures known as syncretism. Modern machete dance below based on sugar heritage.

Modern Cuban machete dance.

Day 6

Friday

Afrocubanismo!

Cuban primary students in Havana.

Morning visit to the Casa de África. Established in 1986, this museum and cultural center is located in an old tobacco warehouse in Habana Vieja. It focuses on the continent of Africa and Cuba's African heritage, reflecting in a simple, but deep way, history, religions, art, wisdom, and emancipation battles. The Casa de África is devoted to research and the promotion of African culture and how it has shaped and defined Cuban culture. The Casa conducts workshops for youth, hosts theoretical events, special exhibits, and music and dance performances. Cuba claims both Africa and Europe as its mother continents. The museum reflects the traditions, customs and celebrations comprising the ancestral wealth of Africa for the enjoyment and knowledge of new generations.


	Fernando Ortíz, master Cuban ethnographer.

Gallery collections include initiation and fecundity masks, big wooden sculptures carved, wardrobes, musical instruments, and paintings. It also holds a vast library for use by academicians, researchers and university students interested in acquiring knowledge of the African culture. Among the most significant objects is the library of Fernando Ortíz, master Cuban ethnographer.

Set within a beautiful colonial mansion, El Santo Ángel Restaurant enjoys the magical atmosphere of Plaza Vieja. Its stately inner courtyard is lined with plants to which many birds flock. Its menu features nueva Cubana cuisine and superb international dishes. There is always fab live music to accompany your meal.

Next we'll cross Havana harbor to the Municipality of Regla. This Afrocuban community has a long, rich and still active tradition of African-inspired religions.

We'll visit Regla's church dedicated to the black "Virgen de Regla" Yemayá, the African goddess of the sea in the Yoruba religion and the patron saint of sailors.

We'll tour the Museo Municipal de Regla and learn of the origins of this unique community and its Afrocuban cultures.

Special presentation While in this vibrant Afrocuban community, we'll be honored by a private performance of Conjunto Folklórico de Regla.

Return to your hotel and freshen up. Dinner tonight is not included. You are free to explore different eateries. Your guide will advise on restaurants for every taste and budget.

Jazz Festival Performances We're off by coach to the big event! Tonight you'll experience the incredible sounds and rhythms of world jazz greats.

Entrance sign to the Casa de África.

House of Africa museum courtyard.

Women perform Afrocuban dance.

The House of Africa supports traditional and contemporary music and dance.

El Santo Ángel Restaurant.

Carlos Manuel de Céspedes del Castillo (1819-1874).

Carlos Manuel de Céspedes del Castillo (1819-1874) was a Cuban plantation owner who freed his slaves in 1868 and made a declaration of Cuban independence. Click here to learn more about this fascinating personality.

Details from two stone monuments in Havana honoring US civil rights heroes Malcolm X and Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.

Conjunto Folklórico poster.

Painting reflects African slave dance.

Conjunto Folklórico performance.

Conjunto Folklórico produces colorful costumes.

Drums used by Conjunto Folklórico.

Young dancer with Conjunto Folklórico.

Day 7

Saturday

Music, dance and jazz

Conjunto Folklórico Nacional de Cuba performance.

	This morning we visit the National Museum of Music [Museo Nacional de la Música] established in 1971. Its collection is as eclectic as the small palace that houses it. Built in 1905 for merchant Francisco Pons, the house became the residence of the Pérez de la Riva family until 1936 (afterwards it was home to the Secretary of State). Many famous opera stars and poets spent time in residence including Federico Garcia Lorca, Vicente Blasco Ibañez, Eduardo Zamacois, Maria Guerrero and René Dumesnil. The museum's focus is the development of Cuban music and the musical instruments over the centuries. Its exhibits include the world's largest collection of African drums, folk instruments, original scores, old editions of musical documents, disks, strange or curious music-related objects, musical mechanical equipment, works of art and books. The museum store sells Cuban music, instruments and souvenirs.

	Fabulous lunch Now we dine atop the tallest building in Cuba, and one of Havana's best and most expensive eateries. Restaurante La Torre specializes in international cuisine.

	Special activity Founded in 1962, Conjunto Folklórico Nacional de Cuba, aims to explore and recover aspects of traditional Cuban culture. The outcome has been a current repertoire of over 70 productions dedicated to Afrocuban dance and music, especially those that represent the Yoruba, Congo and Abakuá deities, rumba and comparsas, typical Cuban country music and popular dances, among others. Afrocuban ethnologist, writer and poet Rogelio Martínez Fore, Mexican choreographer Rodolfo Reyes and a group of exceptionally talented dancers and singers established the company. Led today by graduates from the National School of Arts and directed by Manolo Micler, the company preserves the legacy of its founders and has incorporated new acting and choreographic trends without losing its popular essence. The company has travelled to four continents on more than 90 tours and nearly 2,000 performances. It has won a significant number of national and international awards. Every Saturday afternoon, loyal fans and the general public get together at the courtyard attached to the Mella Theatre, the company's home, to 'rumba away' with its dancers.

	Return to your hotel and freshen up. Dinner tonight is not included. You are free to explore different eateries. Your guide will advise on restaurants for every taste and budget.

	Jazz Festival Performances We're off by coach to the big event! Tonight you'll experience the incredible sounds and rhythms of world jazz greats.

Museo Nacional de la Música.

Performers at Casa de la Música.

Hotel Nacional as seen from La Torre Restaurant

View of Vedado and Central Havana as seen from Restaurante La Torre. This fine eatery occupies the rooftop of the 39-storey FOCSA Building – the tallest in Cuba. When completed in 1956 FOCSA was the second highest steel and concrete building in the world.

Carefree pre-Revolution days. 1958 Coca-Cola advertisement features Americans lounging on Cuba's famed beaches. Ad copy reads: "Colorful Cuba, too, enjoys… 'The favorite of the world.'" Click photo to enlarge.

Entrance to Palacio de Bellas Artes in Havana.

Entrance to the Palacio de Bellas Artes.

Sculpture in front of the Museum of Fine Arts in Havana.

Modernist sculpture by noted Cuban artist Rita Longa stands outside the entrance to Palacio de Bellas Artes.

Cuban modern dance performer.

Modern dance performance.

Jazz Festival band and dancers perform on the Malecón.

Traditional Afrocuban dance.

Day 8

Sunday

Art, dance and music, closing jazz ceremony

End of the day for one of Havana's thousands of hardworking musicians.


	Island artist Víctor Manuel's Gitana Tropical, known as the Cuban Mona Lisa, was painted in Paris in 1929.

This morning we have a private guided tour of the Palacio de Bellas Artes [Palace of Fine Arts] dedicated exclusively to housing Cuban art spanning three centuries. Sections are devoted to landscape, religious subjects and narrative scenes of Cuban life. A gallery devoted to the 1970s displays the latest generation of Cuban artists whose works reflect the strong symbolic imagery prevalent in recent decades. Together the exhibits account for the richness of the island's Spanish, French, Chinese, African and Aboriginal cultural roots. Notable works include those of René Portocarrero and Wilfredo Lam.

We'll visit the Callejón de Hamel, an alley where all the buildings display murals inspired by Afrocuban culture and religions. While there we'll take in an incredible rumba performance enjoyed by the community every Sunday.

Your afternoon is free to explore the sights and sounds of Havana. Lunch in not included. Your guide is available to suggest eateries for every taste and budget.

Farewell dinner Special group dinner at the 1830 Restaurant in the Vedado neighborhood. Many consider the 1830 as the best example of high Cuban cuisine - a gastronomical heaven. Fidel and Che were regulars in the early days of the Revolution.

Jazz Festival Closely Ceremonies We're off by coach to final event of the 28th Havana International Jazz Festival! We travel from the restaurant to the venue of the ceremony.

Welcome dinner at 1830 Restaurant on Havana's Malecón seawall.

Jazz Fest enthusiasts hit the streets.

Community Rumba performance in Havana's Callejón de Hamel.

Expect the very best musicians at the closing ceremonies of the Havana International Jazz Festival.

KEEP IN TOUCH with your new Cuban friends – exchange email addresses! Bring some business cards to pass out on the island. Take pictures and keep a journal. Upon your return, we'll post them on this website for all to see and enjoy.

Day 9

Monday

Goodbye Cuba

We'll miss you and hope you return soon!


Old Cuban saying, "a true friend remembers the song in your heart when you have forgotten the lyrics."

	Morning transfer to Havana's José Martí International Airport for your return home. Don't forget to save 25.00 CUC for your Cuban airport departure fee and some money for meals on the airplane.

	Want to stay longer in Cuba following your tour? Contact us and we will help make it happen at a price you can afford.


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