7 Nights Itinerary - Varadero |
May 22 - May 30, 2010 |
This itinerary gives a general idea of the events that will take place during your 8-day vacation in Varadero. You are not obligated to follow this itinerary and you are free to deviate from it as you see fit. Please note that some elements might change such as the order in which they occur as things are never concrete in Cuba.
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Departure - Saturday, May 22, 2010 |
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| 12:30 PM |
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Meet at Vancouver International Airport |
| 3:30 PM |
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Depart on Air Canada
flight # AC100 to Toronto |
| 10:53 PM |
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Arrive at Toronto Pearson International airport |
| 6:30 AM |
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Depart on Air Canada flight # AC1852 to Varadero |
| 9:55 AM |
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Arrive at Juan Gualberto Gomez International Airport near Varadero. |
| 10:45 AM |
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Transfer by charter coach to Barcelo Solymar Beach Resort (only for those people who booked their flight with us) |
| 12:15 PM |
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Hotel check-in |
| 1:00 PM |
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Short meeting in the lobby for an orientation and overview of the week's events in Varadero by your tour host |
| Afternoon |
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Free to rest and recover from the long flight |
| 7:00 PM |
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Meet for dinner in Lindamar buffet restaurant |
| 9:00 PM |
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After dinner, take a short walk to the nearby "Cafe Calle 62", an open air cafe just off 1st Avenue (see picture to the right), and groove to the sounds of a live Salsa band while sipping a mojito. Yes you can even dance there! And,
if you're lucky, you might get to see some of the locals showing
off their best moves just outside the cafe on the side of the
street. Maybe even have a dance or two with them. They would love that. There is no admission at Calle 62 and drinks are very cheap. |
| 11:00 PM |
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Take a short cab ride to "Cueva Del Pirata" (pirate's cave), a nightclub inside a real cave, for an entertaining cabaret show and more dancing (optional). |
| 9:00 AM |
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Meet for breakfast at the Lindamar buffet restaurant to discuss the planned scooter tour of Varadero and surrounding areas. |
| 11:00 AM |
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 Guided tour on scooter
of Varadero, Santa Marta and Cardenas. Bring your cameras and sunscreen. **
Your host will have the honor of being your guide
for this fun and adventurous tour. We will cruise the 20+ km long peninsula from
one end to the other and back. I will show you all the attractions
that Varadero has to offer and advise you
on all the different excursions and activities you could participate in,
if you so choose.
We will start from the hotel parking lot and head east along the peninsula. We will visit all that is to see on the east side including Plaza Las Americas, Chaplin Marina, El Delfinario and the Ecological Reserve. On the way back, we will stop at this charming side-of-the-highway cantina for a cold drink and some photos.
Then, continue on to explore the west side of the peninsula.
We will cruise down 1st Avenue (the
main street of downtown Varadero), take a ride through the beautiful picturesque Josone
Park, where we will stop at this open-air cafe/bar that serves the world's best Piña Colada (see photo to the right). Then, we will procede to visit to the local markets.
Once you've had your share of shopping and haggling with the local merchants,
we will stop for a lobster lunch at "La Vicaria" a place I've been to several and I know you would enjoy it (lunch not included).
After lunch, we'll head to the other end of town and get your picture taken in front of Casa de AL (Al Capone's mansion).
From there we
will cruise to Santa Marta, a small neighborhood just outside
of Varadero, and mingle with the locals and maybe even invite a few of them for a cold beer. You will find that the locals are extremely friendly and they love to chat.
Leaving Santa Marta, we will turn east for
a 15 to 20 minute ride to the town of Cardenas and
the home of Elian Gonzalez, the little boy who
was found floating alone in the Florida Straits tied
to an inner tube and who had become a symbol of a bitter
dispute between two nations, two political systems and
one family. In Cardenas you will see another example
of real Cuba and how the cubans live. You will have
first hand experience of how friendly and welcoming the
locals can be. Don't forget to bring your cameras!
From
there, we head back to Varadero just in time for dinner. |
| 7:00 PM |
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Meet for dinner and share your ideas on the scooter tour adventure |
| 9:30 PM |
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Watch the nightly show by the Solymar dancers in the Sala de Fiesta. |
| 11:15 PM |
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Meet in hotel lobby then hit the town for some great Salsa dancing to live music at any of the following great venues - the famous Mambo Club, La Casa de la Musica, Cafe Mediteraneo, or La Comparcita. (transportation and admission to these venues are not included but often the venue will send a bus and include the transportation as part of the cover charge) *** |
| Morning |
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Relax and catch some rays by the pool or on the beach |
| Early Afternoon |
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Perhaps some beach volleyball or some billiards in the hotel's club house or participate in any of the many fun activities that the hotel entertainment team plans for its guests. |
| Late Afternoon |
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Salsa and Rueda dancing poolside. Fun fun fun!!! A great way to practice and reinforce what you learned during the 1st week in Havana. |
| 7:00 PM |
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Meet for dinner |
| 8:30 PM |
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After dinner, watch the Solymar show or head over to "Calle 62" for a few drinks and some dancing with the locals. We recommend an early night so you'll be well rested for the "Crucero Del Sol" full day Catamaran Seafari to Cayo Blanco the next morning. |
| 7:00 AM |
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Breakfast |
| 8:30 AM |
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 Meet in hotel lobby then board the chartered bus that will take you to Marina Gaviota. There, you will board a huge catamaran for the "Crucero Del Sol" - a whole day catamaran seafari to Cayo Blanco.
- Open bar all day with cold beer, sodas, rum and traditional Cuba cocktails
- Snacks onboard
- A buffet lunch with lobster, fish and shrimps at Cayo Blanco
- An afternoon of swiming and sunbathing on a beautiful white sandy beach
- Coral reef snorkeling with gear provided
- An interactive swim with dolphins
- A picture-worthy beautiful, romantic sunset on the way back
Click here >> to see a slideshow of this awesome catamaran excursion (all included). |
| 5:00 PM |
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Return to hotel |
| 7:00 PM |
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Meet for dinner and discuss the Cayo Blanco adventure |
| 9:30 PM |
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Watch the nightly show by the Solymar dancers, then have a few laughs over a couple of drinks at either the pool or lobby bar. Or, if you still have energy to party, head over to Casa de la Musica or to any of the other hot Salsa venues (optional). |
| Morning |
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Work on your tan or go for a walk down the beach. |
| Early Afternoon |
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Free to do as you wish. May we suggest some beach volleyball or walk to the markets in town and shop for souvenirs |
| Late Afternoon |
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Salsa and Rueda dancing poolside. |
| Evening |
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Free to relax, watch the nightly show in the Sala de Fiesta, or go out Salsa dancing. |
| Morning |
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Relax by the pool or on the beach. |
| Early Afternoon |
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After lunch meet in the lobby then board the bus bound for the Delfinario to watch an entertaining dolphin show and maybe even take a swim with the dolphins. If dolphins are not your scene, perhaps you would like to shoot a round of golf at the nearby golf course (both these activities are optional). |
| Late Afternoon |
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More Salsa and Rueda dancing poolside. |
| 9:30 PM |
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Catch the show by the Solymar dancers. |
| 11:00 PM |
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Meet in the lobby then head out for a night on the town at the Mambo club or Casa de la Musica. (optional). |
| Morning |
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Free to do as you wish. |
| Afternoon |
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relax and enjoy the sun or walk to the market for some more souvenirs. |
| 7:00 PM |
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Meet for a farewell dinner |
| Evening |
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Go out for our last night of Salsa dancing at the local hot spots |
| Early Morning |
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Pack your luggage and hotel checkout |
| 7:30 AM |
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Meet for breakfast |
| 8:30 AM |
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Transfer by charter coach to Juan Gualberto Gomez International Airport. for our return flight home (only for those people who booked their flight with us). |
| 10:55 AM |
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Depart on Air Canada flight # AC1853 to Toronto for the connection flight to Vancouver |
| 2:15 PM |
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Arrive at Toronto Pearson International Airport |
| 5:00 PM |
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Depart on Air Canada flight # AC115 to Vancouver |
| 6:53 PM |
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Arrive at Vancouver International Airport, collect your luggage and wish you were back in Cuba |
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| * |
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Inviting your Cuban dance partner to join you at the concerts and/or other dance venues may or may not require you to pay their admission fee to these venues. It all depends on how the program is set up and We will know for sure once there. |
| ** |
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24 hour scooter rental is included in your package price, however, the fuel is not. The scooter you will get will have only enough fuel to get you to the nearby gas station. A full tank is quite inexpensive in Cuba and it works out to roughly around 3 CUC or 4 CAD. The tour will last about 5 hours however, you may keep the scooter for the full 24 hours. |
| *** |
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The cover charge at nightclubs in Varadero is somewhere around $12 - $15 CAD |
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| Dancing at Casa de la Musica |
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| Barceló Solymar beach resort |
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| Poolside bar at Solymar |
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| Cueva Del Pirata Cabaret |
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| Josone Park - Varadero |
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| Josone Park Cafe - Varadero |
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| Street market in Varadero |
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| La casa de Al Capone |
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| Cafe Calle 62 in Varadero |
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| Mambo Club in Varadero |
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| Catamaran Seafari |
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| Live Salsa at Cafe Mediteraneo |
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| The colonial city of Trinidad |
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| Trinidad, Cuba |
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