CUBA. A JOURNEY TO THE ISLAND OF FREEDOM

Cienfuegos

Cienfuegos is a pirate city on the south coast of Cuba. Francis Drake and Henry Morgan used to stay in the Cienfuegos Bay, and the French buccaneers had active trade here making the city one of the richest on the coast.

The general crew meeting is scheduled for 15:00 in the marina of Cienfuegos. Here we’ll buy food, do the paperwork and take the catamarans. After getting comfortable on board we’ll have a short safety briefing. Then we will go sightseeing. For those who arrive at the marina early, we recommend a walk a little south of the marina to the castle of De Valle, and then spending some time in the Villa Lagarto restaurant, an excellent place with good food, located on a narrow strip of land with a gorgeous view of the Cienfuegos Bay.

In Cienfuegos, there are many historical buildings preserved from the colonial era. We recommend visiting the Plaza de Armas, a square with interesting buildings around the perimeter: the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, the Theater of Thomas Terry, Palatino, Palazzo Ferrer, the Founder's House, the building of the college of San Lorenzo, and the only Arc de Triomphe in Cuba. There is also a zero kilometer mark, from where the construction of the city began. In the evening, we suggest having dinner at one of the most pleasant restaurants in the city - Finca del Mar, which is located on the promenade near the marina.

Cienfuegos - Cayo Guano

We will have a long sailing voyage so we’ll need to get up early. After leaving the Cienfuegos Bay, the skipper will give a short lesson on sea knots, working with sails and sailing. After that, you’ll practice what you’ve learnt. Everyone will be able to ask questions, and skippers will try to cover important topics as much as possible, since there will be enough free time during the sailing.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks will only be on board the yacht this day, so those who wish can practice the culinary art – you will only be limited by your imagination. This will be a very interesting experience that any seasoned cook can be proud of.

In the evening, we’ll arrive at Cayo Guano, anchor, and go to the land in a small boat. The island is a small strip of land, no more than a mile long. There is a lighthouse on the island, the friendly caretaker of which will allow us to climb to the very top. There will be a stunning view of the island, our yachts and the Caribbean Sea, so prepare your cameras, and iPhones - your Instagram will be full of gorgeous photos. After an excursion to the lighthouse, we can have swimming and snorkeling, which will be very exciting here.

Cayo Guano - Playa Sirena

Monday begins with breakfast on board, after which we will head towards Cayo Largo to Playa Sirena, or the Bounty Beach as we called it on our previous trips. An interesting fact: Christopher Columbus stopped at Cayo Largo. Also, at one time, there was a pirate base, and such legendary figures as Henry Morgan and Francis Drake visited the island.

Playa Sirena is one of Cuba's most famous beaches. It is about two kilometers long. Snow-white soft sand, crystal clear sea, coconut palms, exotic plants, volleyball and beach soccer will keep you occupied all the time. If you want to sunbathe with a cocktail in your hand, there are sun loungers and a bar serving pina colada in coconuts, and you can enjoy seafood dishes in a cozy restaurant. In the evening, the beach is quite secluded, and we can arrange a cocktail party on the beach with night swimming.

Playa Sirena - Marina Cayo Largo.

We will sail to the island of Iguans where we can admire these large reptiles in their natural habitat. After that, we will take a course to the modern and comfortable marina of Cayo Largo. There we will have an excursion led by our skippers. Cayo Largo is known not only for its beaches, but also for its exotic fauna, so first of all, we will go to a turtle farm. There you can see how sea turtles grow, and watch some big ones in a special pool. You can also visit the dolphinarium and swim with dolphins. In the evening, we will go for dinner to one of the coastal restaurants, and after that those who wish can go to a club located near the marina and enjoy the Latin rhythm drive.

Cayo Largo is famous for its snorkeling and diving opportunities. People from all over the world come here to swim in the natural pool formed by the coral reefs.

Marina Cayo Largo - Cayo Cantiles

From Marina Cayo Largo, we will sail to study the uninhabited islands of the Los Canarreos archipelago, and also try to do some fishing during our voyage. Fishing here is excellent. In the afternoon, we will stop by the uninhabited island of Cayo del Rosario. On the wild beach, we can make a fire and cook the fish we’ve just caught.

Our next stop will be Cayo Cantiles, or Monkey Island. There is a large colony of primates on the island, and we’ll try to get to know more about them. Here we will stay for the night. In the evening, we will have dinner on board, and then have some relaxation time with rum and cigars.

Cayo Cantiles - Cayo Estopa.

The next day we will sail towards Cayo Estopa. It is a short voyage, so we will make stops for swimming in the open sea, as well as for snorkeling near the reefs. The coastal waters of the island are full of fish and other water animals, so the island is interesting for snorkeling and underwater photography.

Having enjoyed plenty of the Caribbean, we will land on the beach on the southern part of the island. Cayo Estopa is almost completely covered with greenery, and we can go for a walk inland, and take some photos of pristine nature. After that, we will go to the sandy beach, where we will have some rest by the fire in the evening.

Crossing Cayo Estopa - Cayo de Dios

So, our sea adventure comes to an end, and there is a long voyage to the marina of Cienfuegos ahead of us. It's time for relaxation on the yacht - a great opportunity to sunbathe, take some cool photos on the yacht, review the material we’ve learnt on working with sails and yacht control, sip a glass or two of rum, or just get some good night's sleep.

We divided this long voyage into two parts. First, we will stop at Cayos de Dios, where we will eat some freshly caught lobsters, and take a good swim in the clear waters of the Caribbean Sea. After that we’ll sail to Cienfuegos. There will be some night shifts, and by dawn we will be in the home marina.

Cienfuegos. Havana.

On Saturday morning, the official part of our program ends, we’ll leave our catamarans and hand them over to the charter company.

We also suggest flying to Cuba before the New Year and joining the land part of the trip around the Island of Freedom, which will last from 12/30/19 to 01/04/2020. For this trip we have prepared a horseback ride to mountain waterfalls, a visit to the war museum, a tobacco factory, the Che Guevara mausoleum and the Hemingway house, swimming in underground lakes, a sightseeing tour of Havana on retro convertibles, and of course, New Year's beach party!

Cuba is waiting for you!