Northwestern Cuba
Sample Cruising Itinerary
• Enter Cuba at Varadero’s Marina Gaviota
• Havana
• Cayo Jutias
• Maria La Gorda International Dive Center
• Exit at Cabo San Antonio
• Or reverse the direction
Cruising Destinations
- ARRIVAL Jose Marti International Airport in Havana. Flight originates in Miami
- Airport VIP Lounge for coffee and buffet breakfast while awaiting luggage
- Meet your resident tour manager, guide, and driver upon exiting airport terminal
- Transfer to the Viñales Valley (2h44m drive)
- Check-in to the Mystique Viñales hotel in the center of town
- Welcome lunch at El Cuajani, a critically acclaimed farm to table restaurant in the heart of the Valley
- After lunch, visit some of the Valley’s nature sites, enjoy horseback riding, strolling the town or time at leisure
- Dinner at 3 J’s, walking distance from the hotel
Varadero is a beach resort town known for endless white powder sand beaches and crystal-clear water
- It is an international port with two marinas – Gaviota and Marlin
- Dating back to 1555 Varadero was first used as a dry dock for the Spanish Latin America Fleet since 1587. Varadero village came about in the 1880s as an elite summer resort
- In the 1930s, Irénée du Pont, an American millionaire, built his estate on the peninsula (now Maison Xanadu or DuPont House)
- Scuba diving is one of the many attractions in Varadero – there are more than 30 dive sites, such as Parque Marino Cayo Piedras del Norte, and Ojo de Mégano, which has an underwater cave east of Varadero
- Other activities include fishing and excursions to Matanzas, Cárdenas, and the de Zapata Swamp National Park (Bay of Pigs)
- Near Varadero one can visit pre-historic caves, beautiful parks, rivers and nature sites
- For the nature conservationists, engage in a Coral Gardening experience at nearby Playa Coral and contribute to the restoration of a huge coral reef in a marine protected area
Havana 76 NM West from Varadero
- Havana is Cuba’s capital with over 2 million inhabitants
- Declared one of the New 7 Wonders Cities in June 2016
- Spanish colonial architecture in its 17th-18th century Old Havana historic core (UNESCO) offers a glimpse at the once majestically wealthy colonial city
- Five centuries of architecture and culture throughout Havana are the highlight of one of the most impressive cities in the Americas
- Vibrant culinary, music, dance and cutting-edge entertainment scene will surprise and delight you
- In Havana one is surrounded by music, tradition, culture, national monuments and natural attractions
- Havana is known for endless festivals from September to May each year that showcase the richness and the deep roots of Cuban culture
- From Havana, you will navigate west along the northern coast of Cuba’s Pinar del Rio province
Cayo Jutias (Colorados Archipelago) 100 NM From Havana
- The Colorados Archipelago stretches from just west of Havana to almost the western tip of Cuba
- Most of the islets are submerged making it a challenging stretch to anchor for large vessels with deep drafts
- Cayo Jutias offers a deep anchorage, a stretch of white sand, mangrove islands to be explored by tender or jet skis, halfway between Havana and Maria la Gorda International Dive Center, and the perfect place to stop, anchor and enjoy the day before continuing
- La Playa de Las Estrellas or Starfish Beach is a natural phenomenon where you can swim, snorkel and walk among hundreds of giant starfish – look but don’t touch as they are protected
- We always recommend cruising overnight to Maria La Gorda
- If you need to stop for fuel or are ready to clear out your next stop will be Cabo San Antonio, an international port just 30 NM before Maria La Gorda
Cabo San Antonio – Marina Los Morros (Int’l Port) 75 NM from Cayo Jutias
- A cape at the western tip of the nature reserve, The Guancahabibes Biosphere Reserve, Cabo San Antonio extends into the Gulf of Mexico and is the closest spot to Mexico in Cuba
- The Marina Los Morros, a Gaviota marina, is an international port of entry and exit in Cuba
- There is a fuel dock where fuel can be pre-ordered and delivered by Cuba’s fuel company – “pre-ordered” being the operative words
- The finger pier does not accommodate a large draft so fuel must be delivered by bladder – there is no barge at this location
- Only 30 NM from Maria La Gorda, you can bypass it completely if you do not need fuel nor are leaving Cuba
- With cliffs and white powder beaches in pure nature, this is a beautiful cruise along the furthest western end of Cuba
Maria La Gorda International Dive Center 30 NM from Cabo San Antonio
- Maria La Gorda International Dive Center is located on the westernmost tip of the island’s south coast at the end of the Guancahabibes Peninsula, a massive protected area
- The peninsula is a biosphere reserve inhabited by many endangered endemic species that remain still untouched in their natural habitat, along with species endemic to the Caribbean in general
- The dive center is ranked among the top in the world and for many offers the best for diving in Cuba; the Canto del Veril marine platform is about 300m from the coast and its 50 dive sites are always nearby
- The marine life is abundant and surprising: more than 20 corals species, a plethora of tropical fish, lobsters, crabs and eels can be seen frequently in these sea-beds, along with sharks and even whale sharks on a lucky day
- Birds abound, with more than a hundred native species nesting in and around Maria La Gorda
- Its flora consists of about 70 species of which 17 are endemic to Cuba
Day Trip: Tobacco Country & The Viñales Valley 1.5-hr drive from Maria La Gorda
- The best and most coveted Tobacco crop in the world grows in Cuba
- The Pinar del Rio province is home to generations of tobacco growers and verdant plantations
- In the heart of tobacco country is the Viñales Valley, dating back to the Jurassic Era
- Among Cuba’s most dramatic and beautiful UNESCO sites, the valley is known for the limestone formations called “mogotes” and underwater rivers
- The town of Viñales, seemingly frozen in time, offers lovely restaurants, live music, a local craft fair and humble, welcoming Cuban people
- Viñales is known for its farm to table cuisine in a rustic and natural environment, as well as the many nature experiences, horseback riding and more
- Nearby, you can visit the top tobacco plantations in Cuba, meet the growers and the see Cuba’s traditional tobacco industry at work