Southwestern Cuba
Sample Cruising Itinerary
• Enter at Cabo San Antonio
• Maria La Gorda International Dive Center
• Isla de La Juventud/Punta Frances
• Canarreos Archipelago
• Cayo Largo del Sur
• Cienfuegos
• Trinidad
• Return to Cienfuegos or Cayo Largo to clear out
• 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
Cabo San Antonio – Marina Los Morros (International 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 Int’l 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 this 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: Maria La Gorda to Tobacco Country & The Viñales Valley 1.5-hour drive from Maria La Gorda through Pinar del Rio Province
- 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 lovely 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
Isla de la Juventud & Punta Frances National Marine Park 90 NM from Maria La Gorda
- Isla de La Juventud is Cuba’s forgotten treasure. The remote island was the resting place, and hiding place, for pirates and corsairs through the 18th century
- Nearly 50% of the island is Punta Frances National Park, a nature and marine reserve with endless white beaches, a 2-mile shallow coral barrier and 56 dive spots for the experienced diver, all in a protected, pristine paradise
- Explore by tender, enjoying the secluded beaches, caves, snorkeling areas and breathtaking nature
- Enjoy a private concert by a traditional Sucu Sucu band on a deserted beach where the guests arrive by tender
- A marine guide and dive guides can be arranged to explore further around the national park shoreline
- A day-trip to the lovely, historic city of Nueva Gerona can be arranged with a private tour arranged by the City Historian’s office
- More than 400 mangrove islands & islets with deserted beaches and a world of marine life waiting to be explored by tender from the various anchorages we have identified for vessels with a deeper draft.
- Explore Cayo Campos and surrounding islets and continue east to Cayo Rosario and Cayo Largo del Sur, exploring surrounding islets, and visiting the monkey colony, giant iguanas and sea turtles that inhabit the small cays
- Tender to deserted beaches, bottom fish, snorkel over shallow reefs and enjoy the crystal-clear waters of this pristine archipelago
- As you continue along the southern side of the Canarreos Archipelago, you will come across many uninhabited islands and islets teeming with Cuban flora, fauna and marine life, along with deserted beaches, mangrove channels and pristine bottoms
- The yacht can anchor and use all the toys with no restrictions in these areas
Cayo Campos 70 NM from Punta Frances
- One of the first islands you will come across in the western end of the archipelago is Cayo Campos
- There are a few good anchorage options depending on the yacht’s draft
- Cayo Campos is best known for the interesting and diverse marine life, but also for the Flora and Fauna base there
- Run by three devoted individuals, the island is home to a monkey sanctuary of friendly and very happy Vietnamese monkeys that were brought to Cuba to ensure their survival in the 1980s
- The beach and surrounding waters are pristine and crystal clear
- Enjoy continuing to explore the area by tender, relax on the beach, visit the giant iguanas or have a picnic
Cayo Largo del Sur 100 NM from Cayo Campos
- The first or last island of the Canarreos Archipelago Cayo Largo del Sur has a lovely marina and is an international port
- The marina is a base for catch and release fly fishing that must be arranged well in advance as the skiffs are limited in the protected area
- There is a dive center with some of Cuba’s top dive guides and instructors to guide your underwater adventures
- There is no permanent community on the island, and a few resorts on the opposite side from the marina and anchorage
- Cayo Largo is home to a humble but very important Sea Turtle Conservation and Reproduction Center and a permanent school of tarpon that make the marina their home
- Enjoy tendering to Playa Sirena and Playa Paraiso, often called the 3rd best beach in the world
- Explore the small islets nearby including Iguana Island, a home to giant iguana population
- Cayo Largo del Sur has an airport with private aircraft landing facility, making it an excellent choice for arrival or departure for the guests and owners
Cienfuegos 85 NM from Cayo Largo del Sur
- The city of Cienfuegos sits on the enormous Bay of Cienfuegos with the Escambray Mountains looming in the distance
- Founded by the Spaniards in 1819, it was quickly taken over by the French during the era of the pirates and corsairs
- Cienfuegos was the center of the sugar, mango, tobacco and coffee trade and was developed in the French neo-classical style, making for a breathtakingly beautiful backdrop
- The city is also known for its extensive mid-20th Century modern architecture and surrounding nature, such as El Nicho waterfall
- Across the bay lies Castillo de Jagua, an 18th-century fortress that has protected the bay and the city for centuries that you will pass very closely as you come through the channel
- Cienfuegos is home to the Faro Luna Dive Center and the Guanaroca Lagoon, home to one of the largest permanent flocks of Pink Flamingos in the world
- Cienfuegos is also an international port and home to a Marlin marina and a cruise terminal for superyachts that prefer to be alongside vs. on anchor in the bay
Trinidad 45 NM from Cienfuegos
- Trinidad is an UNESCO World Heritage site in its entirety, including the surrounding nature and historic areas
- The yacht will anchor in the Bay of Casilda or in the protected anchorage outside the bay, depending on draft
- The tender will go back and forth from the small marina tucked into the Ancon Peninsula in the bay
- Ancon Beach is considered one of the big island’s best beaches , scuba diving is very popular here and there is a dive center at the marina
- Perfectly preserved, the town of Trinidad is Cuba’s living museum and frozen in time since the 1800s
- Trinidad was the original home to the Sugar barons and the vestiges of fortunes amassed are still visible
- Trinidad is also a great base for day trips to the mountains
- Hike or horseback ride to waterfalls in the Sierra del Escambray, bike to Playa Ancon, or venture into the Valle de Los Ingenios, yet another UNESCO World Heritage-listed gem
- You will cruise back to Cienfuegos to clear out of Cuba