Tropical Diving Expedition. Discover one of the most protected diving areas in Cuba, located just 4 hours away from Havana. With pearly-white sandy beaches, surrounded by palm trees, this site is located within the boundaries of one of the best-preserved biosphere reserves in the world. Perfect for Certified Divers and their companions. Discover one of the most beautiful coral reefs in Cuba and one of Cuba s premier dive areas. María La Gorda is on the Guanacabibes Peninsula, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Marked by meticulous preservation and abundant flora and fauna, it s a popular destination for nature lovers as well as divers. It s located in Pinar del Rio province, just 4 hours southwest of Habana. Due to its abundant marine life and extraordinarily beautiful corals, it is moong the top ten coral reefs in Latin America. Experienced divers descend through extensive and abundant vertical walls to coral nests, exploring tunnels and caves, and discovering remains of ancient Spanish galleons that once sailed the oceans from Cuba to Europe. The diving participants must have valid international certifications (PADI, SSI, etc.) and their non-diving companions can snorkel in the coral reef. Non-diving participants receive a US$120 discount off the program price. Program Cost: $ 1,999 / per person. Program Duration: 6 days / 5 nights Program Includes: 1 nights accommodation at private home in Havana, breakfast included. 2 nights accommodation at 3-star hotel in Maria La Gorda, all inclusive. 2 nights accommodation at private home in Havana, breakfast included. Transfers Havana Airport Hotel Havana Airport. Transfer Havana-Maria La Gorda-Havana. Local and experienced drivers and guides. Program does not Includes: Round trip Air Transportation (United States-Havana-United States) paid separately (not included). If you wish, Vemares can assist you.
Day 1. United States Havana. Flight United States Havana. Arrival at Jose Marti International Airport. Pick up at the airport. Panoramic Tour of Modern Havana, with a stop at the Plaza de la Revolución (Revolution Square). Here, you will see the Monument to José Martí, one of the most important figures of Cuban history and leader in the independence war against Spain. You will also pass the historic University of Havana, the Hilton Hotel and the American Embassy. Lunch at a private restaurant (Paladar). Dinner on your own
Optional Tours: JAZZ night not included in the package. Day 2. Maria La Gorda. Jazz Café Habana 8:00 am transfer to Maria La Gorda. During the trip you will travel through the beautiful Cuban landscape, in the area where the best tobacco in the world is harvested. Lunch at a private restaurant in this area. You will stay at the Hotel Dive Center located on the beachfront. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be here during your stay. after her. The name María la Gorda comes from the story of a beautiful woman abandoned by pirates. She survives and decides to take advantage of the privileged location of this site as it was an obligatory stop for pirates looking for shelter, potable water, food provisions and occasional entertainment. She started a business that was later named
Diving in Maria La Gorda: The diving instructors speak English, and they will give you information about the diving center, available equipment, boats and dive sites to visit. The marine fauna in the area of Maria La Gorda is made up of typical inhabitants of the Caribbean Sea such as barracudas, lobsters, eels, angel fish, crabs, and so on. One can find other species such as sharks and rays, but in the months of May and June the sandy beaches are populated by nesting turtles; in August and September the time comes for whale sharks to take a dip in the bay between large shoals of tuna, they are also followed by other classes of sharks such as the hammer head, nurse or blue shark. One can find plants as a wide variety of gorgonians including Acroporas, Madrasis, Oculina, Diploria, Scolima, and many others, commonly known as sea fans grow abundantly in this area. They can grow to pretty huge dimensions in these waters. Maria la Gorda is a fantastic setting and has a rich marine life, coral reefs with an extraordinarily beautiful seabed, which makes this an ideal place for diving. In the afternoon, you will have the first diving session. Non-diving companions will have the opportunity to snorkel in the coral reef. Day 3. Maria La Gorda. Morning dive session.
Considered one of Latin America s top diving sites by divers, María la Gorda boasts some 32 dive sites with enviable visibility, abundant coral gardens and rich marine life. Water temperatures average between 24 and 30 degrees Celsius. While a magnet for divers, María la Gorda also attracts visitors for its superlative snorkeling, pristine beaches, and big game fishing. Free afternoon. Option of night diving (not included in the package).
Day 4. María La Gorda. Early diving session. After breakfast departure to Havana. Lunch at Casa del Campesino. After lunch tour Las Terrazas.
Transfer to Havana Night: Parisien Cabaret at Hotel Nacional Traditional Artistic Cuban Show. Parisien Cabaret, offers a great Cuban show. It is a fusion of Indoamerican, Hispanic and African cultures, that led to the Cuban culture. At the end of the show you get time for dancing. Day 5. Historical Tour of Old Havana. After breakfast, tour the Historical Center of Old Havana, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO (1982). You will be transfer by taxi to the Avenida del Puerto, at the entrance of the Bay of Havana. Do a walking tour through the streets of La Habana Vieja, Old Havana. Visit the main plazas (squares), an area frequented by tourists from around the world. Visit the Plazas of Old Havana Plaza de la Catedral (Cathedral Square), dominated by the Baroque facade of the Cathedral of Havana. Plaza de Armas, where you will find Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, the house of the Spanish governors in the colonial era.
Plaza de San Francisco de Asis, a paved space with fluttering pigeons, framed by historic buildings such as the Convent and the Church of St. Francis of Assis, in which the tower was for centuries the highest point in the Villa. Plaza Vieja, originally known as Plaza Nueva. It was first used for military exercises, then became an open-air market, and it is now dotted with restaurants, cafes, bars and brasseries. Lunch at a private restaurant in Old Havana, learn about this new form of private business in Cuba. After lunch enjoy a scenic drive that will take you around the National Capitol (monumental work of the Twentieth Century and former home of the legislature in Cuba before 1959), the Grand Theater of Havana (a baroque architectural wonder that serves as the main house for the world-famous Cuban National Ballet), Parque Central, the Central Park and the Paseo del Prado (first walk outside the walls of the old city, which opened in the late eighteenth century and it is considered to be a true Cuban architectural jewel).
Then make a panoramic tour of modern Havana with an optional stop at the Plaza de la Revolución (Revolution Square), where you will see the Monument to José Martí, one of the most important figures of Cuban history and leader in the independence war against Spain. You will also pass the historic University of Havana, the Hilton Hotel and the American Embassy. Day 6. Return Trip to United States. Departure to the Havana airport and return flight to United States. Travel Smart, Travel with Vemares