Preliminary Itinerary
ARRIVAL IN HAVANA
Please schedule your flight to arrive Havana José Marti International Airport by 12:15 p.m.
The following guest arrive in Havana on American Airlines flight #2705 at 12:00 p.m.
- Brian Mickle
- Lorianne Mickle
- Christopher Bevacqua
- Elizabeth Bevacqua
- Valerie Van Iden
- David Orban ~ Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden Host
Once you’ve cleared immigration, collected your baggage and cleared Customs, you’ll be met at the airport exit by your Cuban hosts.
We depart the airport to head west. Your Cuban Cultural Guide will lead introductions and provide a welcome briefing with important information for our time in Cuba. Your Cuban birding expert will provide an overview briefing on Cuba’s birdlife.
We will have lunch in a paladar (privately owned restaurant) and begin observing birdlife. Continue to the town of Soroa, and check in at our accommodations.
This evening we’ll have our Welcome Dinner in a paladar.
Included lunches and dinner typically feature three courses, with a limited selection from which to choose. Meals typically include two beverages: House welcome cocktail then a choice of one additional beverage: bottled water, Cuban soft drinks or beer, or a glass of house wine. Coffee (espresso) may not be included, but may be purchased individually. One of the most enjoyable aspects of dining in a paladar is the personal connection you’ll make with the owner and staff, as they share their personal stories. Learn how private enterprise in Cuba functions on an individual level, as well as how the paladar’s ingredients are sourced and the chef’s inspiration for the food they serve.
Lunch, Dinner
LA GÜIRA NATIONAL PARK
We set out early for La Güira National Park (about one hour by road). On shaded forest trails at an easy pace, we focus on Cuba’s endemics—this is our best opportunity to look for the elusive Cuban Solitaire. Other targets include Cuban Grassquit, Cuban Tody, Cuban Trogon, Cuban Green Woodpecker, and Yellow-headed Warbler. After lunch at a local paladar, we return to Soroa for an afternoon at the Soroa Orchid Garden, watching for Great Lizard-Cuckoo, Cuban Emerald, Antillean Palm Swift, Loggerhead Kingbird, Greater Antillean Grackle, and Cuban Oriole.
Dinner is included this evening at a paladar.
Technical (time • distance • exertion)
Early departure
Drive time to La Güira ≈ 1 hour each way.
Forest walking at La Güira totals ~1 mile over 1.5–2 hours with frequent stops; trails are uneven with short inclines.
The Soroa Orchid Garden typically adds ~0.5–0.75 mile over 60–90 minutes, with paved paths and some stairs.
Overall exertion: easy to easy–moderate (Level 2/5) for fit walkers, with stop-and-go birding
CLIMATE: Warm, humid conditions expected.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
SOROA TO PLAYA LARGA
After an early breakfast, we depart for Playa Larga on the Zapata Peninsula, where we’ll stay in privately owned B&B accommodations (casas particulares).
We’ll stop for lunch at a restaurant en route.
In Playa Larga, a local Cuban naturalist presents an introduction to Ciénaga de Zapata (ciénaga = wetland)—one of the Caribbean’s largest and best-preserved wetland systems, designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance in 2001. The marshes, mangroves, and savannas here are home to about 258 bird species, including 28 Cuban endemics; specialties include the Cuban Parrot, among many others.
Technical (time • distance • exertion)
Early departure after breakfast
Drive ≈ 3.5 hours to Playa Larga with a lunch stop en route. Total distance ~125 mi on paved roads, with 1–2 comfort stops.
Physical activity for the day is minimal: short, flat walks around the accommodation (<0.5 mi / <0.8 km), plus a seated presentation (≈60 min).
Overall exertion: easy (Level 1/5).
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Over two days we’ll sample the signature habitats of Ciénaga de Zapata, selecting sites based on the day’s conditions.
One morning will be dedicated to a special visit to the Zapata Crocodile Farm, where we’ll learn about the health and conservation of the endangered Cuban Crocodile. We’ll gain insight into the park’s broader ecological goals and protected status, with exclusive insider access to the crocodile breeding area and nursing station. This visit highlights the ongoing efforts to preserve Cuba’s unique biodiversity and the role of science-based conservation in the region.
Areas where we’ll bird include:
Bermeja Wildlife Refuge – A mixed forest habitat where we’ll search for the Bee Hummingbird, Gray-fronted Quail-Dove, Cuban Parrot, Cuban Blackbird, Cuban Bullfinch, Loggerhead Kingbird, Bare-legged Owl, and Cuban Pygmy Owl. This area is also known for sightings of the threatened Cuban Parakeet, Fernandina’s Flicker, and Blue-headed Quail-Dove.
Santo Tomás – With an early morning departure, we’ll head to Santo Tomás and board small boats to explore the freshwater wetlands. Here, we’ll look for the Zapata Sparrow, Zapata Wren, and Red-shouldered Blackbird just after sunrise.
Las Sabanas de Soplillar (Savannas of Soplillar) – A key location for spotting Bare-legged Owl, Cuban Pygmy Owl, Fernandina’s Flicker, Cuban Parakeets, and Cuban Parrots. Just after sundown, we’ll also search for the Cuban Nightjar.
Exclusive Visits to Private Properties – We’ll meet a local conservationist who builds artificial nest cavities for Cuban Parrots and parakeets while attracting birds with feeding stations. This area provides excellent opportunities to see the Cuban Tody, Cuban Trogon, Cuban Green Woodpecker, Zenaida Dove, Blue-headed Quail-Dove, West Indian Woodpecker, and Yellow-faced Grassquit.
Las Salinas Road – This varied ecosystem, including low dense forest, mangroves, marshes, and open wetlands, is home to the endemic Cuban Black Hawk. We’ll also look for shorebirds, terns, and waders, including American Flamingos, Roseate Spoonbills, and Reddish Egrets.
Optional Nighttime Birding – One evening after dinner, we may venture out to look for species we haven’t yet encountered, such as the Stygian Owl, Bare-legged Owl, Cuban Pygmy Owl, and Greater Antillean (Cuban) Nightjar.
Technical (time • distance • exertion)
Typical field days run ~8-10 hours, with early starts (≈5:30–6:00 a.m.) and midday breaks.
Site-to-site driving segments are 15–60 minutes each; total vehicle time per day ~2–3 hours.
Walking is stop-and-go birding on mostly flat tracks:
Bermeja ~1–1.5 miles
Soplillar ~0.5–1 mile
Private properties ~0.3–0.6 mile
Las Salinas primarily roadside viewing with short walks <0.5 mile
Santo Tomás boat time ~60–90 minutes, with brief boardwalk/levee walks ≤0.5 mile
Daily totals average ~2–4 miles on foot.
Overall exertion: moderate (Level 2/5)
Night outing adds ~0.5–1 mile of slow walking.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DRIVE TO HAVANA / HEMINGWAY’S FINCA VIGIA
If we’ve missed either the Zapata Wren or Zapata Sparrow, we’ll head out at first light for a focused try, then depart for Havana.
Otherwise, we depart after breakfast, reaching the outskirts in time for lunch at a paladar.
Finca Vigía—set on a breezy hill in San Francisco de Paula—is Ernest Hemingway’s former home, preserved much as he left it, with shelves of books, hunting trophies, and his typewriter. View the rooms through the open windows and doors. Walk around the grounds, where his fishing boat Pilar and a small observation tower evoke the years he worked on classics like The Old Man and the Sea
Continue into Havana for hotel check-in.
After we freshen up, we’ll head to dinner; a reservation is in place, and dinner is at your own expense so you can order what you like, à la carte.
Technical (time • distance • exertion)
Optional dawn birding retry: 60–90 minutes; slow, stop-and-go walking up to 0.5–1 mile on flat tracks.
Drive to Havana: ~3 hours on paved roads, with a short comfort stop.
Breakfast, Lunch
Dinner
HAVANA
We begin our exploration of Havana with a guided walk through Old Havana’s four main plazas, meeting local entrepreneurs along the way.
Start in Plaza Vieja (1559), known for its eclectic architecture from Cuban Baroque to art nouveau. Continue to Plaza de San Francisco, facing the harbor and anchored by the Basílica de San Francisco de Asís and the city’s first financial district.
Strolling Calle Obispo, we’ll meet cuentapropistas—self-employed artisans selling handmade crafts, books, and art—offering a window into Cuba’s evolving private sector.
Lunch is on your own at nearby paladares.
This afternoon, visit Plaza de la Catedral, home to Catedral de la Habana, and Plaza de Armas, the city’s oldest square and historic founding site.
Take time to browse the Almacenes de San José Artisans’ Market, a reclaimed 19th-century warehouse on the waterfront filled with paintings, sculpture, textiles, and more.
To cap the day, we board classic American cars for a panoramic drive past El Capitolio, the Gran Teatro de La Habana, and Parque Central, then cruise the Malecón by the U.S. Embassy and along Miramar’s Fifth Avenue of embassies and mansions, with a stop at Plaza de la Revolución.
After a refresh at the hotel, we gather for a special farewell dinner, then visit the Hotel Nacional to enjoy garden views over the Malecón and its storied memorabilia.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DEPARTURE
Transfer to the airport for check-in and return flight home.
Your transfer time will be confirmed in Havana by your Cuban Guide, and will be scheduled to arrive at the airport approximately three hours prior to flight departure.
Please ensure your passport and Cuban visa are in hand for check-in procedures.
The following guest depart Havana on American Airlines flight #243 at 10:30 a.m.
- Brian Mickle
- Lorianne Mickle
- Christopher Bevacqua
- Elizabeth Bevacqua
- David Orban
The following guest depart Havana on American Airlines flight #2706 at 1:00 p.m.
- Valerie Van Iden
Breakfast
