On arrival in you will be met in Santiago de Cuba by our friendly staff and taken directly to your homestay. All our homestays are government licensed and carefully selected with your comfort in mind.

After breakfast we start our tour with a spectacular garden. Jardin de los Helechos is a unique setting for an internationally important collection of tropical ferns (2) (3), bromeliads and orchids (2) (3). This outstanding collection of over 3000 ferns and more than 300 orchids is the most complete in the Americas and is the life work of the Director, acknowledged around the world for his contributions to the world of ferns and gardens and the discoverer of several indigenous species.   As well as a marvelous garden, Jardin de los Helechos is a research establishment carrying out research into the intimate lives of ferns, their preservation and propagation.

Fern and orchid propagation and care. A short technical lecture and demonstration (for garden groups and aficionados). Take home a unique memento of this beautiful garden.

Lunch at a nearby restaurant - bring a swimsuit.

Dinner in your homestay.

Optional evening visit to local Trova - this is where the musical traditions of the island are preserved.

An early start will take us out of Santiago for a day on the narrow desert-like coastal strip between the Caribbean Sea and the Sierra Maestras.

The drive takes you passed fields of sugar and elephant grass, small holdings, and gardens, with many stops to enjoy the scenery, explore the diverse woodlands and countryside of this part of Cuba, and see some of Cuba's unique flora. Did you know that Cubans grow some of their musical instruments?

The internationally acclaimed cactus expert of the Jardin Botanico de Santiago will be your lecturer at the Cactus garden, which is his work and his passion. This large garden is home to both indigenous cacti and those from around the world (2).

Cactus propagation and care A short technical lecture and demonstration (for garden groups and aficionados). After lunch we will visit an artisans' colony (2) with time to stroll and visit their homes and studios. A great place for something unique to take home.

On returning to Santiago we will visit the personal cactus collection of our expert.

Dinner in your homestay.

An early start will take us passed large state farms, through peaceful villages and onto the slopes of the Gran Piedra. We will make several stops on the climb to the summit as we pass through plantations of coffee, and bananas, orange and mango groves. Every turn in the climb brings with it changing climates and plants.

Amid a cloud forest of giant ferns and orchids, our expert will open your eyes to some of Cuba's tiniest ferns and orchids, bromeliads, and other beautiful plants.

Our tour will take us to a commercial high altitude garden with a Bird of Paradise nursery. Fragrant hedges circle beds of roses, gladioli and camellias. Every path provides a vista of mountains and plains.

On the way down the mountain we will visit a special private garden. With many exotic species, this small sloping garden is a delight. The work of a mother and daughter team, this garden is off a side road, across a river, and through a pasture.

Lunch will be on the coast once more with time for a bathe, or time just to sit and enjoy the peace and natural beauty around you.

Dinner in your homestays.

Our lecturer today will introduce you to some of the geography, geology and hydrology of Cuba. Learn a little about the soil, the climate, and the various problems which confront agriculture on this island.

We shall visit to one of the many organoponico gardens which this year are expected to grow over 5 million tons of produce throughout the island. Started just 15 years ago these gardens make a significant and essential contribution to the diet and health of everyone.   These gardens take many forms: major gardens attached to housing areas,  tiny garden areas which serve a few streets, farmers' plots which bring food into the city, gardens at army barracks and police stations and in school playgrounds.

The garden which we shall visit serves part of a large population living in low rise apartments on the edge of the city. Like most of these gardens it has a sales point where is sells not just fresh fruit and vegetables, but also herbs, seasoning, and other garden products.

Our next stop is a local market selling fruit, vegetables, meat, and grains. Most people shop either daily or every couple of days, enjoying vegetables and fruit in their season. Much of the fruit and vegetables comes from major farms surrounding the city. Some comes from more specialized farms in nearby provinces.

From the market we go outside the city to visit a private small holding. With only five hectares of steeply sloping land this farmer still finds space to grow fruit, coffee, ornamental plants and flowers, and a great deal of vegetables. Now, how do you think pineapples grow? We will enjoy a meal featuring fruits and vegetables from the farm.

Brief afternoon visit to El Cobre the home of the patron saint of Cuba.

Dinner in your homestay.

After breakfast an early start will put us on the road to the resort on the north side of the Sierras.

The two-hour drive takes us over the Sierra Maestras and onto the central plain.  This was once an immense forest, cut and burned when sugar became the most important crop.  From 1850 to 1990 sugar was the major foreign exchange earner in Cuba.  Cane fields stretched as far as the eye could see, punctuated by groves of oranges, avocados and mangos, and banana plantations Today we will pass sugar fields planted with new crops, and sugar towns with factories for new industries.

The government of Cuba gives every incentive to individuals, collectives, and cooperatives for growing food. Its goal is self sufficiency in all of the vital staples, import substitution where possible, with a final goal of food exports.

We will make two stops; both gardens are noted for their excellence and are called national reference gardens.

The first garden, which is more like a small and expanding market garden, is termed a patio garden, but has little in common with your herb planters tucked between the deck chairs. It produces sufficient vegetables for several blocks of apartments, together with tilapia for the neighbours and rabbits for family meat. Inter planting and judicious use of flowers makes for good insect control, while the left overs from the sugar mills provide the material for earth worm beds and compost.

Our second visit is to a medicinal herb garden. This garden and its maker have been recognized for their excellence and their contribution to the field of urban agriculture and the health of the population. Every square inch of garden and now the roof and stairs is under cultivation. The garden is staffed by local volunteers, who take their pay in trips to various gardens and workshops.

Lunch in this small town, prepared from local fruits and vegetables.

From here we head into the mountains to an Eco-Resort for a break and to see more mountain plants.

Situated in a lush tropical valley this pretty wooden hotel provides an wonderful change from the bustle and sun of the city.  A natural pool below the waterfall tempts all swimmers, and the stones of the gentle river provide pleasant spots to relax. A trained masseuse is available for the ultimate pleasure of a relaxing massage A welcome dinner will give you a chance to meet your guide for your mountain stay.

A guided early morning walk takes us above the resort through the alpine like meadows of peaceful farms. See cocoa on the tree, coffee growing in the shelter of forest canopy, peacocks strutting across the meadow, and children on their way to school. The plants, birds, and butterflies of the high mountains are fascinating in their diversity.

Leave early afternoon for the drive through the mountains to the city.

A farewell dinner, with entertainment, will provide you with a splendid end to your time in Santiago and give you time to talk to the friends you have made.

Free time to visit the city's craftspeople and art galleries. This will be a fine time to finish buying those little gifts for home. Want to buy something big and have no room in your suitcase - we will arrange shipment for you.

It is possible to organize an extra tour for this day.

A meal in your homestay before your flight – lunch or dinner – depending on the time of your flight

You will be picked up at your homestay and transferred to the airport for your flight home or to other destinations.