CA Lawyers for the Arts in Cuba!
January 14 - 21, 2017 Havana - Matanzas - Varadero
January 14-21, 2017
JOIN CALIFORNIA LAWYERS FOR THE ARTS IN CUBA FOR 7 NIGHTS AND 8 AMAZING DAYS OF DISCOVERY THROUGH THE ARTS!
Pick your passion--Latin jazz, salsa dancing, delicious seafood, vintage cars, historic preservation, tropical baseball, contemporary art, Hemingway trails, environmental restoration, religious fusion, colonial history, comparative law or international relations---and you can find your bliss in Cuba.
CLA's excursions to Havana began in 2012 before we imagined that "normalization" of political relationships with the United States and Cuba was a possibility. Now that the Obama administration has changed the political and economic landscape, we are on the cusp of exciting changes that we hope will improve the lives of the Cuban people. CLA's international travel program aims to foster understanding through meaningful educational and cultural experiences abroad. Attorneys may receive continuing legal education credit for this excursion.
OPTIONAL 2 NIGHT EXTENSION TO HISTORIC MATANZAS AND VARADERO
TRIP COST
$ 3,915.00 Per passenger. (Havana)
$ 950.00 single supplement.(for single room accommodation)
$ 570.00 Per passenger Matanzas / Varadero Extension
WHAT'S INCLUDED
PROGRAM PRICE INCLUDES:
* Full Transportation while in Cuba
* Cuban Visa
* US Licensing assistance
* Accommodations for 7 nights at Hotel Nacional
* Accommodations for 2 nights at a five stars Hotel in Matanzas (All Inclusive) (With the purchase of Havana-Matanzas package)
* Daily breakfast at hotels * 6 dinners (Two of the dinners at the hotel in Varadero)
* 8 lunches ( One of the lunches at the hotel)
* 6 Organizational visits (Museums or organizations)
* Full translation by professional Cuba based guide
* Legal activities as per itinerary
* Private presentation by El Folclorico Nacional de Cuba
* Lecture on Cuban Music by Prof. Alberto Faya and Maria Cordova
* Professional tour management in Cuba by our staff
*Tips (Guide and Driver, baggage handlers & restaurants)
* Our award winning Cuba Travel Tips publication and other traveler guidance
PROGRAM PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE:
*Airfare to Cuba (priced separately)
*Passports
*Trip Interruption Insurance
*Havana Departure tax of 28 USD
*Single room differential ($950)
*All other items not listed in “PROGRAM PRICE INCLUDES”
*Required membership in California Lawyers for the Arts for all participants
*Continuing Legal Education Fee
CLA Cuba Itinerary* - 8 DAYS and 7 NIGHTS / OPTIONAL 2 NIGHTS IN VARADERO
[1] Sat, 14 January 2017 - Havana City
[2:00 pm] - Arrive in Havana
A remarkably short flight away from Miami International Airport - just enough time to reach altitude and descend, Havana lies waiting in all her glory. In just 45 minutes, you are transported to another place in time. Havana’s enchantment is not limited to her time-worn charm or rich and diverse cultural identity -- it’s in the light, the sounds, the Caribbean Sea at her feet and most of all, in her people. Welcome to Havana!
[3:00 pm] - Orientation and familiarization
We will take a few moment to offer an Orientation to the city and familiarization of the neighborhood around the hotel.
[4:00 pm] - Check in to hotel
[7:00 pm] -Dinner at San Cristobal Paladar
Set in an early 20th Century mansion in the “Centro Habana” district of the city, San Cristobal Paladar is probably, the best restaurant in Havana. The cuisine, Cuban Creole with a very refined and international twist, has a five-star rating by many international food critics and was enjoyed by President Barack Obama and his family during their recent visit to Havana.
[2] Sun, 15 January 2017 - Havana City
[7:00 am] - Breakfast at the hotel
You will be met by your guide in the lobby after breakfast to begin the day’s program.
[9:00 am] - Walking tour of Vedado
This walking tour highlights the architecture of the Vedado district. The mane monument and the Malecon, Copelia park the Havana Libre hotel and the Rampa district.
[11:00 am] - Callejon de Hamel
This Alley is located in the working class Cayo Hueso quarter that serves as an open-air Afro-Cuban Religion Sanctuary, the work of local artist Salvador Gonzalez who has adorned its walls with evocative Santeria murals paying homage to religious cults and currents of African origin. It hosts the famous Afro-Cuban rumbas that take place every Sunday afternoon.
[12:30 pm] Lunch at Starbien
Starbien is a paladar in what was a charming and well maintained home. They will graciously welcome us with a frosted mint drink served with rum. WOW. Try the seafood entree which was beautifully presented and tasty and fresh. Other dishes include lobster thermidor, ropa vieja, malanga fritters with guava grape syrup, and fried ceviche. Choice of wonderful desserts.
[3:00 pm] - Christopher Columbus Cemetery - Necropolis Cristobal Colon
Founded in 1876, the Colon Cemetery is one of the great historical cemeteries of the world, and is held to be the most important in Latin America in historical and architectural terms. The great cemetery is 140 acres in size and there are more than 500 major mausoleums, chapels and family vaults. With 800,000 graves and one million interments, there may not be a more beautiful place to be interred than Havana’s “city of the dead”.
[4:30 pm] - Revolution Square ( Plaza de la Revolucion)
One of the most dramatic examples of modern architecture in Havana, if not the world, is the Plaza de la Revolución José Martí. The Plaza is among the largest civic plazas in the world, surrounded by modern construction and featuring the enormous obelisk monument to Jose Marti, built on the highest ground in Havana. It is major attraction for visitors of all walks of life, world leaders and dignitaries, including Pope Francis who held mass their recently and Pope John Paul II who visited in 1998. Two of the government buildings in the square, both mid-century modern (1958), are best known for the iron sculptures of Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos that cover their facades, both by Cuban artist Enrique Avila. This grand plaza is also home to the Teatro Nacional de Cuba, built in 1979.
[7:00 pm] - Dinner on your own
You will dine at a paladar of your choice from a list of the best restaurants in Havana. Our staff and your guide will help you with selection and making reservations. You can be adventurous and travel by taxi that our staff will also help you get and your return trip can be arranged by the establishment where you dine. The cost of this meal is not included in the price of the trip. We recommend reservations be made at least one day in advance.
[3] Mon, 16 January 2017 - Havana City
[7:00 am] - Breakfast at the hotel
You will be met by your guide in the lobby after breakfast to begin the day’s program.
[9:30 am] - Old Havana Four Plazas
The morning begins with a walking tour of the Four Plazas; a magical journey through five centuries of history and architecture that culminate to comprise Cuba’s first of many UNESCO World Heritage Sites – “La Habana Vieja” or Old Havana. The tour takes you on a stroll through the four main plazas, Plaza de Armas, Plaza Vieja, Plaza de San Francisco de Asis and Plaza de la Catedral, giving you an insight to the truly magnificent and powerful place Cuba held in the Caribbean for centuries. You’ll see colonial fortresses and opulent palaces highlighting the majestic architecture spanning from Spanish Colonial to Neoclassical interspersed with a mix of Baroque.
[12:30 pm] - Lunch at La Moneda Cubana
Close to la Plaza de la Catedral in colonial Old Havana, serving a wide variety of Cuban food and liquor in a historic setting with beautiful views.
[3:00 pm] - Taller de Grafica
Stroll to Plaza de La Catedral to visit Havana’s premiere graphics arts workshop. This public center for local artists was established by Pablo Neruda and Che Guevara at the beginning of the Revolution as a place where artists living and visiting Havana can work on printmaking.
[4:00 pm] - Artist Studio & Gallery Visits
Rising from the restoration and revitalization of Old Havana, impressive art galleries have sprung up all over the colonial center of the city, exhibiting the work of Cuba’s top artists and often housing their private studios. As you stroll through Old Havana you will happen by many galleries and studios where you can view and purchase original art.
[7:00 pm] - Dinner on your own
You will dine at a paladar of your choice from a list of the best restaurants in Havana. Our staff and your guide will help you with selection and making reservations. You can be adventurous and travel by taxi that our staff will also help you get and your return trip can be arranged by the establishment where you dine. The cost of this meal is not included in the price of the trip. We recommend reservations be made at least one day in advance.
[4] Tue, 17 January 2017 - Havana City
[7:00 am] - Breakfast at the hotel
You will be met by your guide in the lobby after breakfast to begin the day’s program.
[9:00 am] - El Prado – Capitolio, Parque Central, Paseo and more...
El Prado is one of the most exquisitely designed and splendid major avenues in all of the Americas and home to the quintessential structures that define Havana, ranging from Colonial to Baroque to Neoclassical to Art Deco. Designed in 1772 by French landscape architect Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier, El Prado runs for many blocks from the dramatic fountain, La Fuente de la India, to the iconic Malecon, marking the boundary between Habana Vieja and Centro Habana. El Paseo, a marble promenade lined with a natural canopy of trees, marble benches and bronze lions was recently chosen by the House of Chanel for one of the most dramatic runway shows in the history of fashion. It is home to El Capitolio (1929): El Gran Teatro de La Habana (1918); The Bacardi Building (1930), and dozens of other structures immortalized in photography and film for decades. Havana’s Central Park, is home to first statue of Jose Marti in Cuba. El Prado encompasses all of the mystery and magic, all of the historic and cultural wealth that Havana has offered from the 17th to the 21st century.
[11:00 am] - Museo de Bellas Artes Cuban art collection/Bellas Artes Museum
Very near El Prado, still in the heart of Havana’s urban center where La Habana Vieja meets Centro Habana, is a notoriously modern structure, housing the largest permanent collection of Cuban art in the world dating from the 16th Century to present. The collection boasts extensive works of the Cuban masters from the 1920s through the post-modernists of the 1980s who influenced a worldwide movement and hang in museums and private collections worldwide. The Palacio de Bellas Artes, curated to show exclusively Cuban works has its international counterpart in the Palacio del Centro Asturiano, devoted to universal art.
[12:30 pm] - Lunch at La Guarida
Remarkably, some of the city’s top paladares (privately owned restaurants) are located in Centro Habana and among the best of them is La Guarida. The location for the acclaimed Cuban movie, “Fresa y Chocolate”, La Guarida serves delectably sophisticated international cuisine in a venue that is a perpetual work in progress. The top floors of this seemingly dilapidated neoclassical structure are renovated to a degree of contemporary glamour that is impressive with a rooftop bar and an even higher mirador with spectacular views.
[3:00 pm] - Drinks at El Floridita
Ernest Hemingway was known to say, “My mojito at La Bodeguita; my daiquiri at Floridita”, the world famous bar and one of Papa’s favorites where it is rumored he invented the “daiquiri” with his regular bartender. The venue opened in 1817 under the name “La Pina de Plata” or The Silver Pineapple in English, and almost 100 years later the name was changed to “El Florida”, but in time became known as “El Floridita”.
[4:00 pm] - Return to Hotel to freshen up and relax before dinner
[7:00 pm] - Dinner at Mediterraneo Havana
A true “farm to table” and “sea to table” restaurant, Mediterraneo Havana features fresh plant and protein from their own two private, organic farms and fresh catch and seafood fished every other day from their own fishing boat. It doesn’t get any more fresh or real than this in Cuba. The food is prepared fresh daily without preservatives or additives, the pasta and the desserts are homemade.
[5] Wed, 18 January 2017 - Havana City
[7:00 am] - Breakfast at the hotel
You will be met by your guide in the lobby after breakfast to begin the day’s program.
[11:00 am] - Miramar
Just west of the Vedado district, across the Almendares river is the extremely opulent and formerly posh Miramar district that borders the sea and home to magnificent mansions, embassies and some of the best hotels in Havana. Havana’s famous “Quinta Avenida” or 5th Avenue traverses the district from east to west and is home to some of the most lavish and eccentric residential architecture in Havana. Today, the district is home to most of the foreign embassies and consulates and has a growing culinary scene of international restaurants.
[12:30 pm] - Lunch at El Aljibe criolla cuisine
The nearly 69-year old secret chicken recipe developed in the 1940s has drawn the likes of Jack Nicholson, Matt Dillon and former President Jimmy Carter. El Aljibe is one of the busiest restaurants in Havana, especially during lunchtime and is run by Sergio Garcia Macias who, with his brother Pepe, opened their first restaurant in 1947. Named Rancho Luna, located in the countryside west of Havana, El Aljibe’s predecessor closed down in the early 1960s.
[3:00 pm] - Fuster Studio/home
Visit the Gaudí-like whimsical park-residence of Cuban painter, printmaker, and ceramicist José Fuster. For more information see, www.josefuster.com
[4:30 pm] - A Journey through Cuban Music, Concert & Panel Discussion by Prof. Alberto Faya
Experience a rare, intimate encounter with what Cuba is best know for – the music. There is an old saying, “In Cuba, if you turn over a rock a musician jumps out”. You will take a musical journey through Cuba’s rich and exciting musical history guided by world-renowned and award winning musician and musicologist Alberto Faya. Faya, recipient of multiple awards for musical accomplishments. Enjoy this magical and interactive experience and feel free to engage the speakers and musicians.
[7:00 pm] - Dinner on your own
You will dine at a paladar of your choice from a list of the best restaurants in Havana. Our staff and your guide will help you with selection and making reservations. You can be adventurous and travel by taxi that our staff will also help you get and your return trip can be arranged by the establishment where you dine. The cost of this meal is not included in the price of the trip. We recommend reservations be made at least one day in advance.
[6] Thu, 19 January 2017 - Havana City
[7:00 am] - Breakfast at the hotel
You will be met by your guide in the lobby after breakfast to begin the day’s program.
[10:00 am] - Ferry ride across Havana Bay
Take the ferry from Old Havana across Havana Bay, to visit the historic City of Regla.
[11:00 am] - Finca Vigia - Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum
Your transportation will await you at Casa Blanca for the short drive to Ernest Hemingway’s home in the rural village of San Francisco de Paula, also just east of Havana. Named Finca Vigia or “Lookout Farm”, the home was built in 1866 and purchased by Hemingway in 1940. Here, Hemingway wrote his Pulitzer Prize winning novel, “The Old Man and the Sea”, and his famous fishing boat, El Pilar, is also on display.
[12:30 pm] - Lunch at Ajiaco Cafe
“Papa ́s” passion for fishing and drinking has left an indelible mark on Caribbean seaside the town of Cojimar, the picturesque fishing village where Hemingway docked his boat, El Pilar, and where some old timers might still remember Hemingway and his guide, Gregorio, whom the “old man” was based on. Café Ajiaco is a Cojimar favorite. The fare is as varied as the drinks, but given that you are so close to the coast it is almost mandatory that you go for some seafood. The choice of fish changes daily with the catch.
[3:00 pm] - Drive by El Morro for a photo opportunity
Built on the high rock entrance to the Bay and completed in the early 1600s, El Morro Castle guards the Port of Havana, complete with dungeons, cannons and the iconic lighthouse. Known as “El Morro”, the castle is actually The Castle of the Three Kings, named for the biblical Magi. The lighthouse stands on the end of a promontory strongly fortified with huge walls and battlements built by the Spanish Conquistadors to defend the city against pirates and bounty seekers. You will make a brief stop here for photo opportunities of the colonial fort and the magnificent panoramic views of Havana.
[4:00 pm] - Visit to legal and civic institutions
Cuban legal experts will provide an overview about how the changing legal landscape is affecting transnational and domestic business in Cuba. A workshop will be followed by a networking reception with Cuban lawyers. Continuing legal education credits are available for lawyers practicing in most states In the U.S.
[7:00 pm] - Dinner on your own
You will dine at a paladar of your choice from a list of the best restaurants in Havana. Our staff and your guide will help you with selection and making reservations. You can be adventurous and travel by taxi that our staff will also help you get and your return trip can be arranged by the establishment where you dine. The cost of this meal is not included in the price of the trip. We recommend reservations be made at least one day in advance.
[7] Fri, 20 January 2017 - Havana City
[7:00 am] - Breakfast at the hotel
You will be met by your guide in the lobby after breakfast to begin the day’s program.
[12:00 pm] - Lunch at Atelier
A very unique and upscale restaurant, Atelier is the brainchild of Niuris Higueras, who has long nurtured her passion for exciting food. She has designed a very contemporary space housed in an idiosyncratic Havana mansion in the Vedado district. The décor has a retro feel including an antique hob and old sewing machines. While Niuris is the inspiration, Chef Enrique cooks the food on the very eclectic menu that changes every day.
[2:30 pm] - Conjunto Folclórico Nacional de Cuba - Private Rehearsal
Cuba’s world renowned National Folkloric Ensemble was founded in 1962 with the mission of rescuing and revitalizing Cuba’s musical and dance roots for the purpose of showcasing these expressions with true artistic authenticity and recreating them to adhere to the most contemporary of theatrical techniques and production value, while staying true to the folkloric essence. Enjoy a rare, intimate encounter with the entire company at a private rehearsal and receive a pure injection of Cuban culture.
[6:30 pm] - Neon Tour (Classic Car Ride)
Essentially we will pick your group up at your hotel or casa particular in a fleet of beautifully restored classic American cars. We will give you a special one hour guided tour of Havana with a focus on the neon signs that have been restored.
[7:30 pm] - Dinner at Kadir Lopez Studio
Kadir Lopez, and his brother Kelvin Lopez are graduates of the Instituto Superior de Arte. Their expansive studio and exhibit spaces are located in A 1930’s Havana mansion that has been re-purposed by the artists for their home-workspace. Here the group will enjoy a great and delicious traditional Cuban home-made dinner cooked by the family of the artist.You will have a chance to talk with Kadir, Kelvin and other artists who will join us and beyond having a fabulous dinner you will enjoy warm conversation about everything Cuban.
[8] Sat, 21 January 2017 - Havana City - Matanzas - Varadero
[7:00 am] - Breakfast at the hotel
You will be met by your guide in the lobby after breakfast to begin the day’s program.
Check out: Hotel Nacional de Cuba
[9:00 am] - Transfer to Jose Marti Airport
OR
Transfer to Matanzas for optional trip extension
Check in: Hotel Meliá Varadero
[10:30 am] - Ediciones Vigía
These creators of hand-written, hand-made books is among the most inspired and innovative publishing projects in Cuba. Ediciones Vigia is an independent publishing collective that began production in 1985. It produces handmade books, each not only of literary value but also a unique work of art. Located in a restored colonial house in the Plaza Vigia, the books are manufactured by dedicated artisans and no trip to Matanzas would be complete without a visit to this gem and tribute to the intellect and talent of the Cubans.
[12:00 pm] - Lunch at El Chiquirrin
[2:30 pm] - Pharmaceutical Museum
A pharmacy, originally built in 1882 by the French, it stands unchanged today, giving the impression that time stood still. This is one of many testaments as to how this city reveres and conserves its diverse, international history.
[3:00 pm] - Transfer to Varadero
[3:30 pm] - Check in to hotel
[7:00 pm] - Dinner at the hotel
[9] Sun, 22 January 2017 - Varadero
[7:00 am] - Breakfast at the hotel
You will be met by your guide in the lobby after breakfast to begin the day’s program.
[9:00 am] - City Tour Varadero
On the northern coast of Cuba in Matanzas Province there a long thin peninsula named for a rare type of cactus, the Hicacos Peninsula. Lying between the Bay of Cardenas and the Caribbean Sea, this thin strip of land offers some of the most coveted beaches in the world and the quintessential beach resort town of Varadero at its eastern tip. Varadero has many unique, historical sites within the city limits offering a peek into a luxurious past where this town was the definitive Caribbean playground for wealthy Americans until 1959. You can still play 18 holes and have cocktails and the oceanfront mansion built by the American industrialist, Henri Dupont, in the 1920’s.
[12:00 pm] - Lunch at the hotel
[7:00 pm] - Dinner at the hotel
[10] Mon, 23 January 2017 - Varadero - Havana
[7:00 am] - Breakfast at the hotel
You will be met by your guide in the lobby after breakfast to begin the day’s program.
[8:00 am] - Check out of Hotel in Varadero
[8:30 am] - Transfer Varadero to Havana
[10:30 am] - Transfer to the airport
[3:00 pm] - Depart Havana for Miami
MEET ALMA ROBINSON, EVENT ORGANIZER
Through its international travel program, Alma Robinson, Executive Director of California Lawyers for the Arts, has led several groups to Cuba with Cuba Tours & Travel. A passionate advocate for the arts and artists' rights, she is a graduate of Middlebury College and Stanford Law School, where she studied art and the law. "Seeing the work of Cuban artists and musicians builds profound respect for the resilience of the Cuban people," she said. "Through these excursions, we have been able to witness first hand the historic changes in the relationship between our governments, This is an exciting time to visit Cuba." (Photo of Alma Robinson courtesy of Osiris Munir)
Testimonials from participants in previous years
"This was more than what I expected and at the least, extremely educational."
"We had a great time. I appreciate all of the efforts."
"Alma and CLA provided great communication prior to the event."
"I had the best trip of my life...I would go with Alma anywhere."
For more information
Cuba Tours and Travel
Cuba Tours and Travel has over fifteen years of experience offering expert-driven cultural travel to Cuba. Our management and program-design team, working together with a team of superb Cuban travel associates in both Havana and Miami, are uniquely suited to offer you the finest in-depth travel program to the island. We are licensed by the US and Cuba and are fully insured. Most importantly, we have an abiding love for Cuban art and culture and have strong connections to the cultural institutions on the island.
Cuba Tours and Travel is a full-service agency licensed by the U.S. Government
TSP# CU-077926-b. CST number 2073790-40. Fla. Seller of Travel Reg. No. ST39635
Miami, FL. Office
10631 N. Kendall Drive
Suite 1208
Miami, Fl. 33176
For more information: customerservice@cubatoursandtravel.com
or call us at 888 225-6439 Ext. 804