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.gif) Official Tour |
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| PROGRAM OVERVIEW |
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| CITIES AND SITES VISITS |
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Havana City and Havana Province |
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Las Terrazas eco-community |
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| TRIP ACCOMMODATIONS |
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Stay at the opulent Hotel Nacional where a pantheon of dignitaries and celebrities has lodged since 1930. |
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| ITINERARY HIGHLIGHTS |
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Visit the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM) |
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Walking tour of Old Havana and a coach tour of Modern Havana |
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Meeting at CENESEX (National Center for Sexual Education) |
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Explore evening venues where the best Cuban music is performed |
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Meet the Cuban Association for the Physically Disabled (ACLIFIM) |
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Learn about the medical system from the Cuban Health Ministry |
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Visit Senén Casas Regueiro, a facility for youth with brain handicaps |
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Tour a family doctor clinic and a Cuban hospital |
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Guided tours of the Museum of the Revolution and the Museum of Fine Arts |
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Salsa, Cha Cha Chá, and Rumba dance lessons by Cuban pros |
Carlos Juan Finlay is the father of Cuban medicine. He discovered the source of yellow fever and more.
Check out our travel planning page: what to take, packing tips, gifts, gratuities, local customs, clothing, and free Spanish primers. Click here for suggested medical donations. |
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Saturday 11 through Saturday 18 April 2009 – Easter in Cuba on the 50th Anniversary Year of the Cuban Revolution |
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Eight days and seven nights in the Jewel of the Caribbean |
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A rare, unique, official glimpse into Cuba's medical system for North American health care professionals seeking to establish enduring working relationships with their island counterparts |
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Witness Cuban medicine, wellness and health programs directly |
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Explore Cuban history, culture, music, dance and ecology |
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Relish the history and amenities of Cuba's famed Hotel Nacional |
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Legal Cuba Travel: A tax-deductible professional development expense with certificates issued for CME and CEU credits |
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Thousands of health care providers in North America have been motivated to discover the truth about Cuban medicine, health care, prevention and healing following the blockbuster documentary SiCKO by US filmmaker Michael Moore. View scenes from SiCKO where 911 responders go to Cuba for medical care – it's a taste of what you'll see on this trip.
This tour is designed by Cuban medical pros and Canadians for tour participants to candidly examine the island's constitutionally enshrined human right of free health care and social infrastructure providing wellness for all.
Who should attend? Members of the health professions – doctors, nurses, hospital administrators and staff, care givers, medical educators and students – are warmly welcomed and encouraged to participate, including their spouses and partners. This tour qualifies for US participation. Many health care professionals treat this trip as a professional development expense.
Time to commit. This tour is limited in size and fills up fast (see costs). Consider registering now. Shy, budget-minded or independent? Learn the benefits of group Cuba travel.
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| TOUR ACTIVITIES LEGEND |
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Heart icon for health care tour activities |
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Shoe icon for music and dance activities |
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Turret icon for history and architecture |
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Face icon for art, museum, and education visits |
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Owl icon for nature and ecology romps |
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Fork icon for tour meals included |
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Ball icon for beach, sun and swimming |
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Smiling icon for free time and leisure |
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Hint BLUE text links across this site offer extensive details and pictures.
USA travelers This program is legal and licensable for professionals whose work is related to this tour's theme. LegalCubaTravel.com provides an easy step-by-step application kit. If you don't qualify for licensed travel there are alternatives! Contact us.
Travel for change Cuba Education Tours is a Vancouver Canada based organization dedicated to green, ethical travel that benefits Cubans and our guests.
 Five star treatment round-the-clock from our Cuban and Canadian staff ensures worry free travel abroad.
Included in costs are all activities listed below unless noted otherwise.
Island transportation You travel in a private luxury tour coach chauffeured by a professional driver.
Meals All breakfasts are included. Some lunches and dinners are not. Your guide is glad to suggest eateries for every taste and budget.
Getting to Cuba Call 1-877-687-3817 toll free or
We can help.
Memories of Cuba last forever. Discover the island on routes less traveled with Cuba Education Tours.
Did you know Che Guevara was a doctor? His daughter, Aleida, is too. She practices pediatrics in Havana and consults in Latin America. |
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| CLICK TO REVIEW EACH TOUR DAY :: 01 :: 02 :: 03 :: 04 :: 05 :: 06 :: 07 :: 08 :: |
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| Day 1 :: SATURDAY |
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HELLO CUBA |
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Music is pervasive across the city. |
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One in ten autos in Cuba are pre-1959. |
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![Boy toasts his grandmother [abuela].](images/204boy_and_abuela.jpg)
Boy toasts his grandmother [abuela]. Cuban youth hold elders in high regard. The island is known as the Jewel of the Caribbean for its natural beauty and the unmatched warmth and kindness of its people. |
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The capital city of Havana as seen from the fortress El Morro, across the harbor. |
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Arrival at Havana's José Martí International Airport.
Collect your bags and go through customs. See What to take to Cuba.
You're welcomed at the airport by your Cuba Education Tours guide and professional bus chauffeur.
They'll help you exchange some Canadian dollars into Cuban Convertible Pesos.
Group transfer to the Hotel Nacional located in Vedado, the heart of Havana's cultural and entertainment district.
Private check-in with assistance from your guide.
Evening is free for you to settle in, rest up, explore Vedado's vibrant music milieu or stroll the Malecón seawall next to your hotel.
All breakfasts are complementary and served daily from 7:00am to 10:00am. Lunches are included on Days 2, 3, 5 and 7. Dinner is included on Day 6. Your guide is glad to suggest eateries for every taste and budget for meals not included in tour package. |
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Rooftops in Old Havana. |
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TIME AND CLIME IN HAVANA NOW
Island-wide annual averages
Summer temp average: 81F | 27C
Winter temp average: 72F | 22C
Ocean temp average: 78F | 25.5C
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| Most common questions 1 Is Cuban food good? It's healthy and tasty but not spicy. 2 Am I free to ask any question? You'll insult your island hosts by being less than candid. 3 Is the water safe? Yes, but we suggest bottled water for peace of mind. 4 Are vaccinations needed? No. 5 Can Americans join? They are especially welcome to do so! 6 Can I stay in Cuba after the tour? Absolutely and we are glad to help. 7 Do Cubans like tips? Yes, please see our Gratuities Guidelines. |
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Cuban girls perform folk dance. |
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CUBA IS THE LARGEST and least commercialized island in the Caribbean. It hosts 6000 plant species, half of which are endemic. There are 20 million palms in Cuba comprised of 30 species. Other flora includes the rare cork palm, a holdout from the cretaceous period; the jagüey, a fig with aerial roots; the palma barrigona (pot belly palm); the ceiba (sacred silk-cotton tree); and the mariposa (butterfly jasmine, Cuba's national flower). The most abundant land fauna is reptilian: crocodiles, iguanas, lizards, salamanders, turtles and 15 species of nonpoisonous snakes. The biggest land mammal is the jutía, a tree dwelling rodent the size of a cocker spaniel. The native bee hummingbird or zunzún is the world's smallest warm-blooded vertebrate weighing between 1.6 and 1.8 grams. The Cuban trogon or tocororo is the national bird – its red, blue and white plumage reflecting the colors of the Cuban flag. |
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| Day 2 :: SUNDAY |
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GETTING TO KNOW CUBA'S CAPIT0L |
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Example of restoration in Old Havana. |
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Street pantomime in Old Havana. |
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Decorative mail drop box in Old Havana. |
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Inside view of the dome of El Capitolio. |
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| Exterior and interior of the Cathedral of Havana initiated by Jesuits in 1748 and completed in 1777. Click photos for larger view. |
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Youth at a Cuban baseball game. |
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Orchid. Exotic and unique plants and animals thrive in Cuba. |
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Eggshells are affixed to tips of medicinal aloe vera plant to thwart bird attack. |
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Ornate filigree and statuary adorn Havana's Gran Teatro where the National Ballet performs. |
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Morning walking tour of Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We'll visit four of the five historic plazas that make Havana unique in the western hemisphere. It contains the largest collection of remaining colonial-era architecture. This is a private tour led by your Cuba Education Tours guide.
Cathedral Square, the most beautiful and private 18th century colonial plaza on the island. Named after the masterpiece of Cuban baroque architecture: the Catedral de San Cristóbal de La Habana built by the Jesuit order.
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| Square of Arms, an ancient military parade ground for Spanish soldiers, surrounded by impressive buildings such as: |
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Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, former seat of colonial government. Today the building houses the Museum of the City. |
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Palacio del Segundo Cabo, seat of the second authority of the island. Today it houses important publishing concerns. |
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Museo de Artesania at Castillo de la Real Fuerza, the second oldest fortress built by the Spaniards in the West Indies. Today it displays treasures of artistic ceramics by the most prestigious Cuban artists from the middle of the last century to present. The institution is host to the Ceramic Biennial. |
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We continue onto San Francisco Square, one of the oldest plazas in the historical quarter. The square is named after magnificent Iglesia y Monasterio de San Francisco de Asís dating from the 16th century. The basilica is a striking example of Cuba baroque architecture.
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Plaza Vieja in Old Havana. |
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And later to Plaza Vieja, the only civic square of colonial times. Absent are churches and government buildings, and is in contrast surrounded by opulent aristocratic 17th century residences. We'll visit an important center for the visual arts.
Free time in the famous open-air handicraft market near Cathedral Square where you can purchase all sorts of crafts and souvenirs by local artisans.
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Musicians at La Mina restaurant. |
Lunch at La Mina Restaurant where you'll enjoy traditional Cuban dishes and live music! (Drinks not included.)
Dinner (not included in cost). Explore dozens of restaurants and paladars in Vedado. Your guide knows them all. She'll details costs and menus, then you decide where to dine.
Tour highlight Tonight we have a Cuban band playing for us. You'll learn how to perform and dance to Salsa, Son, Rumba, Cha Cha Chá, Mambo and other popular Cuban rhythms from the band members of Grupo Dulce María. |
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| Day 3 :: MONDAY |
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HAVANA TOUR AND HEALTH CARE ENCOUNTERS |
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University of Havana is an esteemed institution of higher learning. |
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Cuban music and movement has its origins in labor combined with the admixture of African and Spanish cultures known as syncretism. |
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RESTAURANTE EL ALJIBE Always filled to the brim with clued-in local and foreign diners who appear to be having the time of their lives, this joint's barbecued chicken served in bitter-orange, lemon, and chicken juices sauce is the house dish, at once dark and tangy. And, oh yes, the house special of black beans, rice, chicken Aljibe, and tostones is a sumptuous all-you-can-eat delight.
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Cloistered entrance to the Hotel Santa Isabel in Old Havana. Originally it was the 19th century mansion of Santovenia family, and known as the Palacio de Count Santovenia. |
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Morning meeting with a representative of Ministry of Public Health for a briefing on the Cuban health care system. The Ministry oversees all programs and their implementation. This is a great opportunity for questions and answers.
Get ready for an air-conditioned luxury coach tour of the most important sites of Modern Havana such as the Capitol building, the Grand Theatre, Central Park, Prado promenade, Revolution Square, Coppelia Ice Cream Park, Plaza José Martí (in front of US Interests Section), Malecón seawall, Monument to the Battleship Maine, Hotel Nacional, University of Havana, Cementerio de Cristóbal Colón, and the Miramar, Central Havana and Vedado neighborhoods.
Lunch at one of Havana's most popular restaurants: El Aljibe (included in program cost).
Visit to a Community Clinic and Family Doctor's Office to learn about primary level of health care in Cuba.
Tonight we witness a most dramatic ceremony – El Cañonazo – the Firing of the 9PM Cannon at the Fortress of San Carlos de La Cabaña. |
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| Cubans come in all colors and are proud of it! |
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Island billboard reads: 200 million kids in the world sleep in the streets, none of them are Cuban. |
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Colorful Cuban Tody. |
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| Day 4 :: TUESDAY |
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HAVANA MEDICAL AND HEALTH CARE VISITS |
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Havana's former capitol building is today home to the Academy of Science, and an internet cafe. |
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Interior of former capitol building. |
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Cuban nurse attends to patient. |
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Fresh from urban organic gardens: farmers market in Havana. |
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Grupo La Peña del Chan Chan performs at Casa de la Amistad. |
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Entrance to the Casa de la Amistad. |
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Morning meeting with members and representatives of CENESEX (Centro Nacional de Educación Sexual / National Center for Sexual Education). This organization and its founder Mariela Castro Espín campaign for equality and dignity for lesbians, gays, transsexuals and transgendered people. Its work consists of advocacy at the community and political level combined with national education efforts and sensitivity training. In particular CENESEX leads in the areas of HIV/AIDS awareness and support services, and gender and sexuality counseling. The heroic work of CENESEX has rocketed Cuba into the stratosphere of the most progressive nation in Latin America for queers. As such, Cuba today is ahead of the United States on matters of legality, compassion, safety, health and government supported promotion of equality.
Followed by a meeting with Línea Ayuda. This dynamic volunteer organization provides a help line for people with HIV/AIDS together with crucial outreach, and prevention and education activities.
Visit to the Asociacíon Cubana de Limitados Fisicos-Motores – ACLIFIM (Cuban Association for the Physically Disabled). This organization advocates for equal rights and expansion of educational and job opportunities for people with physical disabilities. ACLIFIM has a voluntary membership of over 42,000 and is represented in all 14 Cuban provinces. All of the officers are people with physical disabilities. The organization provides counseling, medicine, and rehabilitation equipment. The work of this organization is a real inspiration.
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Víctor Manuel's Gitana Tropical, known as the Cuban Mona Lisa, was painted in Paris in 1929. |
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Guided tour of the Palacio de Bellas Artes [Palace of Fine Arts] dedicated exclusively to housing Cuban art spanning three centuries. Sections are devoted to landscape, religious subjects and narrative scenes of Cuban life. A gallery devoted to the 1970s displays the latest generation of Cuban artists whose works reflect the strong symbolic imagery prevalent in recent decades. Together the exhibits account for the richness of the island's Spanish, French, Chinese, African cultural roots. Notable works include those of Rene Portacarrero and Wilfredo Lam.
Suggested evening venue: Casa de la Amistad is one of the best settings to listen to great traditional music in a welcoming friendly atmosphere. You'll enjoy the classical son group, La Peña del Chan Chan perform up-tempo salsa and bolero. Dance with Cubans and foreign visitors on the veranda or in the beautiful gardens of Casa de la Amistad's spectacular mansion facilities (optional participation, not included in cost, 3 CUC entrance fee). |
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"Sexuality is more than a reproductive function," says CENESEX president Mariela Castro Espín (right), noting that it is also about love, pleasure, discovery and experiment. "Human beings are much more diverse than we think." Castro Espín champions the cause of homosexuals, transvestites and transsexuals. "If you suppress things, they will become hidden," says Castro. "It has been proven in scientific research in Cuba and other countries that the more education you give adolescents and adults, the more people are free to make their own decisions." |
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| Left Publication of CENESEX offers in depth coverage on all matters of sexuality and AIDS prevention. Right CENESEX pro-condom poster reads: Disfruta la vida evita el SIDA. ¿Cómo demuestro que te amo? [Enjoy life, avoid AIDS. How I show you that I love you?]. This one shows a woman holding a condom and tulip. A matching version shows a man. They target both gays and straights. |
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In 2007, Cuba undertook to create and computerize national networks of blood banks, nephrology and medical images. Cuba is the second country after France to do so. Cuba is preparing a computerized health register, hospital management system, primary health care, academic affairs, medical genetic projects, neurosciences, and educational software. The aim is to maintain quality health services, increase exchange among experts and boost research-development projects. The Network and Health Website (INFOMED) is accessible to all workers of the national health system. |
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| Day 5 :: WEDNESDAY |
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HOSPITAL, SCHOOL AND CLINIC VISITS |
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Cuban biotechnology lab. Research and resulting products are focused on preventing and curing tropical and Third World maladies affecting billions of people. |
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Hundreds of thousands of children in Africa benefit from free dedicated services of Cuban doctors and nurses. People in the Caribbean also benefit. In Haiti, for instance, the first doctor 90% of the population has met was Cuban. |
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Practicing martial arts moves. With a one-to-one ratio of staff-to-special needs kids, they excel in many endeavors. |
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Morning tour of a Havana Hospital. This is an opportunity to meet Cuban doctors and nurses and learn more about the health care system and its practices.
Visit to Escuela Latinoamericana de Medicina – ELAM (Latin American School of Medicine). Established in 1999 and financed by the generosity of people of Cuba, ELAM is the largest medical school in the world with a current enrollment of over 12,000 students from over 29 countries. All its students come from outside Cuba and are mainly from Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa. The school also accepts disadvantaged students from the United States. Tuition, accommodation and board are free, and a small stipend is provided to students. Upon graduation young doctors are expected to return to their homelands and provide medical services to the poor for a period of three years. (This activity is subject to change.)
This afternoon we'll feast on a delicious lunch hosted by José Fuster, one of Cuba's most important ceramists and painters at his whimsical studio in Jaimanita, just outside of Havana.
Afterwards will visit Senén Casas Regueiro (a division of the Center for Integral Pediatric Rehabilitation), located in Central Havana. Its multidisciplinary team helps kids that suffer from Cerebral Palsy, Downs Syndrome and other disabilities, gain speech, physical and social skills. The student/patient to staff ratio is nearly one-to-one. Advances made at Senén Casas Regueiro are remarkable. Much of the equipment is modern, manufactured in the United States, and donated to the facility by North Americans.
Your evening is free to explore the sights and sounds of the city with your tourmates and new Cuban friends. |
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| Logo of the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM). Learn more about ELAM here. |
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Eight US medical students graduate from the Latin American School of Medicine. Photo Javier Galeano |
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Fantasy garden and studio of acclaimed artist José Fuster. |
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Moviemaker Michael Moore visits the home of Cuban artist José Fuster while filming "SiCKO" in March 2007. |
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| Day 6 :: THURSDAY |
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ELDERLY SERVICES, MUSEUM OF THE REVOLUTION |
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Restoration of Belén Convent began in 1991 and continues today. It serves as a public health facility for the elderly in the neighborhood and a permanent residence for 50 retirees. Eventually a section of the facility will house small a hotel. |
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Doctors and nurses at a Havana clinic display donations from their North American counterparts. |
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Morning visit to the Convento de Nuestra Señora de Belén [Convent of Our Lady of Belén], a humanitarian health project in Old Havana. Construction on the Convent was begun in 1712. It was expanded and remodeled several times over the centuries. Finally abandoned in 1925, it fell into grave disrepair. In 1991 restoration began and continues with amazing results. Today the Office of the Historian, local Public Health authorities and the Order of the Sisters of Charity jointly manage the Belén Convent. It is home to fifty elderly people and provides physiotherapy and ophthalmological services to many more elderly in the community. Other activities include exercise classes, board games, cognitive rehabilitation, films, crafts workshops, and "love among the elderly" lectures. We'll meet with project Director Nelson Aguila and tour the facility.
Afterwards we'll tour the Museum of Revolution, the former Presidential Palace. Today it exhibits the history of the Cuban Revolution through documents and objects among which we find the famous Yacht Granma that returned Fidel and his 82 guerilla fighters from Mexico to Cuba to launch the struggle for liberation from the Batista dictatorship.
Farewell dinner for tour participants at La Cocina de Liliam where president Jimmy Carter dined during his historic visit to Cuba in May 2002.
Evening suggestion Parisienne or Tropicana cabaret show (not included in cost). |
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The Museum of the Revolution is housed in the former presidential palace. |
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Cabaret Tropicana performance. |
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| Afrocuban dance in Havana. African and Spanish heritages have combines to create a rich unique culture. Photos Barbara Fudge |
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| Day 7 :: FRIDAY |
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NATURAL CUBA: LAS TERRAZAS ECO-COMMUNITY |
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Crocodile hatchling. Exotic and unique plants and animals thrive in Cuba. The island has more protected areas than any other country. |
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Young person staffs farmers market. |
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Cuban red-legged honeycreeper. |
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Gundlach's hawk thrives in Cuba. |
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Left Cuban youths ride horse on beach. Above A boy and his prize piglet. |
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| CUBA HAS 300 ecologically protected areas comprising 22 percent of its landmass. Six of these areas are UNESCO World Biosphere Reserves. Over half the island's diverse flora and fauna is indigenous – existing nowhere else – and is guarded from exploitation. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) declared Cuba the only country with a planet friendly economy. |
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Fruit stand offers local organic produce. |
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The Sierra del Rosario Mountains, home to Las Terrazas, once produced fine coffee beans and were later deforested as a result of charcoal manufacture. Thirty years ago, Las Terrazas inhabitants restored tens-of-thousands of hectares to its original jungle-like state. |
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Morning departure to Las Terrazas eco-community in the Sierra del Rosario mountain range west of Havana in the province of Pinar del Río.
We'll tour its rural village called Rancho Curujey and enjoy a welcome cocktail while hearing about this self-sustaining community's goals of reforestation, historical preservation, environmental balance and a good life.
We'll visit a rural community clinic and meet the doctor and nurse who staff it. A great opportunity to discuss the challenges of rural medicine.
Next we'll meet with local artists and craft workers in their homes and studios.
Later we'll walk the incredible ruins of a French Coffee Plantation built in 1801 and worked by African slaves.
Then we continue on to La Moka, an ecological hotel with trees growing up through its balconies and ceilings.
We'll enjoy a complementary lunch at a local eatery serving traditional Cuban country cuisine.
You'll have free time to swim in the fresh waters of the Río San Juan and explore the surroundings of this lush tropical paradise.
Return to Havana.
Dinner (not included in cost). Your guide is available to suggest nearby eateries for every taste and budget.
Tonight is free to explore the neighborhood around your hotel and local entertainment options with your tourmates and new Cuban friends. |
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In the countryside many youth are engaged in organic agriculture combined with rigorous academics. Animal partners help out on the farm. Eco-friendly practices result in tasty produce and high productivity. |
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We'll swim in this heavenly pool at Las Terrazas. |
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In preparation for your trip, you might watch "Motorcycle Diaries," a thrilling adventure that traces the youthful origins of a revolutionary spirit who would become Doctor Che Guevara. |
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Once deforested and mired in poverty, Las Terrazas today is a self-staining eco-community. |
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The jutía, native to Cuba, is a large rodent the size of a cocker spaniel. They dwell in trees and are vegetarians. Jutías are the preferred breakfast of crocodiles and the biggest endemic island mammal. |
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| Some among many staples grown organically in Havana and Pinar del Río provinces: Left to right Bananas, coffee beans, cucumbers, pineapple, sweet potatoes, eggplant, and avocados. |
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| Day 8 :: SATURDAY |
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GOODBYE CUBA |
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| KEEP IN TOUCH with your new Cuban friends – exchange email addresses! Bring some business cards to pass out on the island. Take pictures and keep a journal. Upon your return, we'll post them on this website for all to see and enjoy. |
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Early morning transfer to Havana's José Martí International Airport for your return home. Don't forget to save 25.00 CUC for your Cuban airport departure tax.
Want to stay longer on your own? Contact us and we will help make it happen. |
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| We'll miss you and hope you return soon! |
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Old Cuban saying, "A true friend remembers the song in your heart when you have forgotten the lyrics." |
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