Colorful photos of Cuba

Cuban Rhythms (Sold Out)

December 3–8, 2024

Pricing: $5,250 per person; For a single room add $675
Trip is limited to 25 participants

This trip is sold out. Please contact ATA at 877-298-9677 or Reservations@academic-travel.com to join the waitlist.

Overview

Since Christopher Columbus declared Cuba part of the Spanish Empire in 1492, the island has served as a way station of New World wealth on its way across the Atlantic, a playground of American mob bosses and literati, and a tropical outpost of communism. The story of its past is told in the streets of its soulful cities, where Russian-made Ladas buzz alongside classic American cars and majestic façades now stand in various states of decay or restoration. Amid this tableau that seems frozen in time, Cuban creativity is alive and thriving. Join the Chautauqua Institution for an in-depth exploration of contemporary Cuba, hearing the unique perspectives of artists and entrepreneurs, farmers and dancers, urban planners, and political experts. During six fascinating days in and around Havana, visit family homes as well as important historic sites, enjoy private performances by renowned musicians and dance companies, and meet artists in their studios. Through panel discussions with local experts and interactions with everyday Cubans, gain insights into a rich and storied culture and the challenges and joys of life in Cuba.

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Questions?

Please contact ATA at:
Toll-Free Number: 877-298-9677
Reservations@academic-travel.com

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Trip Highlights

  • Experience Cuban rhythms as you take a dance or Afro-Cuban percussion lesson.
  • Explore Cuba’s natural beauty on a day trip to Soroa, “the rainbow of Cuba” a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
  • Witness private performances from classical music to Latin Jazz to impromptu jam sessions.
  • Meet members of the Malpaso Dance Company with Executive Director Fernando Sáez.
  • Discuss historic preservation with urban planners and meet with entrepreneurs to discuss politics and foreign policy.

Trip Host: Deborah Sunya Moore

Deborah Sunya Moore is Senior Vice President and Chief Program Officer at Chautauqua Institution. She is a percussionist and arts educator, has a long history as an advocate of performing arts programs for youth and persons with disabilities. Deborah is currently the chief program officer/senior vice president for Chautauqua Institution and a national workshop leader for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She was awarded the designation of Fulbright specialist in arts integration from 2017–2019.

Deborah Sunya Moore

Itinerary

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 1

Bienvenidos a Havana

Arrive at Havana’s Jose Marti International Airport and transfer to your boutique hotel* in Vedado, a historic residential neighborhood filled with elegantly restored mansions. Meet your fellow travelers for an orientation from your tour staff followed by a festive welcome dinner featuring local flavors. Experience a captivating performance by Primera Linea, a youth band that fuses music from New Orleans and Cuba.

Included Meals: Dinner

Accommodations: Boutique hotel

Day 2

History of Havana

Meet with Cuba’s top urban planner this morning to gain insights into the cultural, political, and socioeconomic factors that are influencing the city’s evolution — and the challenges that historic preservationists face bringing this enchanting city into the future. Witness a private classical musical performance. After a traditional Cuban lunch in a renowned paladar, or privately-run restaurant, set out on a walking tour of Old Havana. Exploring in small groups, you’ll have a chance to interact with families and entrepreneurs, visiting private homes and businesses to get an inside look at daily life in the city. Cap off the day with visits to the home studios of world-renowned and up-and-coming artists.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodations: Boutique hotel

Day 3

Hemingway and Hip Hop

Tour the home of Ernest Hemingway at Finca Vigia, where the author penned For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea. Then travel to an urban farm on the outskirts of Havana. Sit down to a farm-to-table lunch and learn about the role of small, community-run gardens in addressing food scarcity issues in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union — once Cuba’s main supplier of agricultural products. This afternoon, meet La Reyna y La Real, a Havana-born female rap duo that is pushing the boundaries of gender and race in the Cuban hip-hop scene. This evening, gather for a reception at Café Madrigal, the art-filled home of filmmaker Rafael Rosales, where you’ll converse with writers and artists over cocktails followed by a cigar tasting with a local expert.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Reception

Accommodations: Boutique hotel

Day 4

Cuba’s Natural Beauty

Depart for day trip to Soroa, named “the rainbow of Cuba” a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (approximately 90 minutes from Havana). This small oasis located in the Rosario Mountain Range features beautiful trails, coffee plantations, rivers, and waterfalls. This visit will include a visit to an orchid garden, a guided hike through a natural reserve, and a farm-to-table lunch. Though the hike is not particularly strenuous, it is two hours in length. Travelers should be physically fit enough to be able to walk for two hours (with breaks) on terrain that is not completely flat. Return to Havana in the late afternoon. Keep the natural beauty of the day flowing into the evening during a rooftop jam session with local musicians.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodations: Boutique hotel

Day 5

The Arts Revealed

Participate in a panel discussion with top Cuban experts in politics, entrepreneurship, economics, and foreign policy. Then head to the Museum of Cuban Art for a private tour led by art historians. This afternoon, pay a special visit to the Malpaso Dance Company headquarters with Fernando Saez, meeting with dancers and learning about the global influences that have shaped the style of this renowned troupe. Attend a dance lesson to learn the moves of one of Cuba’s most famous dances such as salsa, folklore, or other traditional rhythms, or try your hand at Afro-Cuban percussion. Celebrate your journey at one of Havana’s top paladars.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Boutique hotel

Day 6

Hasta Luego!

After breakfast, transfer to the airport to catch your flight home.

Included Meal: Breakfast

What’s Included?

  • All accommodations for the duration of the tour
  • Meals, as noted in the itinerary
  • All sightseeing and visits as noted in each itinerary
  • Expertise of an ATA-hired tour manager and local guides throughout the tour
  • All gratuities for on-tour guides, drivers, hotel, and restaurant staff as part of the group program
  • All on-tour transportation, unless otherwise noted
  • Quietvox listening devices to facilitate audibility and social distancing on tour
  • The assistance of an ATA professional travel team to assist with pre-trip questions, travel arrangements, including flights, extra hotel nights and other services
  • Comprehensive pre-departure mailings and materials with information about the destination and what to expect on tour, including a suggested reading list
  • Emergency evacuation insurance

Accommodations

*Boutique hotels are privately and independently run by Cuban citizens rather than by the Cuban government. Each hotel only has 8–11 rooms. As such, with a maximum group size of 25, our group will likely utilize two hotels. They are all similar caliber and located in the same neighborhood. These former colonial mansions turned into full-service hotels are not only compliant with the U.S. regulations on travel to Cuba but capture the charm and mystique of a bygone era. Specific boutique hotel assignments will be announced closer to departure.