02 February 2016, 00:00

CUBA!

• Five of the best ways to see Cuba with Saga
• Sail in for overnight stays during two ocean cruises
• Explore the island with a choice of two escorted tours
• Relax at beachfront resort - 22 nights’ all-inc from £1,829

Holidaymakers can see Cuba every which way with Saga – there’s a choice of two cruises, two escorted tours or a relaxing beachside resort stay to meet demand from culture-hungry passengers who realise the easing of America’s 50-year trade and travel restrictions will probably mean the island is about to change forever.

Stay & Relax at Memories Jibacoa – from £1,229

Just the ticket for a soothing break in the sun, guests can spend from eight to 22 nights at this peaceful all-inclusive resort, mid-way between Havana and Varadero. Set in lush gardens alongside a long, sandy beach guests can windsurf, snorkel or kayak at no extra charge. Some tours are included in the holiday price and Havana is a one-and-a-half hour’s drive away, just waiting to be explored.

Eight nights from £1,229; 15 nights from £1,559 and 22 nights from £1,829, all include one night on board aircraft, with departures from March to June, September to December 2016 and January to March 2017. Flights from London Gatwick or Manchester.

Cuba Libra Escorted Tour - 15 nights from £1,949

Capture the essence of Cuba on this fascinating tour which blends the island’s unspoilt rural scenery with Spanish colonial cities. The first three nights are spent in Havana and guests can tour author Ernest Hemingway’s favourite haunts and visit the Tropicana nightclub and cabaret. The tour continues to Vinales Valley where hummingbirds and butterflies fill the air in the Las Terrazas Nature Reserve.

The historic Bay of Pigs, where Fidel Castro’s revolutionary regime saw off the 1961 invasion is on the itinerary and there is a three-night stay in Cienfuegos, a UNESCO-protected town with a magnificent central square.

Next, the vibrant city of Trinidad awaits before guests head to Varadero, stopping at the final resting place of Che Guevara. The last four nights are spent at the all-inclusive Melia Varadero beach resort.

Departures from May to June, September to November 2016 and January to March 2017 with flights from London Gatwick. Duration includes one night on board aircraft. This tour can be extended with a seven-night stay at Memories Jibacoa.

Viva Cuba escorted tour - 15 nights from £2,099

This round-trip from Havana introduces Cuba's cultural highlights in old and new Havana plus visits to Santa Clara and the Che Guevara Mausoleum. There’s a two-night stay at the all-inclusive Memories Paraiso Azul Beach Resort (4Q) and a tour to Cayo Santa Maria, a tiny island linked by road to the main island.

A tour of the colonial city of Trinidad offers more culture and perhaps a stop at the famous La Canchanchara Bar. Guests stay overnight at the Villa Rancho Hatuey for city tours of Sancti Spiritus and Camaguey before moving on to island’s second largest city Santiago de Cuba.

Charming Bayamo is also on the itinerary and here many locals still use horses as a means of transport; it is the last stop before travelling to Playa Pesquero for a three-night stay at the all-inclusive Playa Costa Verde (4Q), a seaside resort hotel, near Holguin, where there is an optional tour to swim with dolphins.

Departures from May to June, September to November 2016 and January to March 2017 with flights from London Gatwick. Duration includes one night on board aircraft. This tour can be extended with a seven-night stay at Memories Jibacoa.

Cruise: Grand Caribbean Adventure on Saga Pearl II

Newcomers to Saga Cruising save up to £800 per person when booking on or before March 13, 2016.

Saga Pearl II’s Grand Caribbean Adventure moors overnight in Havana for guests to immerse themselves in the culture. The mooring overnight gives guests time to visit The Tropicana, a world known cabaret and club in Havana.

42 nights all-inclusive from £7,412, departing Southampton on November 8, 2016

Cruise: Central American Discovery on Saga Sapphire

Saga Sapphire will call at two Cuban ports during her 66-night cruise which departs from Southampton. Mooring overnight in Havana offers many optional tours including a walk through the lovely squares of the Old City.

Santiago de Cuba, in the south, is the next port of call. Set between the Sierra Maestra mountains and the coast, it is known as the ‘cradle of the revolution’ with monuments depicting Cuba’s long struggle for independence.

Other highlights on this no-fly cruise include sailing through the Panama Canal on the outward and return journeys.

66 nights from £12,430 departing Southampton on January 11, 2017

For details visit saga.co.uk/cuba or call 0800 414 383

-ENDS-

Editors: Contact Senior Press Officer Naomi Thornton email naomi.thornton@saga.co.uk or call 01303 772499

Saga Holidays is the winner of 16 Gold British Travel Awards 2015 including Best Specialist Cruise Line (Ocean), Best Small Ships Cruise Line, Best Holiday Company to Central & South America and Best Escorted Adventure Holiday Company.

Prices are per person, based on two people sharing the lowest available outside cabin, are correct at time of going to print and are subject to availability and change.

All-inclusive price includes UK travel package to and from Southampton, all meals and entertainment, choice of table wines at lunch and dinner, afternoon tea, 24-hour room service, welcome cocktail party, unlimited tea and coffee in selected venues, free Wi-Fi internet, all on-board gratuities, porterage, free shuttle bus to nearest town centre (whenever possible and when the ship is berthed more than 500 yards away), optional travel insurance and additional cancellation rights, or a discount of £385 for the Central American Discovery Cruise or £220 for the Grand Caribbean Adventure Cruise if passenger has own insurance. All excursions mentioned are optional, at an additional cost and is subject to availability and change.


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