Endemics of the West
A slow birding week through the Sierra del Rosario forests of Las Terrazas and Soroa, the karst valley of San Diego de los Baños, and the endemic-rich Zapata edge at Playa Girón.
For: Birdwatchers, naturalists, patient photographers
1 · Budget first
A transparent, itemised estimate for 2 travellers · 8 nights · casa tier. Every line is a planner range in USD — an estimate to budget with, not a quote.
| International airfare | $1,100 – $2,600 |
| Entry documents (tourist card) | $60 – $150 |
| Travel insurance | $80 – $300 |
| Accommodation | $200 – $400 |
| Local transportation | $190 – $550 |
| Food | $400 – $800 |
| Guides & activities | $240 – $660 |
| Connectivity | $30 – $110 |
| Tips | $40 – $160 |
| Water, laundry & sundries | $24 – $96 |
| Emergency reserve | $126 – $484 |
| Total (2 travellers) | $2,490 – $6,310 |
- Per traveller
- $1,245 – $3,155
- Per day
- $311 – $789
- Ground only (no airfare)
- $1,264 – $3,226
- Airfare est. / traveller
- $550 – $1,300
Basis: casa particular · local mixed food · shared taxi · 6 guided days.
Adjust every number in the planner →Estimates in USD to help you budget — not observed prices, quotes or guaranteed availability. Most US cards don’t work in Cuba; carry cash and keep the reserve.
2 · Fly in
Barcelona (BCN) → Havana (HAV) — José Martí International
Cuba's principal international gateway — the only truly diversified one, with links across the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa.
Example dates 2026-09-15 → 2026-09-23 (adjust on the live search). CubaAtlas books nothing — these open live results:
3 · Day by day
Where to sleep and dine each day is a real listing from the CubaAtlas provider dataset, nearest your base.
Morning
Transfer from Havana up into the Sierra del Rosario biosphere at Las Terrazas.Afternoon
First forest walk for Cuban tody, Cuban trogon and Cuban solitaire.Evening
Lakeside dinner in the eco-village, checklist over coffee.Morning
Dawn chorus trail — Olive-capped warbler and Scaly-naped pigeon.Afternoon
The old French coffee ruins and a stream for the Cuban emerald hummingbird.Evening
Home cooking on the terrace, night sounds of the forest.Morning
Short move to Soroa; the orchid garden and a bee-hummingbird search.Afternoon
Waterfall trail for Cuban grassquit and Cuban pygmy owl.Evening
Casa dinner with a valley view.DinnerFonda de MercedesrestaurantMap →Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)Morning
Climb to the Castle in the Clouds viewpoint for raptors on the ridge.Afternoon
River-edge birding for the Cuban green woodpecker and Great lizard cuckoo.Evening
Quiet evening, logging the week's endemics.DinnerFonda de MercedesrestaurantMap →Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)Morning
Drive to San Diego de los Baños; the Hoyo de Guama karst for parrots and parakeets.Afternoon
Cueva de los Portales birding and the still forest around the springs.Evening
Village casa dinner and an early night.Morning
Long transfer south to the Zapata edge at Playa Girón.Afternoon
First scan of the wetland margins — herons, egrets and the Cuban black hawk.Evening
Fresh fish by the bay, dawn plan for the marsh.StayPlaya GirónPlaya GiróN & ZapataMap →Source: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)Morning
Dawn at La Turba and Bermejas for Zapata sparrow, Bee hummingbird and Bare-legged owl.Afternoon
Flamingo flats and Fernandina's flicker in the palm woodland.Evening
Final checklist over a slow country dinner.StayPlaya GirónPlaya GiróN & ZapataMap →Source: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)Morning
One more dawn hour for anything missed on the marsh trails.Afternoon
Drive back toward Havana with a lagoon stop en route.Evening
Farewell dinner and the trip list tallied before the flight.StayPlaya GirónPlaya GiróN & ZapataMap →Source: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
4 · Visa, entry & customs
Every visitor needs a Cuban tourist card (tarjeta del turista) plus a passport valid for the stay and proof of onward travel and medical insurance. Buy the tourist card before you fly — the price and colour depend on your departure country and airline.
Nationals of Spain travel on the ordinary tourist card — no consular visa for a standard holiday stay.
5 · Book direct, or compare an agency
This plan is costed to book direct — the $3,900 (expected) above is what the trip actually costs, itemised, with no package margin. A travel agency bundles flights, hotel and transfers into one price and adds a service fee for the convenience. We don’t quote agencies (we’d never invent a price) — so take a package quote and compare it line-for-line against the breakdown above.
Operating Spain agencies serving Cuba, if you prefer a package:
- Air Europa ↗
Scheduled Madrid–Havana.
Sells: flights
- Iberia ↗
Scheduled Madrid–Havana (~10h20 nonstop).
Sells: flights · 901 111 500
- Iberojet ↗
Own flights + Havana–Varadero packages (Ávoris/Barceló group).
Sells: flights, packages · 918 460 001
- Catai ↗
Premium tailor-made Cuba tours.
Sells: packages, tours · +34 914 091 125
- B the travel brand (Viajes Barceló) ↗
450 agencies; Havana–Varadero combined packages.
Sells: packages, flights, hotels · 913 277 760
- Viajes El Corte Inglés ↗
Dedicated “Viajes a Cuba” section across 6 destinations.
Sells: flights, packages, hotels · 91 33 00 732
CubaAtlas is non-commercial and takes no commission. Agency links go straight to the operator; we don’t book, broker or earn from them.
Every Cuba agency, compiled — with the free equivalent for each →Questions
- How much does the "Endemics of the West" trip cost?
- An estimated $2,490–$6,310 all-in for 2 traveller(s) over 8 nights ($1,950 per traveller expected), including airfare, lodging, food, transport and a reserve. It is a planner estimate, not a quote — you book each part direct, with no agency margin.
- Do I need a visa to travel to Cuba?
- Every visitor needs a Cuban tourist card plus a valid passport, onward travel and medical insurance — no consular visa for a standard holiday stay. See the CubaAtlas visa & entry guide.
- When is the best time for this trip?
- Best months: December–April (migrants plus resident endemics).
- Can I book this trip on CubaAtlas?
- No — CubaAtlas is a free, non-commercial planner. It gives you the itinerary, the budget, live flight-search links and real hotel and restaurant listings, and you arrange each part directly at the source. We book nothing and take no commission.