Private excursion findings - Cienfuegos, Trinidad Cuba

[ebslcc]

I have been looking for private excursions for Trinidad and Cienfuegos for our December 2 days cruise stop in Cienfuegos Cuba. I have combed through forum postings on Cruise Critic, TripAdvisor and exchanged emails with many Cienfuegos tour operators including Caribbean Pearl, fertours2havana.com, Out-of-the-box Tours, trinidadsightseeing.com. We have finally settled on using a new independent tour operator Tony (Antonio) Castillo tony.cubavacation@gmail.com He looks to be a very good new tour service for Centrifuges. I found Tony by asking Roly, owner of Havana Memories for a referral. We are using Roly's Havana Memories for our Havana private excursion in our December cruise. I find Roly to be very trust worthy from my communication with him https://havanamemories.jimdo.com/

 

Tony is the owner of Hostal La Verde in Centrifuges. His house is located in a very nice area in Centrifuges. He has excellent reviews on TripAdvisor: mostly 5 stars. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g609122-d2292137-Reviews-Hostal_La_Verde-Cienfuegos_Cienfuegos_Province_Cuba.html#REVIEWS

I got a very good impression of him reading the reviews, seeing photos of his house on TripAdvisor and AirBnb and seeing a video of him that one of his guest posted on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1G5ThBEUvI.

 

Tony is just branching out providing AirBnB experiences and cruise excursions. He has 20+ years experience in the hospitality business. He speaks 4 languages and speaks English perfectly. He used to be an English professor (Roly was a Physics professor may be that's how they knew each other?).

 

There has been NO reviews of him conducting tours online. I found out that he took a group from a recent Royal Caribbean cruise stop for his Trinidad-Centrifuges tour in September. I posted a request for review in the Roll Call but it looks like no one is looking at the Roll Call any longer. I didn't get any replies.

 

We want to go to Trinidad on one of the 2 days we have in Centrifuges. One big concern I have is the transportation with private tours in Cuba! I read review of one of the private operator driving up with a junky car when a AC van was promised. There is always this possibility when going with a private tour in Cuba since good quality vehicles is scarce. Tony's responded to my concern puts me more at ease:

Do you only have one van? What is the maximum number of passengers? How old is

it? Is the van yours or is it a rental as needed? Does it have air conditioning?

We rent a private van in perfect conditions with the official license or permit to

transport tourists and the maximum number of pax in it is 7. It has air conditioning. The v

an was made in 2006 and it is in perfect conditions as previously said. Chofer is a very

experienced professional driver and doesn´t drink alcoholic beverages. A person I trust

100%. If you have more than 7 people, we have to rent a van from the government.

Tony is very good with his responses to my queries point by point. He appears to be very well organized from his responses. He has been very helpful as we try to figure out what to do with our two days of touring with him. It appears to be true that he does what he says: "We will always try to move heaven and earth to get what you need and try to please you." He said it in our email exchange and I also found this quote in his TripAdvisor reviews.

 

One negative I found with Tony is he does take a few days to reply to my emails. I think I figure out why: Internet services is very poor in Cuba. I think he downloads his emails and then write his answer offline and then post them as an attachment email with his next connection to the internet. He apologizes often for his late response. He mentioned that when he is on multi-day tours he may not have internet access for days. This is the same problem I found with other independent operators like the highly rated Yuri at Cubaguider.

 

Unlike other independents who jacks up their prices for cruise passengers I find Tony's pricing to be more than fair. I am pretty sure that he is charging us the same rate as what he charges for his Casa particular based tours. He quoted us 160 cuc for 4 people per day for our 2 full day tours: 1st day to Trinidad-Cienfuegos and a second day customized Cienfuegos local tours (7 hours). This is the best price quote I got from a Cienfuegos tour operator. I like the fact that his touring with us is completely private and completely customizable. He gives us ideas and we get to set our own pace and where to go. His pricing and flexibility in customization is comparable to what we are getting with Roly at Havana Memories: 150 cuc for 4 with driver + guide for 7 hours. I have also asked Tony what he charges for 4 hour customized local tour, his price is 25 cuc per person minimum 4. Like Roly at Havana Memories Tony does not require any advance deposit. You pay him in cash when you meet him for the tour.

 

If you are thinking of using a private cruise excursion you may want to look into Tony's offerings for your comparison. Tony's pricing is excellent. I have no clue on how Tony is as a tour guide. We will not experience what it is like touring with Tony until December. If anyone go with his excursions it would be great to hear back from you with your review.

 

I will be posting my detail notes on what I have gathered from other Cienfuegos tour operators and my impressions from my interaction with them later in this thread. Below are the contact info for other private tour operators. You may want to check out their website and contact them and form your own opinions who you would like to pick for your needs. Searches for their reviews on Cruise Critic and TripAdvisor are also helpful.

 

Fernando Hernandez Mora at https://www.caribbeanpearltours.com/ Emails: fehmor1982@gmail.com, fernando8205@nauta.cu (try both emails!!!)

Yuri at http://cubaguider.com Email: Yuri.arcayaborrego@nauta.cu

Fernando at fertours2havana.com Email: fertours2@gmail.com

Yoennis Díaz Moreno at http://www.outofthebox.zone/ Email: yoe@outofthebox.zone

Anna at https://trinidadsightseeing.com/ Email: info@trinidadsightseeing.com

 

Summary

Tour operator: Antonio Castillo

Contact: tony.cubavacation@gmail.com

Email communications: spotty, can be days between replies!

TripAdvisor https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g609122-d2292137-Reviews-Hostal_La_Verde-Cienfuegos_Cienfuegos_Province_Cuba.html#REVIEWS

AirBnb https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/6397026

Reviews: none yet on his tour services

Tour prices: 25 cuc pp for 4 hours tours, 40 cuc pp for 7 hoour tours 4 people minimum

Vehicle types: 2006 van with AC

Tour capacity: 4 minimum, up to 7 with his private van

Deposit required: none - pay when we meet

 

I think it would be good to have a consolidated thread on private tours for Cienfuegos-Trinidad. Please reply if you have experiences to share.

 

Laurence

[cruzmaven]

Thank you for this. I’ll contact Tony for our February cruise.

 

We only have one day in Cienfuegos. Based on your research do you think the trip to Trinidad is worthwhile?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[ebslcc]

Thank you for this. I’ll contact Tony for our February cruise.

We only have one day in Cienfuegos. Based on your research do you think the trip to Trinidad is worthwhile?

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I see from your postings that you are on the 2/2/19 Azamara Cuba cruise. It has a very nice itinerary!!! I wish our cruise's itinerary has 2 overnight stays in Havana!

 

I see that your cruise's stop in Cienfuegos is from 8 AM to 6 PM. I think that should be enough time to see both Cienfuegos and Trinidad - even if your ship has to tender and run into problems like the Empress of the Sea did on Sept 18th. See https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=57133520#post57133520

 

Do you know if your ship is docking. I think the Azamara is small enough to avoid tendering.

 

In an earlier email exchange Tony had responded to my query re: timing of his Trinidad + Cienfuegos tour:

"Trinidad city is located 81 km away from Cienfuegos and it takes an hour and fifteen

minutes to get there.

Info related to the last group I had last Tuesday, Sept. 18 (a group of 7 people):

We all agreed to visit Trinidad first so we left the harbor at 10 am to arrive in Trinidad

at 11: 15. We started our journey back to Cienfuegos at 12:45 pm (one and a half hour

later) after visiting all places we had planned.

We normally dedicate one and a half hour or two hours in each portion."

All the tour companies I have listed above have Trinidad + Ciefuegos tours. You may also want to check them out so that you have your personal comparison interacting with the vendors.

 

If you would like to chat about your other ports and more details on my findings that I haven't posted yet you can email me at ebslcc at gmail.com.

 

Laurence

[cruzmaven]

Good information. Thank you.

[paumarier]

We just returned from the Oceania Sirena to Cuba. We stopped in Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago. We hired private guides in all three places and had absolutely no problems.

We hired Raul of Blexie Tours in Havana. He and his driver took us all over Havana for the day in an immaculate, very well maintained 1957 Buick Belvedere with air conditioning.

 

We hired Gio of Gio's Cuba Tours for a day in Trinidad. He and his driver picked us up at the terminal in Cienfuegos and drove us in an immaculate, well maintained and air conditioned taxi to Trinidad which was 1.5 hours away. We spent the day sightseeing and he returned us to our ship at the end of the day.

We hired Maikil Alvarez in Santiago. He drove his own taxi which also was immaculately clean, well maintained and air conditioned.

All three of these young men gave us fabulous tours of their home towns. They all spoke English very well. They showed us all the main sights but also little known and off the beaten path places that added immensely to our tours. They brought us to small family restaurants, out of the way bars/cafes for drinks and shared lots of historical/cultural information with us. We recommend all three of these young men if you are interested in private guides. They will make your visit to Cuba very enjoyable.

[ebslcc]

We just returned from the Oceania Sirena to Cuba. We stopped in Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago. We hired private guides in all three places and had absolutely no problems.

We hired Raul of Blexie Tours in Havana. He and his driver took us all over Havana for the day in an immaculate, very well maintained 1957 Buick Belvedere with air conditioning.

 

We hired Gio of Gio's Cuba Tours for a day in Trinidad. He and his driver picked us up at the terminal in Cienfuegos and drove us in an immaculate, well maintained and air conditioned taxi to Trinidad which was 1.5 hours away. We spent the day sightseeing and he returned us to our ship at the end of the day.

We hired Maikil Alvarez in Santiago. He drove his own taxi which also was immaculately clean, well maintained and air conditioned.

All three of these young men gave us fabulous tours of their home towns. They all spoke English very well. They showed us all the main sights but also little known and off the beaten path places that added immensely to our tours. They brought us to small family restaurants, out of the way bars/cafes for drinks and shared lots of historical/cultural information with us. We recommend all three of these young men if you are interested in private guides. They will make your visit to Cuba very enjoyable.

 

Thank you for contributing to this thread! These are great finds. Blexie is well known on TripAdvisor and CC. I found Maikil Alvarez via Google. He is part of the cubacabbie.com group: http://cubacabbie.com/the-yacht-1/. Gio's Cuba Photo Tours has fantastic all 5 star reviews on TripAdvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g285731-d13317735-Reviews-Gio_s_Cuba_Photo_Tours-Trinidad_Sancti_Spiritus_Province_Cuba.html VERY NICE!!!

 

I will check them out to gather more information to share. How big was your party? Just 2 people or more? It would be great if you can share info on the cost of their services.

 

I have chatted with another poster on TripAdvisor and she pointed me to check out Hector hhoropesa@nauta.cu who she had good experience touring with for her recent Cienfuegos cruise stop. From our email exchanges, he is another young man tour guide who is well worth considering. See her review here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g609122-i10967-k11233882-o30-Also_Looking_for_private_tour_guide_in_Cienfuegos-Cienfuegos_Cienfuegos_Province_Cuba.html. What he charged for 2 people is simply amazing 120 cuc for full day of touring to the waterfalls (a hike) and the city. He also offers city tours. His private car only fits 3 passengers. With larger group he will arrange for a caravan. I think many tour operators do this vs. renting a van (probably easier for them to rent cars).

 

Below is an updated list of private tour operators offering Cienfuegos and Cienfuegos+Tinidad tours for cruise passengers:

Anna at https://trinidadsightseeing.com/ Email: info@trinidadsightseeing.com

Gio at https://gioscubaphototours.com/ Emails: giovanni.guerra@nauta.cu, toursbygio@nauta.cu

Hector Email: hhoropesa@nauta.cu

Fernando at fertours2havana.com Email: fertours2@gmail.com

Fernando Hernandez Mora at https://www.caribbeanpearltours.com/ Emails: fehmor1982@gmail.com, fernando8205@nauta.cu (try both emails!!!)

Tony Castillo Tony Cuba Vacations Email: tony.cubavacation@gmail.com

Yoennis Díaz Moreno at http://www.outofthebox.zone/ Email: yoe@outofthebox.zone

Yuri at http://cubaguider.com Email: Yuri.arcayaborrego@nauta.cu

 

I plan to summarize my findings on Santiago and Havana later.

[ebslcc]

Wow the new forum messed up previous formatting . 

Below is an updated list of Cienfuegos/Trinidad private tour operators. I added Shango Tours:

Anna at https://trinidadsightseeing.com/ Email: info@trinidadsightseeing.com

Fernando at fertours2havana.com Email: fertours2@gmail.com

Fernando Hernandez Mora at https://www.caribbeanpearltours.com Emails: fehmor1982@gmail.com, fernando8205@nauta.cu

Gio at https://gioscubaphototours.com/ Emails: giovanni.guerra@nauta.cu, toursbygio@nauta.cu

Hector Hernandez Email: hhoropesa@nauta.cu

Shango Tours at http://www.shagotours.com/ Email: info@shagotours.com

Tony Castillo Tony Cuba Vacations Email: tony.cubavacation@gmail.com
 
Yoennis Díaz Moreno at http://www.outofthebox.zone/ Email: yoe@outofthebox.zone

Yuri at http://cubaguider.com Email: Yuri.arcayaborrego@nauta.cu

The top 2 all around independent tour operators I like are Tony Castillo and Hector Hernandez. Both were English teachers. Tony is more mature. Hector is the guy to go with if you are interested in outdoor activities like going to the El Nicho waterfalls. Both are truly independent (no chance of substandard sub-contractor). Both are reasonably priced.

The top 2 who I think would provide the best quality Trinidad tours: Gio at Gio's Cuba Photo Tours and trinidadsightseeing.com.  I will follow up later with sample quotes and more details from my findings.

Laurence

[ebslcc]

Below are some details on trinidadsightseeing.com tour offerings. It is one of the best rated tour operators for Trinidad tours.  However the potentially better experience comes with higher tour prices. 

 

trinidadsightseeing.com has been around for more than a couple of years. The company has 100+ 4 and 5 star reviews on TripAdvisor since March of 2016. 
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g285731-d9976691-Reviews-Trinidad_Sightseeing-Trinidad_Sancti_Spiritus_Province_Cuba.html

 

The company is located in Trinidad.  The tours and the cost of their tours is a little confusing. Here is how it works: 

1. The company provides a "transfer service" from many locations in Cuba to Trinidad. For Cienfuegos cruise passengers their tour guide + driver will pick up at the Cruise Terminal. They drive you to Trinidad to start the tour. The company also offers Cienfuegos tours that can be combined with their Trinidad tours. 
2. Payment is for the transfer fee + fee for one or more of their tours that you would like to take.
3. A deposit via Paypal is required to book.

Since the company is based in Trinidad the expense for the company is higher for their tours originating from Cienfuegos. To take cruise passengers on a tour in Trinidad their driver has to travel the distance 4 times: once to pick up in Cienfuegos, round trip for the tour plus a trip for the driver and guide to get back to Trinidad. The cost of travel is passed on to you with the transfer fee that you must pay for.

 

Transfer service cost for 1 person up to 4 people is 140 CUC round trip from Cienfuegos port.  For 6 people a minibus is needed and price would be 200 CUC return. 

 

The company also offers transfer service from many Cuban area e.g. from Havana. The company appears to be popular for people who are on land tours staying in private Casa's.  Obviously the transfer cost would be zero for people taking tours while they are staying in Trinidad.

 

The list of Trinidad tours that they offer is very extensive. The company offers more than just the standard walk around the Trinidad City Center tour. Most of what the company offers is listed on their Website https://trinidadsightseeing.com/tour-list/.  I have also copied other tour options in the shared Google doc page here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LNaw1PuD9q4vdM9PfCJuvYz9JFUYDsF_yMm1xtDPYqU/edit?usp=sharing

 

Tours available suitable for cruise passengers from Cienfuegos:
1. TRINIDAD HISTORICAL WALKING TOUR 25 cuc, minimum 1 person
This is a 2.5 hours walking tour in the city center. The itinerary is similar to other Trinidad historical center tours. The difference is the many of the guides are locals living and/or grew up in Trinidad. From reading their reviews their guides consistently provide excellent service. 

 

2. GREAT EXCURSION TOUR City & Sugar plantation (combo tour) 65 CUC pp, minimum 2 persons
This is a 5.5 hours tour which is a combination of TRINIDAD HISTORICAL WALKING TOUR and a driving tour to the Valle de Los Ingenios sugar plantation area. See the details of this tour from their website and my shared document.

 

3. LOCAL LIFE TOUR 25 CUC per person, minimum 2 persons
This 2.5 hours tour is a Tour of Trinidad by bicycle-taxi or with a horse drawn cart...sounds like fun!!!  See the details of this tour from their website and my shared document. 

 

4. HORSE-TOUR PARQUE CUBANO waterfall /swimming 40 CUC pp minimum 1 person.
3-4 hours. See the details on their website.

 

5. TOPES COLLANTES NATURE HIKING 65 CUC per person minimum 2 people. See the details on their website.

 

6. PLAY ANCON BEACH AND SNORKELLING 30 CUC per person minimu 2 people. See the details on their website.

 

7. CIENFUEGOS CITY TOUR 35 CUC per person or with lunch 45 CUC per person. 2 to 2 1/2 hours. See the details on my shared document.

 

8. CIENFUEGOS PUNTA GORDA TOUR 45 minutes 15 CUC per person. See the details on my shared document.

 

If you want a sampling of both Trinidad and Cienfuegoes and wants to go with trinidadsightseeing.com a good combination to consider is to take the TRINIDAD HISTORICAL WALKING TOUR + CIENFUEGOS CITY CENTER TOUR. Total time would be ~3 hours transfer + 2.5 hours Trinidad City Center + 2.5 hours Cienfuegos City Center = 8 hours. This is a pretty tight combination time wise if your cruise only have 9 hours or less in port. If you are doing combination tours may want to make sure you have the same guide with you for your entire trip. Handing over from one guide to another would waste time!

 

If your cruise is staying one or more overnights in Cienfuegoes a good strategy is to 1) focus an entire day in Trinidad on the day that you have an overnight. Take in as many Trinidad sights as you like for the time you have available. 2) On the 2nd day (or the day of your sail off from Cienfuegos) take a 1/2 or full day tour in Cienfuegos either with trinidadsightseeing.com or from one of the other vendors. This would take out the risk of being further away from your cruise on your day of leaving Cienfuegos.  Similarly I would not do a long Trinidad tour if your ship is only in port for the day.  Even though a good quality vehicle is promised there may not be good cell service on the road to/from Trinidad.  I'd rather be closer to the ship near the end of the tour.

 

Even if you don't pick trinidadsightseeing for your tours, seeing their itineraries can give ideas on what you may want to ask from the less expensive tour operators you end up using. You may not get the same in depth commentary as a Trinidad native guide but you may get to add to the list of places you want to see as you customize your tour.

 

Summary
Tour operator: trinidadsightseeing.com
Contact: info@trinidadsightseeing.com
Email communications: excellent - Anna always response within 24 hours
TripAdvisor https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g285731-d9976691-Reviews-Trinidad_Sightseeing-Trinidad_Sancti_Spiritus_Province_Cuba.html
Reviews: 100+ all 4 and 5 stars - see TripAdvisor
Tour prices: transfer fee + cost of tour(s). Sounds like if pressed the company would give a discount from their published price for larger groups or if you tell them you have a more competitive quote. If you like this company it is worth asking!
Vehicle types: "private transport in air conditioned modern car"
Tour capacity: 1-2 minimum
Deposit required: via Paypal
Tours and prices: 
https://trinidadsightseeing.com/tour-list/
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LNaw1PuD9q4vdM9PfCJuvYz9JFUYDsF_yMm1xtDPYqU/edit?usp=sharing

 

Bottom line: trinidadsightseeing provides highly rated unique tour experiences in Trinidad. The company offers one of the best set of tours. Perhaps their high tour prices is justified due to their proven quality. 

[ebslcc]

Gio's Cuba Photo Tours

Gio is a Trinidad native with a solid set of 100% 5 stars reviews on TripAdvisor.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g285731-d13317735-Reviews-Gio_s_Cuba_Photo_Tours-Trinidad_Sancti_Spiritus_Province_Cuba.html. He provide tours in Trinidad and surrounding areas. His pricing is a little higher than the other top independents however I am pretty sure that he is worth every penny he charges. Gio quotes a separate charge for the "taxi" pick up and drop off at Cienfuegos port and then charge for his time. The "Taxi" cost for a full day is $140.00 CUC for 2 people in a modern car, 180 CUC for 4 people a minivan and 220 CUC for 5 or 6 people a bigger minivan. The charge for his time is 60 cuc for 2, 4 or 6 passengers. 

I posted his quote here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-S4EJweVposln4nJnJcGPJjo5b36AXhatFVLkTNYiEg/edit?usp=sharing

 

Summary
Tour operator: Gio's Cuba Photo Tours 
Contact: toursbygio@nauta.cu, giovanni.guerra@nauta.cu
Email communications: good / excellent - within 48 hours
TripAdvisor https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g285731-d13317735-Reviews-Gio_s_Cuba_Photo_Tours-Trinidad_Sancti_Spiritus_Province_Cuba.html
Reviews: 64+ all 5 stars - see TripAdvisor
Tour prices: Taxi fee: 140 for 2, 180 for 4, 220 for 6 pax + 60 CUC for full day
Vehicle types: modern car / van
Tour capacity: 2 minimum
Deposit required: "Transference to bank account or money by Western Union." however sounds like this is optional if he trusts you.
Tours and prices: 
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-S4EJweVposln4nJnJcGPJjo5b36AXhatFVLkTNYiEg/edit?usp=sharing
Beside Trinidad Cienfuegos combination tour from cruiseship terminal Gio can arrange any tour that you like. 

 

Bottom line: Reasonably priced truly independent guide from Trinidad.  From the reviews I think touring with Gio is like touring with a very knowledgeable friend who would bring you to the best places and help you get the best value for your money.  If you are into photography or wants a good local who knows Trinidad well Gio is THE GUIDE to use. If you want to know what Gio is like as a guide just read all the 5 star reviews he has on TripAdvisor.

 

BTW, this is the YouTube video which convinced us that we should not go and see Trinidad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuaaId1s5qU

[ebslcc]

Hector's Tours

Hector is another truly independent tour guide which I like.  Hector used to be an English teacher. From what I heard he is very energetic and aims to please. He has a very limited number of reviews on TripAdvisor and Cruise Critic forums. However the reviews that are there are all 100% positive with glowing recommendations for his service. He appears to be a go getter and the type who would try harder to provide good service to his client.  He is a little pushy but not too excessive for clients to make up their mind and sign up with him.  Looks like he is the outdoors type. He is very enthusiastic about his El Nicho tour and I am certain that he knows the trail well which can be a big advantage if you want to get through seeing the waterfalls and the natural pools efficiently. (It's a 2 km trail which can be muddy!)  He also offers a snorkeling tour. 

 

His list of tour offerings is pretty extensive:
1. Cienfuegos and Punta Gorda city tour. 
2. El Nicho Waterfalls, Cienfuegos Botanical Garden / City Center combination tour
3. Trinidad and Cienfuegos combination tour 
4. Jagua Castle and Cienfuegos combination tour
5. Flamingos and Cienfuegos combination tour
6. Dolphin show, Rancho Luna beach snorkeling tour

 

His pricing is on the low end for 2 to 3 people. For example 100 CUC for the car + driver and 10 CUC per person for the full day El Nicho and Cienfuegos combination tour (entrance fees extra).  He mentioned that for larger group he would have to rent a minivan or have a caravan of multiple cars which would cost extra. Like other operators he rents his car. My understanding is the cars for tours are supposed to be licensed as such. Tour guides rents their vehicle and driver from other private companies. 

 

One caution which applies to all private tours: you may want to cross check to make sure your tour operator is renting a modern car if you are traveling a distance to El Nicho or Trinidad. If you want a car with AC - ask for one as part of your tour agreement. It would not be good to be stuck in the mountains with car issues with an old Classic American car or being in a long car ride without AC.  See https://www.tastingpage.com/traveling/diving-into-el-nicho-waterfalls-cuba

 

Summary:
Tour operator: Hector's Tours 
Contact: hhoropesa@nauta.cu, hectorguidecienfuegos@gmail.com
Email communications: good - within 24 to 36 hours
TripAdvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g609122-i10967-k11233882-Also_Looking_for_private_tour_guide_in_Cienfuegos-Cienfuegos_Cienfuegos_Province_Cuba.html
Reviews: light but all good
Tour prices: 100 CUC per car 2-3 pax + 10 CUC per person for full day
Vehicle types: modern car. caravan for larger group
Tour capacity: 2 minimum
Deposit required: None - pay when we meet
Tours and prices: full day (El Nicho combo) 100 CUC for car+driver plus 10 CUE per person plus entry fee

 

Bottom line: best priced private Cienfuegos / Trinidad tours for small groups. A good independent operator who is well worth considering to "Support for the Cuban People".

[ebslcc]

FerTours http://fertours2havana.com'

 

Some of you may like to deal with a well reviewed tour operator who subcontracts tours to trusted partners instead of truly independent guides. FerTours / http://fertours2havana.com is a HIGHLY rated tour operator on TripAdvisor. The company has received rave reviews on TripAdvisor 95% of the 1,102 Reviews are 5 stars!!! Reviews FerTours receives on Cruise Critic forums are similarly excellent.

 

The company's About page says a lot about its service and his reviews says he delivers:

Quote

I´m Fernando Horta, I´m Fertours. I´m a professional interpreter/tour guide graduated in Languages. I know where to go and what to do when it comes to tours. When visitors come to Cuba they want to have the perfect vacations by going to the best places and getting the best service and that’s where Fertours steps in. I put together highly personalized tours that will exceed all of your expectations and create a whole new and amazing experience. With Fertours you will see the best and nothing but the best. Personalized, exclusive and secure, that´s all you need to fully enjoy your perfect tour while in Cuba. With Fertours your family will always be safe, you will always receive the best service, and it will be highly personalized. Fertours is all about your dreamed tours. “Small details” are never too small, they all matter and that´s why Fertours makes the difference.

 

FerTours is one of the highest rated tour service in Havana now offering tours in Cienfuegos. With this company you are paying not only for the transportation cost and the guide you are paying extra for the company's service to get you to the best guide available for your tour. His price is a slight bump up from what you would pay a truly independent guide. However for the extra $ you have someone who will make sure you are taken care of. With true independents if the guide is sick or unable to tour with you, you may end up touring with a substitue who is inferior. This can happen with a company like FerTours also however I would think that the chance may be lower? 

Pricing from Fernando's quote:

Quote

 

A day tour to Cienfuegos and Trinidad quotes for 250 cuc total for the two of you. That includes transportation and guiding fees. The tour would be in a very nice old timer from the 50's with AC(not a convertible). The price for 4 or 6 the price would be 300 cuc and the tour wouid be in a minivan with AC. Lunch is not included but the tour guide can take you to a Cuban restaurant where you can have a full lunch for about 20 cuc per person.

If I am selecting FerTours for Cienefuegos and Trinidad I would ask about the condition of the Classic  Car with AC. I don't like the idea of traveling long distance in a reconditioned Classic car.

 

 

Tour description from Fernando's quote:

Quote

 

Here´s a brief description of the tour and the sights you will be able to enjoy during the tour. During the day you Visit to the heart of Cienfuegos (Tomas Terry Theater, Purísima Concepcion Cathedral, Ferrer´s Palace, former City Hall, Marti Park, the triumphal arch).
You will also visit Punta Gorda (which used to be the aristocratic quarter of the city in the early 1900´s), Valle´s Palace and Hotel Jagua).

After the tour of Cienfuegos you would drive for about  1:30 hrs to Trinidad bordering the Caribbean Sea with an exclusive panoramic view of the Guamuaya Mountain Range.
Arriving at Trinidad you would have lunch at a local private  restaurant in Trinidad (not included).
After lunch you would do a walking tour around the Santísima Trinidad Cathedral, Cantero´s, Brunet´s and Iznaga´s Palaces, and drink a local “Canchanchara”. You would also have some free time at a local flea market.

Being this a private tour you hence the choice to customize by adding places or activities of your interest.

The tour guide would meet you at 9:00am right  across the cruise terminal(near a food tent that is placed right outside the exit of the cruise terminal) The tour guide will be holding a sign with your name on it. You should be back to the cruise around 5 pm.

Just confirm the date and I'll make all the arrangements.

No need for a deposit, you can pay the tour guide at the end of the tour.

 

May be this description from FerTours is their land based clients wanting a tour for Cienfuegos and Trinidad. I think Fernado should have considered that we are on a cruise and getting back to the ship on time is a big concern. I think for cruise passengers it is unwise to do Cienfuegos tour first before going to Trinidad.  I am sure if you flag this to him he will switch the order of the tour!  Also his tour description is rather skimpy. If I am going with FerTours I would take details from other tour operators e.g. from trinidadsightseeing.com or from Tony Castillo's quote and ask for sights that you are interested in to be included in the tour.  Make him work for his extra $ and nail the details down.

 

Summary
Tour operator: FerTours http://fertours2havana.com
Contact: fertours2@gmail.com
Email communications: excellent always within 24 hours
TripAdvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g147271-d7986028-r562159427-Fertours_2_Havana-Havana_Ciudad_de_la_Habana_Province_Cuba.html
Reviews: 95% 5 stars - see TripAdvisor
Tour prices: see above 
Vehicle types: Classic Car / van
Tour capacity: 2 minimum
Deposit required: None - pay when we meet
Tours and prices: fully customizable. 250 cuc for 2, 300 cuc for 4 to 6

 

Bottom line: FerTours has an excellent track record. The company has excellent reviews on TripAdvisor and Cruise Critic forums. If you are taking an Havana Tour from FerTours it may make sense for him to arrange Cienfuegos tour for you also. However the higher cost he charges and his service being new to Cienfuegos and Trinidad tours may be considerations to select more of a local or truly independent tour guide instead. 

Edited October 21, 2018 by ebslcc
formating

[tunafish]

Just did Trinidad and Cienfuegos with Tony Castillo. Nothing but good experience. Felt bad for the guy as his driver was in the port at 8 and our first tender for independent peeps was at 9:30. He was most reasonable as far as price goes as I also believed quoted prices from others were out of the ball park sometimes. I will write my thoughts on Cuba ports in a separate post, here I would just say that Tony is reliable guide, had perfect van with AC that was a newer yellow taxi van with a cool and professional driver. Based on my Havana experience I would not recommend doing a classic car for trinidad as it is a good 80-90 min drive. Combining two cities will get you only highlights of both places and if you want in depth visit with some museums or time at any particular sites I would plan accordingly. Tony can taylor things according to your interests and I hope he can expand his business to cruise passengers. 

Edited October 30, 2018 by tunafish

[ebslcc]

On 10/29/2018 at 7:03 PM, tunafish said:

Just did Trinidad and Cienfuegos with Tony Castillo. Nothing but good experience. Felt bad for the guy as his driver was in the port at 8 and our first tender for independent peeps was at 9:30. He was most reasonable as far as price goes as I also believed quoted prices from others were out of the ball park sometimes. I will write my thoughts on Cuba ports in a separate post, here I would just say that Tony is reliable guide, had perfect van with AC that was a newer yellow taxi van with a cool and professional driver. Based on my Havana experience I would not recommend doing a classic car for trinidad as it is a good 80-90 min drive. Combining two cities will get you only highlights of both places and if you want in depth visit with some museums or time at any particular sites I would plan accordingly. Tony can taylor things according to your interests and I hope he can expand his business to cruise passengers. 

 

Thanks for contributing to this thread + your review of Tony Castillo's Tony Cuba Vacations.  It's good to know we made the right choice to use Tony's services for our upcoming cruise.  We are very excited to have decided to go to Trinidad after going back and forth with our decision to go or not.  Having good transportation for the long drive to and from Trinidad was our key concern.  I don't like the idea of not having good AC or being driven in an Old Classic car with the possibility of breaking down driving back and forth for 2 1/2 to 3 hours total to/from Trinidad.  We are lucky that we will have a full day in Trinidad since we have an overnight with our cruise.  We are taking up Tony's standard Trinidad City Tour and the add on's he has to see the Sugar Cane Valley and the pottery house (Casa Chichi, a family-owned pottery workshop).  I am certain that we will be seeing more on our 7 hour tour compared to the Oceania's Colonial Trinidad (CFG-004) tour which has pretty much the same itinerary.  We will be paying 160 CUC total for the 4 of us in a truly private tour vs. $229 per person for Oceania's 7 hours excursion!  Oceania's excursion includes lunch and may be a tour bus that has a toilet?? 

 

I found another good review of Tony's cruise excursion services on his TripAdvisor Casa page: "Tony now does tours of Cienfuegos and Trinidad for cruise passengers. Used him this October. Very pleasant experience, driver was on time at the port, we did everything we wanted to do, he was very flexible and accommodating with our plan. Would use his services in a heartbeat again. Tony travels with his clients a lot, so do not be discouraged if he would not reply to your email right away. Communication was nice, clear instructions, clean van with an awesome and very professional driver, no money surprises. It was really fun to bargain with him at local markets. Support the guy with your money, people like him would make Cuba prosper one day"

 

BTW, regarding Tony's pricing for large groups his "introductory pricing" is the best compared to other tour operators right now for Cienfuegos private tours. 

 

Pricing full day tours 7 hours long:

70 cuc per person (for 2 people for 7 hours) = 140 cuc for 2 pax.

50 cuc per person (for 3 people for 7 hours) = 150 cuc for 3 pax.

40 cuc per person (for 4 pax for 7 hours) = 160 cuc for 4 pax.

38 cuc per person (for 5 pax for 7 hours) = 190 cuc for 5 pax.

35 cuc per person (for 6 pax for 7 hours) = 210 cuc for 6 pax.

32 cuc per person (for 7 pax for 7 hours) = 224 cuc for 7 pax.

 

Pricing 1/2 day tours 4 hours long:

35 cuc per person (for 2 people for 4 hours) = 70 cuc for 2 pax.

30 cuc per person (for 3 pax for 4 hours) = 90 cuc for 3 pax.

25 cuc per person (for 4 pax for 4 hours) = 100 cuc for 4 pax.

23 cuc per person (for 5 pax for 4 hours) = 115 cuc for 5 pax.

20 cuc per person (for 6 pax for 4 hours) = 120 cuc for 6 pax.

18 cuc per person (for 7 pax for 7 hours) = 126 cuc for 7 pax.

 

I think his pricing is more than fair and is inline with what the best valued Havana tour operator charges. In Havana: Havana Journey (the low price leader) charges 100 CUC for up to 3 people for 6 hours with driver +  tour guide in AC car.  Havana Memories charges 150 CUC for 4 people for 7 hours (or 120 for 3 people for 7 hours) in AC car.  These  are fully customizable tours with very competent highly educated guides.  CIenfuegos and Santiago de Cuba does not have the same highly competitive environment as Havana.  However I think we need to encourage competition and fair pricing by going with the clear price leaders like Tony and push for fairer pricing when you get quotes from vendors.   In my communications with other vendors they DO back down with their pricing when I asked!  What bugs me the most is guides who rips cruise passengers off by blatantly overcharging cruise passengers.  You will know when you get quotes if a vendor is overcharging when they only give you a high price with no details on what you are going to see.  See the discussion on Yuri from cubaguider who also provides tours in Cienfuegos in the Santiago de Cuba private tour guide thread: 

 

 

 

Edited November 4, 2018 by ebslcc

[Jaryadsdad]

On 10/29/2018 at 9:03 PM, tunafish said:

Just did Trinidad and Cienfuegos with Tony Castillo. Nothing but good experience. Felt bad for the guy as his driver was in the port at 8 and our first tender for independent peeps was at 9:30. He was most reasonable as far as price goes as I also believed quoted prices from others were out of the ball park sometimes. I will write my thoughts on Cuba ports in a separate post, here I would just say that Tony is reliable guide, had perfect van with AC that was a newer yellow taxi van with a cool and professional driver. Based on my Havana experience I would not recommend doing a classic car for trinidad as it is a good 80-90 min drive. Combining two cities will get you only highlights of both places and if you want in depth visit with some museums or time at any particular sites I would plan accordingly. Tony can taylor things according to your interests and I hope he can expand his business to cruise passengers. 

Do you have an email address for Tony Castillo? I would like to contact him for a tour in December.

 

Thank you

[ebslcc]

Just now, Jaryadsdad said:

Do you have an email address for Tony Castillo? I would like to contact him for a tour in December.

 

Thank you

See first post 🙂 but here it is: tony.cubavacation@gmail.com be patient it may take 48 hours before he replies.  As I mentioned I think he downloads his email from a hotspot / go home / and upload his replies the next day.  

[ebslcc]

The purpose this thread is to share information so that people know who to contact to get quotes for private tours. I try to summarize what I learned to short cut the information gathering. I would like to encourage everyone contributing to this thread to do the same. It is good to have opinions and share experiences with an operator good and bad. If you have information that's helpful please share. For example if there is a lesser reviewed guide who sends non English speaking driver only please point him/her out.  Both the low cost operators mentioned in this thread were English teacher / professors. 

 

With information in this thread people should still look further into reviews that may be available, get quotes and decide for themselves if the operator is right for them or not. Just like we have many different cruise lines with different level of service and different cost, there are tour guides with different level of service and different cost. Not all tour guides are suitable for everyone. We need to decide for ourselves if we are getting the value we are paying for the service.  

[tunafish]

18 hours ago, ebslcc said:

Thanks for liking this thread and THANKS for sharing your experience.  I will be sure not to take offers that I didn't ask for.  I was warned that there is an extra charge for using your cameras in museums!  Knowing the average wage in Cuba where are all the tourist $$ going?  Does the attendant asking for $ to take your photo pocket the $?  What about the Cab rides.  Are they metered or you pay what the driver ask and they pocket some or all what they earned from the ride?  

Everyone and their brother is a taxi driver there. There are some official looking yellow cars and I was told they are the most expensive. All my experience in Havana was you negotiate the price and go. $10 fare started at $30. Land of opportunity as I said, everyone is hustling and ready to make a quick buck. People are educated en mass making the process more sophisticated comparing to Jamaica for example. 

[tunafish]

Forgot to mention, if you can avoid exchanging money in Cienfuegos please do. If you can, bring euro. Port exchange booth was a rape for usd. 0.86cuc for a buck one way, 1.25cuc back to get a us dollar before departure.  Doing a simple math, you are losing 31.2 cents on a dollar with two way exchange. 

[ebslcc]

1 hour ago, tunafish said:

Forgot to mention, if you can avoid exchanging money in Cienfuegos please do. If you can, bring euro. Port exchange booth was a rape for usd. 0.86cuc for a buck one way, 1.25cuc back to get a us dollar before departure.  Doing a simple math, you are losing 31.2 cents on a dollar with two way exchange. 

Thanks!  We plan to bring Canadian $.  Part of our group is from Canada so we can swap USD to CDN then to CUC.

[ebslcc]

Someone on another thread asked if I know of musical venues in Cienfuegos. Since we are staying overnight also in Cienfuegos I followed up with Tony Castillo. He sent me a list of the top 3 musical venues near the port.  I collected a little more info from some Googling.  All the venues are 10 to 15 minutes walk from the port. Cienfuegos has excellent street grid layout.  It is very hard to get lost.  If your cruise is staying overnight you may want to check out the evening entertainment in these 3 places. For example Cabaret Tropisur has Tropicana like Cabaret shows for 2 cuc entrance fee!!!   

 

Patio Terry (Ave 56, between 27 and 29 streets) is a bar where you can just drop by for snacks, a cup of coffee or buy a souvenir. No cover charges during the day. During the evening it becomes a night club with great live with music ranging from traditional music to jazz and you have to pay 3 cuc for entrance fee.
Map: https://goo.gl/maps/2pXBwxP1Us32 10 minutes walk from the port.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZH2rfLTguYM

 

Jardines de la UNEAC (Calle 25, between Ave 54 and 56). Admission is 2 cuc. It is possibly Cienfuegos´best venue with an outdoor patio hosting Afro-Cuban peñas (musical performances) trova and top local bands such as the popular Los Novos.  Map: https://goo.gl/maps/62XFASNVut22
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g609122-d8146435-Reviews-Jardines_de_la_Uneac-Cienfuegos_Cienfuegos_Province_Cuba.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE4V_LwNxSk

 

Cabaret Tropisur (Calle 37 and Ave 48). It is an open air venue on the Prado (Calle 37) with a traditional Cuban vibe and renowned for its Cabaret. Entrance fee is just 2 cuc per person. Music and drinks during the day. Show at night.

 

 

Here is more information on cultural centers in Cienfuegos:
https://www.cubatravel.cu/en/destinations/cienfuegos/culture

 

 

If your cruise also stops in Santiago de Cuba there are even more unique musical venues there. I will put my findings in the Santiago de Cuba private tour thread.  

 

Edited November 6, 2018 by ebslcc

[ebslcc]

DIY or private pedi-taxi tour to Punta Gorda from the port

 

Punta Gorda is a very scenic ritzy area in Cienfuegos. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g609122-d196323-Reviews-Punta_Gorda-Cienfuegos_Cienfuegos_Province_Cuba.html  If your ship's excursion or private tour doesn't stop in Punta Gorda area or you have some time to fill up while you are in Cienfuegos you may want to consider a walking or pedi-taxi tour to Punta Gorda. 

 

Punta Gorda is about 50 minutes’ walk from the port straight down the Paseo De Prado (the main artery of Cienfuegos).  You can take the 1 to 2 hours leisurely walk down with stops and then negotiate for a taxi or peditaxi to get back to the port.  It can be hot walking down the Malecon.  Wearing a hat or bring an umbrella would help provide some shade. Another alternative is to negotiate for a 2+ hours round trip peditaxi tour from the port.  I asked Tony Castillo what a reasonable cost would be for taxi or pedi-taxi tour.  His answer:  

If you are in Punta Gorda and want to take a taxi back you just need to bargain with taxi drivers. They will always aim high to come out better. A reasonable price would be 2 or 3 cuc maximum so please advise people to ask for the price first before getting inside the taxi. They charge you per ride NOT per person.

 

How much is a reasonable charge for a peditaxi tour for a couple of hours e.g. to Punta Gorda and back?  I would say 10 cuc for a peditaxi tour for a couple of hours but please remember that they will always ask you for more than that, so please bargain, negotiate price with them.

 

With some googling I put together a walking map and a few ideas of where to stop below. 
Map: https://goo.gl/maps/1EvW2mv5KK32 

 

 

Walk from the port east on La Mar (Ave 48) to Calle 29.  Muelle Real is a nice place to walk through out to the pier https://*****.com/y89l5glb or stop here for a drink https://www.cubawhatson.com/event/cienfuegos-bar-grill-muelle-real/?lang=EN There’s live music Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, 4:00 p.m. and Thursday at midday with a mix of traditional and contemporary Cuban music.

 

As you walk near Paseo De Prado (Calla 37) you may want to look out for the entrance to Cabaret Tropisur at La Mar and Paseo De Prado https://*****.com/y8ggwkcj There’s music and drinks at Tropisur during the day (2 CUC entrance fee).  If your ship is staying overnight you can check out what show they will have at night and at what time.  The big Tropicana style shows are on Fridays and Saturdays 3 CUC entrance fee. It is not as elaborate as Topicana but it is pretty good value for just 3 CUC!

 

Turn right on Paseo De Prado and walk towards Punta Gorda.  There are a few Paladars (private restaurants) close by. El Ocaso has good ratings.  Go to the “balcony on the 3rd floor overlooking the Malecon. Have to go up stairs to get to the top. Food is good and inexpensive” 
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g609122-d8512518-r310140216-El_Ocaso-Cienfuegos_Cienfuegos_Province_Cuba.html

 

Continue walking down the Malecon for about 20 minutes on Paseo De Prado to Club Cienfuegos (Yacht Club) This is an impressive building to walk around to see the Yachts. https://*****.com/y8p349uc There is a restaurant and terrace bar with live music at/after sunset ~6 PM Monday to Friday, Saturday at 7 PM.  Entrance: 1.00 CUC. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g609122-d2149545-Reviews-Club_Cienfuegos-Cienfuegos_Cienfuegos_Province_Cuba.html

 

About 5 minutes past Club Cienfuegos is Parque de Las Escultura. The park has several interesting modern sculptures. https://*****.com/ya3tuvso

 

Palacio de Valle is 10 minutes’ walk from Club Cienfuegos.  This is another beautiful historical building in Cienfuegos worth seeing http://www.cienfuegoscity.org/cienfuegos-city-arch-valle-palace.htm . “Free to walk through”  “A good place for a drink on the roof. Prices not too high and a GREAT view (and breeze)” https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g609122-d196324-Reviews-Palacio_de_Valle-Ci”enfuegos_Cienfuegos_Province_Cuba.html

 

After Palacio de Valle you can continue to walk down 5 more minutes to the park at the southern most tip of the peninsular Centro Recreativo la Punta Cienfuegos https://*****.com/y7g63b5b then loop back walking the ~2.5 miles to the port or try to negotiate for a taxi or pedi-taxi back for ~3 CUC.

 

There is a lot to cover in the city. Most private tours will only stop or drive by the highlights. If any of the places above interests you for an extended stop you may want to let your private tour guide know so that they can adjust where to stop and the timing of the stops.

 

Edited November 10, 2018 by ebslcc

[ebslcc]

Cienfuegos City Center DIY ideas

 

Here are a few DIY ideas on places to see around the Cienfuegos city center to supplement your ship or private excursion (a couple items I got from Tony Castillo’s itinerary, easily DIY).

 

Go see Ferrer Palace across the corner of the Parque Marti  http://www.cienfuegoscity.org/cienfuegos-city-arch-ferrer-palace.htm .  It has the best view of Cienfuegos Plaza de Armas (Parque Martí) from the roof top and the top of the spiral stair case.  There is 2 CUC entry fee that’s well worth it.

Here is the view on top of the spiral staircase overseeing the plaza and Arc de Triomphe https://*****.com/yd63njz9
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g609122-d9792868-r362883448-Ferrer_Palace-Cienfuegos_Cienfuegos_Province_Cuba.html

 

The Tomas Terry Theatre http://www.cienfuegoscity.org/cienfuegos-city-arch-tomas-terry-theater.htm is also across the Parque Marti Square. It is a beautiful theatre. Entrance fee is a little steep 5 CUC. See photos and reviews here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g609122-d2538350-Reviews-Teatro_Terry-Cienfuegos_Cienfuegos_Province_Cuba.html#REVIEWS 

 

Palacio de Gobierno (Government Palace): Most of Parque Marti’s south side is dominated by this grandiose building where the Provincial Government holds forth. It doesn´t allow visitors but you can still have a look at the palatial main staircase through the front door.

 

La Union Hotel (Calle 31 Ave. 54 and 56) is a beautiful classic hotel in the center of Cienfuegos just across the street from the main square.  It has beautiful inner courtyards that’s worth walking through.  Go up to the rooftop and have a coffee or a cocktail.  It has a nice view of the city.  “The rooftop terrace has great views and you can watch thunderstorms or sunsets and enjoy many a drink.” It has music daily in the evening from 9 PM. https://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g609122-d273674-i17784522-Hotel_La_Union_Managed_by_Melia_Hotels_International-Cienfuegos_Cienfuegos.html 

El Palatino Coffee Shop is a nice bar Ave. 54 corner of Calle 25.  There’s live music daily from 10:00 a.m.

Ave. 54 (San Fernando) is Cienfuegos’ shopping street aka Boulevard.  Walk from Parque Marti towards the Prada (Calle 37).  You can find Rum and Cigar store (watch out for fakes!)

negotiate

There are many craft stalls near Parque Marti, on Calle 29... be sure to negotiate. The starting price can be easily 3 times or more what the merchant will accept.  

 

I asked Tony what are reasonable drink prices: drinks are a little bit expensive at least for locals.

National beer: 1.00 cuc in most places Imported beer: From 1.25 cuc to 2.50 cuc depending on the place. Cocktails: From 2.50 cuc to 4.00 cuc.

 

Here is an updated map of the Musical venues near the port - see my previous post with more details on the top 3 venues:

[rsdmom]

Thanks for all the info. Have been very satisfied with tours we have found previously through these boards. We are confirmed with Hector out of Cienfuegos to go to Trinidad and nightclubs in Cienfuegos that evening

 

 

[ebslcc]

I was alerted last night that the Google doc I shared for trinidadsightseeing and Gio's trinidad photo tours are considered propriety communications.  I have removed sharing those document.  I see that the moderator did some trimming of this thread.  It looks a lot more cleaner now, thanks for keeping this thread clean and civil! 

 

There was a question posted asking if doing DIY tours is OFAC compliant.  It  as long as you follow the rules for example don't transact in "black listed" places   There is an updated list just posted on TripAdvisor.  https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g147270-i91-k12107445-US_Restricted_List-Cuba.html  Here is another great post on "Support for the Cuban People" OFAC license category  https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g147270-i91-k11675928-Support_for_the_Cuban_People_Explained-Cuba.html  I encourage you to read the MANY great posts on Cruise Critic Cuba board and TripAdvisor Cuba forum.  Not that it matters too much since no one is monitoring the million plus people who visit Cuba yearly by plane on land and on cruises. 

 

A good way to Support the Cuban people is to take private tours since you will be talking to your tour guide all the time during the tour and you will be learning a lot about the Cuban society and how they struggle with all the Cuban government impost on them.  The tour guide may bring you to museums that are state owned but my understanding is as long as you are not the one who pays for the entry fee directly you are compliant.  

 

Free walking tours is another inexpensive way to "Support the Cuban People"  there are PLENTY of very good ones in Havana e.g. Strawberry Tours has an extensive list of free tours day and night mentioned often on Cruise Critic.  For Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba there are only a handful.  You can search for them on www.guruwalk.com .  See my exchange here for a good one in Cienfuegos https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2504476-dec-11-2018-10-day-cuba/?page=5&tab=comments#comment-56155900  It is a LONG walk 6 miles round trip.  As I recommended in the thread you may want to negotiate for a pedi-taxi tour.  Per post #28 in this thread on TripAdvisor https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g609122-i10967-k11049321-Looking_for_a_tour_guide_for_a_day_in_Cienfuegos-Cienfuegos_Cienfuegos_Province_Cuba.html  "Do not worry about booking a guide ahead of time. We were there last month on a cruise. Once you walk about 100 feet past immigration, there will be many locals with horse-drawn wagons that will take you all over town for VERY CHEAP."

 

 

I will continue to share information I have gathered on Cienfuegos in this thread.  If you like the content I share please give it some "love" (click the icon)🙂 .

 

Laurence

 

Edited November 16, 2018 by ebslcc

[ebslcc]

Below is a review by aimee0715 posted in the Santiago thread 

Quote

I was very pleased with Out of the Box tours in Santiago.  Our guide was Henry.  We met Yoennis but he had another couple he was touring with.  There was another female guide with another couple.  We all met up at lunch and again at the end of the tour at the mojito bar.  Henry spoke flawless English.  In fact, he has worked as a translator.  We got a late start because we had to tender due to the dock being damaged by one of the recent  hurricanes (Michael?).   In Santiago, there are a LOT of people between you and the CUBA sign that is the meet up spot who will want to offer you a tour.  Just follow the directions from Yoennis and you'll be fine.  Henry was there with a sign with my name on it even though we were nearly an hour late.  We did their all day city tour but added the Che Guevara memorial (Bosque de los Heroes) as well.  

 

In Cienfuegos, we went with Yuri of Cubaguiders.  We went to Trinidad and then a tour of Cienfuegos.  I was satisfied with the tour.  We had a group of 8.  I know most were not pleased with the classic car (we had one new car with AC and one classic car) or with the fact that the driver of the classic car did not speak english, but I was not bothered by it. I was not expecting the old cars to be cherry.  The old car was a diesel (most of the classic cars I saw had been converted to diesel) and it was not air conditioned.  So, you could smell the diesel fumes.  It didn't bother me but it definitely bothered the other people in our group.  4 of us rode to Trinidad in the classic car and then returned in the new car and the other 4 did the opposite.  So everyone had an opportunity to have questions answered by Yuri or landmarks pointed out. Honestly, there is not a lot to see (landmark wise) between Cienfuegos and Trinidad.  I really enjoyed seeing the countryside and the people riding horseback and the road crews cutting the grass with machetes   and the donkey carts. There is a craft area in Trinidad that had some neat things that were reasonably priced.  The ladies sell embroidered items and I kind of regret not buying something like that.  The vendors are not pushy.  

 

In Havana, we had a two day tour with I Love Cuba Guided Photo Tours.  This was so great!  Both of tour guides were great but they were very different. On day one we had Reneil (sp?) and on day two we had Rey.  They were both excellent photographers.  Reneil took us to the traditional tourist places in Havana, mostly walking but we also took a cab to Fusterland. Rey took us on more of a local flavor kind of tour.  We walked through central Havana to see how people actually live.  He took us to some interesting places to see local art.  He is more of a street photographer where Reneil is more of a traditional photographer.  Reneil took around 180 pictures and he told us that Rey would probably take 800--and he nearly did!  I am so happy to have pictures with both my husband and I in them.  I learned from Rey that they use purified water for the ice that is used for tourists.  I wish I had known this prior to the last day of our last stop in Cuba!  I had several hot drinks because I was avoiding ice lol!

 

I found that all the guides we had in all 3 ports were open to answering whatever questions we had about life in Cuba.  

 

Havana was our last stop and it was absolutely astonishing how different it was from Santiago and Cienfuegos.  Many on our ship said that they didn't understand why the ship even stops anywhere but Havana.  But I disagree with that sentiment.  I am thrilled that I got to see so much of Cuba and I don't think you get a full taste of Cuba just going to Havana.  I was also astonished to see the stores in Havana for the tourists.  For example, I saw a Montblanc store in one of the five star hotels down near the capitol building. 

 

We are going back to Cuba in 2020 with Virgin Voyages (assuming the ship is ready on time).  I am so excited that we're going back!

 

aimee0715  Thanks again for your review.  Good to know more about Yur's old Classic Cars.  So you had 8 people, 2 cars, 1 Classic and one newer model, Yuri and 2 drivers right?  Thanks for your tip on crafts vendors in Trinidad.  We will definitely look out for them. How much time did you spend in Trinidad?  Where was lunch?  Was it good?  How much time did you spend in Cienfuegos?  Did you do more than just the city centers?

 

Thanks!

Laurence