Day 1: Welcome to Havana! After clearing immigrations and customs, our airport representative lead you to your driver who will transfer you to Havana hotel. *Light lunch and meet and greet with your the expert guide qho will be with you throughout your bespoke birdwatching trip. Our expert guides are biologists with experience in ornithology, and members of societies for the conservation of birds in the Caribbean Region and North America. *Get your feet wet with an afternoon orientation walk. Later that evening, celebrate your arrival with a welcome dinner at a private restaurant. (*For morning arrivals)

Day 2: Breakfast, check out and visit the home and private ornithological collection of Orlando Garrido, Cuba's greatest living naturalist. Sr. Garrido is a retired and venerable former curator of birds at the National Museum of Natural History in Havana, and co-author of the Field Guide to the Birds of Cuba as well as hundreds of scientific publications. This visit is always mentioned as a trip highlight. Then departure west to the San Diego de los Banos (2 hours) and the gateway to La Guira National Park. Cuban Grassquit, Cuban Tody, Cuban Trogon, Cuban Green Woodpecker, Yellow-headed Warbler are endemic birds we will pursue here. Lunch at our hotel's famous grill. Afternoon birding in La Guira National Park (some hilly, easy forest trails, 2+ miles) and visit to Cueva de Portales, a classic 'through cave' carved by the San Diego River, which currently meanders through. This was Che Guevara's military headquarters during the missile crisis of 1962. The endemic Cuban Solitaire, Cuban Vireo, Cuban Oriole as well as resident Tawny-shouldered Blackbird, Cuban Bullfinch, Cuban Emerald, Loggerhead Kingbird, Cuban Pewee, Red-legged Honeycreeper, Great Lizard Cuckoo, Red-legged Thrush (endemic subspecies), and resident Olivecapped Warblers are likely to be seen here. Dinner and accommodation at Hotel Mirador in San Diego de los Banos. Meeting for recap of day.

Day 3: Breakfast followed by morning birding nearby in Hacienda Cortina, an interesting former lavish estate surrounded by mixed forest. The endemic Fernandina's Flicker, has been recorded here, along with Giant Kingbird and Cuban Grassquit (nearby) if we need a last opportunity. Then continue to Viñales with a short stop along the road at Los Palacios where exist some rice plantations and fish farms, excellent opportunity for target species like Gundlach´s Holwk and Olive Capp Wavbler. After check in and lunch at your hotel, afternoon birdwatching surround area looking for the Olive Cape Wavbler, then vist Cueva de los Portales. Dinner at Wilfredo Eco-Farm. Meeting for recap of day.

Day 4: Early morning breakfast followed birdwatching at Bird Paradise Trail that is a beautiful landscape with high rate of endemic flora and fauna. Serious bird-watchers consider it the place for bird-watching. With more than 50 species, it's not difficult to spot such birds as the Cuban Tody, the Cuban Trogon, the Gray Catbird, the Cuban Grassquit and Yellow-faced grassqquit, the western stripe-headed tanager, the chillona, the red-legged honeycreper and the nightingale. Moreover, it is possible to observe many flower species and 25 mollusks, including the Viñales snail, which lives only in this area and is Cuba's and the world's oldest. Also could visit Cayo Jutia. Meeting for recap of day.

Day 5: After breakfast and check out departure east to the Zapata Peninsula (4+ hours). Birding stops along the way as opportunity permits. Possible evening trek for Stygian Owl. Accommodation and dinner at Batey don Pedro(1ngt) near the entrance to Zapata Swamp National Park. This region contains the largest wetland complex in the West Indies, and is Cuba's most prolific birding region. Here we have access to excellent local guides, as well as to protected areas and birding locations off the beaten track.

Day 6: Early breakfast and departure for birding within Zapata National Park and a morning walk along a dry roadway in the swamp at La Turba. This may be our best opportunity for Zapata Wren, Zapata Sparrow, Red-shouldered Blackbird and Tawny-shouldered Blackbird and a variety of warblers and other migrants. We should also see Cuban Vireo and Cuban Oriole. Also hope to spot the Red-legged Honeycreeper, Quail-Doves and others. Parts of this area are reminiscent of the Everglades. Stay at Playa Larga private house. Lunch at TIKI Restaurant with leading biologists of the area for dialogue and exchanges of ideas on conservation and future cooperation. Visit Soplillar pasture areas. Evening meeting for recap of day at your stay in Playa Larga over a dinner at Mayito Restaurant together with local resident park expert and other professionals. Opportunity for sharing experiences and strategies for conservation and protection of endangered species.

Day 7: Early breakfast and a morning of birding in a nature preserve adjacent to the small village of Bermejas (45 minutes) for study of birds in mixed forest habitat (flat, easy walking trail system 2+ miles). Meet with local resident park expert, Orlando, who will accompany us. Here is our best opportunity to see the endemic Bee Hummingbird (world's smallest bird), Fernandina's Flicker, Bare-legged Owl, Cuban Parakeet, Cuban Parrot, Blue-headed and Gray-fronted Quail-Doves, Key West and Ruddy Quail Doves. Lunch at Caleta Buena, a beautiful limestone rimmed inlet abundant with fish and excellent snorkeling opportunities. The historic Bay of Pigs museum is nearby. Afternoon bird study session in Los Hondones together an incipient independent eco-village. Dinner at a private restaurant (paladar) with local artisans and artists who focus on environmentally friendly handicrafts. Meaningful conversations about private enterprise in Cuba at the grassroots level. Meeting for recap of day's information gathering.

Day 8: Early breakfast, check out and visit Las Salinas de Brito Refuge, all walking is on dry, flat terrain (less than 2 miles total). Habitat is varied among low, dense forest, mangrove, marsh, and open wetlands. We will be joined by local residents working in the Park as well as Park specialists. Ample opportunity for meaningful discussions on species protection and developing ideas for future strategies. Here we are likely to encounter the endemic Cuban Black Hawk as well as numerous shorebirds, Reddish Egrets, Wood Storks, Spoonbills and American Flamingos. Continue to Cayo Coco, drive northeast to Cayo Coco (6 + hours) in Cuba's northern archipelago, the setting for Hemingway's Islands in the Stream. Possibly observe West Indian Whistling Duck dependion on time of arrival. We are now in an area of Cuba that is being exploited for tourism and some recently hurricanes, then the habitat of many important species is more and more fragile. We will be meeting with local biologists to discuss the implications of uncontrolled tourism on the environment and have a meaningful dialogue on ways to avert this danger.

Day 9: Morning bird study on Cayo Paredon Grande. Early morning search for Bahama Mockingbird and observation of migratory species on Cayo Paredon Grande, the northeastern-most key in the Cayo Coco archipelago, which is one of Cuba's most important migratory landfalls. Cuban Gnatcatcher, Oriente Warbler, Gundlach's Hawk, Scaly–naped Pigeon, Thick-billed Vireo and possibly a subspecies of Zapata Sparrow are target birds for the archipelago. Lunch at the hotel followed by meeting with local conservationists to discuss meaningful interaction between international organizations for the protection of endangered species. Afternoon spent spotting migratory birds with Cuban biologists on Cayo Guillermo amidst mangrove flats, low coastal scrub, and pristine white sand shoreline (roadside, flat walking).

Day 10: Early breakfast followed by check out and drive northwest to the Rio Maximo delta, Wetland of International Importance, to view the largest population of American flamingos in the Western Hemisphere, as well as the largest population of waterbirds and shorebirds in the Caribbean: Caribbean Flamingo, Double-crested Cormorant, the vulnerable West Indian Whistling Duck, Snowy Plover and others. Lunch at Rio Maximo and meaningful interaction with our Cuban counterparts and with Park specialists about migratory species and international efforts to cooperate with counting and banding migratory birds. Continue to Camaguey for lunch and free afternoon to explore this interesting city, where time seems to have stood still over the last half century.

Day 11: Drive to Najasa (45 minutes), our easternmost destination, and best opportunity for endemics such as the Cuban Parakeet, Giant Kingbird, Cuban Palm Crow, and resident Cuban Parrot, and Plain Pigeon. Trails are mostly flat with some minor hills, 2+ miles. Box lunch on the way back to Trinidad.

Day 12:Morning city walking tour around the colonial city before your departure to Havana. Check-in and relaxing afternoon at Hotel Kempinski's pool and SPA. This night you will have a farewell dinner and to visit some of Havana´s newest and hottest privatly owned bars with our nightlife guide.

Day 13: After breakfast, bid farewell to Cuba and board your departure flight.