Birding Beyond Cuba: Land Tour (2027)
Birding Beyond is exploring the development of a small-group land tour to Cuba in 2027, designed to connect travelers with the island’s extraordinary birdlife, cultural heritage, and diverse natural landscapes through meaningful, people-centered experiences.
This immersive journey combines world-class birding, thoughtful pacing, and responsible travel practices, offering a deeper way to experience Cuba beyond the typical visitor path.
Why This Trip
Unmatched Endemic Birding in the Caribbean
This small-group land tour is designed around Cuba’s most important birding regions, including Zapata Swamp, Pinar del Río, Najasa, and the northern keys. Guests have exceptional opportunities to see nearly all of Cuba’s endemic bird species, including the Bee Hummingbird, Zapata Wren, Fernandina’s Flicker, and Cuban Trogon, across a wide range of habitats.
Purposeful Travel That Supports the Cuban People
This tour is fully compliant with U.S. travel regulations under the Support for the Cuban People program. Guests stay in Casa Particulares, dine at privately owned paladares, and travel with local Cuban guides, ensuring that tourism dollars directly support Cuban families, small businesses, and community-based conservation efforts.
Seamless, Expert-Led Small Group Experience
From airport transfers to private air-conditioned transportation and an English-speaking local guide throughout, every detail is handled for you. The itinerary balances intensive birding, cultural insights, and a relaxed pace, making this an ideal experience for birders who want deep access without logistical stress.
I’ve traveled with Birding Beyond before, and the level of planning, local expertise, and care for the places we visit is unmatched. When they announced the 2027 trip to Cuba, signing up was an easy decision. I know this will be an experience that goes far beyond just birding.
Oliver Hartman, Returning Birding Beyond Traveler
About the trip
This 12-day / 11-night Small Group Cuba Birding Land Tour is a carefully designed journey through some of the most important birding regions in Cuba, combining exceptional wildlife experiences, cultural connections, and responsible travel.
The trip is built around habitat-based birding, allowing guests to explore wetlands, forests, savannas, coastal lagoons, and island keys with an experienced, English-speaking local guide. By moving gradually across the island, the itinerary maximizes opportunities to observe Cuban endemic species while maintaining a comfortable pace that balances focused birding with time to relax and enjoy the surroundings.
Birding Beyond tours are intentionally kept small, creating a relaxed, supportive environment that encourages learning, photography, and shared discovery. Whether you are an experienced birder or a nature-focused traveler, this trip is designed to be engaging without feeling rushed or overwhelming.
Accommodations are primarily in Casa Particulares (privately run Cuban B&Bs), offering meaningful interaction with local hosts and a deeper understanding of daily life in Cuba. Meals are often held at paladares (privately owned restaurants), supporting small businesses while showcasing Cuban cuisine. Private, air-conditioned transportation and seamless logistics allow guests to focus fully on the experience rather than the details.
This journey is fully compliant with current U.S. travel regulations under the Support for the Cuban People category and is structured to ensure that travel dollars directly benefit Cuban citizens, guides, and communities.
Above all, this trip is about connection to birds, landscapes, people, and place, offering a thoughtful and immersive way to experience Cuba beyond the typical visitor path.
12 Days / 11 Nights
Cuba Birding Land Tour (2027)
Day 1 – Arrival in Havana
Arrive in Havana, where you are met at the international airport by our local team and transferred to your Casa Particular. After settling in, take time to relax or go for a short neighborhood walk. Your guide will review the upcoming itinerary and answer questions as you prepare for the journey ahead.
Day 2 – Havana to San Diego de los Baños (Pinar del Río)
After breakfast, travel west into Pinar del Río Province, stopping along the way for birding in roadside forests, farmland, and wetlands. By afternoon, arrive in the quiet town of San Diego de los Baños, an excellent base for endemic species. The surrounding habitats support over 100 bird species, offering strong early opportunities to encounter Cuban Solitaire, Giant Kingbird, Olive-capped Warbler, and Cuban Pygmy Owl.
Day 3 – Las Terrazas Biosphere Reserve and Transfer to Zapata Swamp
Begin the day birding at Las Terrazas, a unique community and biosphere reserve nestled in the Sierra del Rosario. Forest trails and mixed habitats provide chances for Fernandina’s Flicker, Cuban Grassquit, and Stygian Owl. After lunch, continue south to Zapata Swamp, Cuba’s most important birding region and one of the premier wetland systems in the Caribbean.
Day 4 – La Turba and Soplillar Trails (Zapata Swamp)
Explore marsh and woodland habitats at La Turba, including a visit to a privately run refuge known as the Bee Hummingbird’s House. This intimate setting offers excellent chances to see the Bee Hummingbird, the smallest bird in the world. Later, walk the Soplillar Trail, a renowned birding route where nightjars and owls are often encountered near dusk.
Day 5 – La Salina Lagoons (Zapata Swamp)
Spend the day birding La Salina, a coastal lagoon system that attracts large numbers of waterbirds and shorebirds. Expect flamingos, spoonbills, storks, ducks, and shorebirds feeding in productive wetlands. After a midday break, return to the field in the late afternoon to search for additional endemic species and benefit from improved lighting.
Day 6 – Bermeja Fauna Refuge (Zapata Swamp)
Visit Bermeja, a nationally significant fauna refuge with one of the highest concentrations of endemic birds per square mile anywhere in the world. Open-palm savannas, brush, and woodlands create ideal conditions for species such as the Cuban Trogon, Cuban Tody, Cuban Parakeet, and Cuba’s endemic owls. This is often one of the most productive birding days of the tour.
Day 7 – Zapata Swamp to Camagüey
Enjoy a final morning of birding in Zapata before beginning the journey east to Camagüey. Upon arrival, explore this historic city, famous for its maze-like street design developed to confuse pirates. The evening offers time to relax, stroll the town, or enjoy local music and culture.
Day 8 – Najasa Biosphere Reserve and Transfer to Morón
Depart for the Najasa Biosphere Reserve, a stronghold for species such as Palm Crow, Plain Pigeon, and the elusive Gundlach’s Hawk. After lunch, continue north to Morón, a small historic town that serves as an ideal base for exploring Cuba’s northern keys.
Day 9 – Cayo Coco
Travel to Cayo Coco, where lagoons, mangroves, grasslands, and coastal scrub host an impressive diversity of birds. Over 200 species have been recorded here. Target species include Cuban Gnatcatcher, Key West Quail-Dove, Oriente Warbler, and large flocks of American Flamingos. Raptors and migratory species may also be present, depending on the season.
Day 10 – Cayo Guillermo
Bird the sandy coastal vegetation and mangroves of Cayo Guillermo, an area known for specialty species and quieter birding conditions. Key targets include Thick-billed Vireo, Bahama Mockingbird, Mangrove Cuckoo, and West Indian Whistling Duck, along with a variety of shorebirds and waterbirds.
Day 11 – Return to Havana
Begin the return journey to Havana with birding stops along the way. This travel day often provides unexpected sightings and final chances to add species to your list. Arrive in Havana in the evening for your final night in Cuba.
Day 12 – Departure from Havana
Transfer to Havana International Airport for departure. Say farewell to Cuba after an immersive journey combining exceptional birding, cultural exchange, and community-based travel.