Cuba, in the footsteps of Dirty Dancing

Twelve days. Women only. Salsa from the very first evening. Havana in a vintage Cadillac. Trinidad, which dances until three in the morning. Caribbean beaches. And you dance: on the beach, in a club, on the street, on a rooftop. Because in Cuba people dance everywhere.

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Duration

12 days / 11 nights

Group

max 12 people

Leader

Natalia Mańczak

Highlight

Salsa - Havana - Trinidad - the Caribbean

We do not work with agencies.
We work with people.

We travel every route ourselves once,
before we offer it to you.

Twelve people maximum.
Always.

About this expedition

There are things you do not do every day. Dancing on a street in Havana is one of them.

Twelve days, four workshops with Cuban instructors, evenings in the salsa clubs of Havana and Trinidad. Twelve women who came for the same thing: to belong to nobody for a while. You do not need to know how to dance. In Cuba nobody asks about your level.

CUBA IS THE ONLY PLACE WHERE DANCING IS TAKEN SERIOUSLY.

Not as fitness. Not as a show. Salsa in Cuba is a language. The way people tell each other things that cannot be said in words. Rhythm, a look, a touch, live music. This is where it all really began.

Explorea Women Only, in the footsteps of Dirty Dancing, is not a dance course with a trip bolted on the side. It is 12 days in which salsa is the warp. Four workshops with Cuban instructors, evenings in the best salsa clubs of Havana and Trinidad, dancing on the beach, on a rooftop, on the street. And between the lessons, all of Cuba: vintage cars, tobacco plantations, waterfalls, a catamaran to Cayo Blanco, the beaches of Varadero.

Women only. Max 12. No judgement, no showing off, no pressure. Can you dance? You do not have to. You will learn in Cuba, because here everybody dances.

"I did not realise how much I had missed doing something just for myself."

The Explorea team

Future editions of this expedition may be led by

Each of us walks this route personally before inviting anyone else.

Natalia Mańczak

Horse Riding

Meet the leader →

Day by day itinerary

Three acts: Havana (the city and salsa), the road (Viñales, Trinidad, the catamaran), Varadero (the beach and the farewell). Every day has its own rhythm. Every evening has its own beat.

ACT I, HAVANA Flight to Cuba. Transfer to casas particulares in Havana, private Cuban homes with guest rooms, colourful walls and ceiling fans. In the evening: an opening dinner on the terrace. The first mojito, the first toasts, the first beat of Cuban music from the neighbourhood. The group gets to know each other. Overnight: casa particular, Havana

Morning: Finca Vigía, Ernest Hemingway's house. Then Playa del Este, the beach where Hemingway wrote, drank and swam. Warm sand, turquoise water. Afternoon: the Morro fortress, a UNESCO site with a panorama of Havana from the other side of the bay. In the evening: the first salsa workshop. Two hours with a Cuban instructor. From scratch: the basic step, leading, rhythm. You do not need to know how. You need to want to. Then dinner and the first hours in a salsa club, with live music and Cubans inviting you to dance. Salsa workshop #1 2h with an instructor: basics, step, rhythm Level From zero, no dance experience needed Salsa club An evening in the club with live music Character Dirty Dancing starts here Overnight: casa particular, Havana

Morning: an hour's ride through Havana in a vintage American Cadillac. The Malecón, the Capitol, revolutionary murals, Revolution Square. Wind in your hair, colours, car horns, music from every window. Afternoon: Old Havana, a UNESCO site. The cathedral, Plaza Vieja, Bodeguita del Medio (Hemingway's mojito), Floridita (daiquiri). Shopping: cigars, rum, coffee. In the evening: Fábrica de Arte Cubano or Casa de la Música. You dance until two in the morning. The Cubans lead. You let go. Overnight: casa particular, Havana

An early departure for the Viñales valley, a UNESCO site around 3.5h away. Picturesque limestone hills (mogotes), a tobacco plantation with a demonstration of hand rolling cigars, the Cueva del Indio cave with a boat ride along an underground river. Mural de la Prehistoria, a giant mural on a rock face. Lunch with a view over the whole valley. Overnight: casa particular, Havana

ACT II, THE ROAD We head south east. El Nicho, a waterfall in tropical forest. A walk through the jungle, a swim in natural pools. Then Trinidad, one of the most beautiful colonial towns in Cuba, a UNESCO site. Cobbled streets, colourful houses, music from every doorway. In the evening: salsa workshop #2, two hours with a Trinidad instructor on the main square, in the open air. Trinidad dances on the church steps, literally. Casa de la Música de Trinidad: dancing on the steps until three in the morning. Salsa workshop #2 2h on the square, in the open air in Trinidad Casa de la Música Dancing on the steps, an icon of the Cuban night El Nicho A waterfall and a swim in the jungle Trinidad UNESCO, the most musical town in Cuba Overnight: casa particular, Trinidad

A full day catamaran cruise to Cayo Blanco, a paradise islet in the Caribbean Sea. White sand, turquoise water, snorkelling on the coral reef. An open bar on board: rum, mojitos, cocktails. A seafood lunch on the island. Swimming, sunbathing, no phone signal. Overnight: casa particular, Trinidad

Morning: Valle de los Ingenios, the Valley of the Sugar Mills, a UNESCO site. The Manaca Iznaga lookout tower with a panorama over the cane valleys. The history of slavery and sugar. The afternoon is free: a walk around Trinidad, shopping, coffee, the ruins. In the evening: salsa workshop #3, with reggaeton and the Cuban movement that European schools do not teach. Then the last night in Trinidad: rum, dancing, stars. Salsa workshop #3 Reggaeton and Cuban movement, 2h Valle de los Ingenios UNESCO, the history of sugar and slavery Character Culture and dance, a full day Overnight: casa particular, Trinidad

ACT III, VARADERO The drive to Varadero, around 4h. On the way: the Bacunayagua bridge, the highest in Cuba, with a view over the Yumurí valley and a piña colada at the top. Varadero: 20 km of white beach on a peninsula. Check in at an all inclusive hotel. The rest of the day: the beach, the pool, a drink, silence. Overnight: all inclusive hotel, Varadero

A whole day on the beach. The Caribbean Sea: 28°C, turquoise, white sand. Options: snorkelling on the reef, a catamaran cruise, parasailing. Or: a sun lounger, a book, a mojito. In the evening: salsa workshop #4, the finale. Wrapping it all up: bachata, cha cha cha, rueda de casino. Dancing on the beach at sunset. Feet in the sand, music from a speaker, rum in your hand. Salsa workshop #4 The finale: bachata, rueda de casino, dancing on the beach Varadero 20 km of beach, all inclusive Signature Moment Dancing on the beach at sunset Character Slow and celebratory Overnight: all inclusive hotel, Varadero

A slow day. The beach, the pool, a spa (optional). Last shopping: rum, cigars, Cuban coffee. In the evening: the farewell dinner. Shared memories of the Cadillac, the salsa club, the steps in Trinidad, the dancing on the beach. 12 women. 4 salsa workshops. 1 island. What are you taking with you? Overnight: all inclusive hotel, Varadero

Transfer to Havana, around 2h. José Martí airport. Flight to Europe.

Arrival back home. Twelve days, Havana, Trinidad, the Caribbean, salsa. You come back with a tan, a new skill and the certainty that dancing is not something you do. It is something you are.

What the expedition includes

Transparent, no asterisks.

Included 13 999 PLN

Accommodation: casas particulares in Havana and Trinidad (7 nights) and an all inclusive hotel in Varadero (3 nights)
4 salsa workshops with Cuban instructors (2h each)
All breakfasts and dinners in the casas plus all inclusive in Varadero
A ride through Havana in a vintage Cadillac (1h)
A full day catamaran cruise to Cayo Blanco: lunch, open bar, snorkelling
The Viñales trip: the cave, a tobacco plantation, the mural, lunch
Valle de los Ingenios and Manaca Iznaga
Guided tours of Old Havana and Trinidad
Entry to the music clubs: Fábrica de Arte, Casa de la Música
Airport transfers and transport along the whole route
Cuban e-visa
Travel insurance
An Explorea leader for the whole expedition

The price does not include

Flights from Poland to Havana (approx. 4,500 to 6,500 PLN)
Meals outside the itinerary (approx. 20 EUR a day)
Tips (approx. 40 EUR in total)
Alcoholic drinks outside the all inclusive and the catamaran
Personal spending: cigars, rum, souvenirs

Preparation

What you need to know before you apply.

Physical requirements

Level 1/5. No trekking. Dancing takes energy, not fitness. The only physical element is the walk to El Nicho (around 2h, gentle). The rest is cars, beaches and the dance floor.

Formalities

The Cuban e-visa is included. Passport valid for at least 6 months. Vaccinations: none required. Currency: Cuban peso (cash, cards are rarely accepted). Insurance is included.

Weather and equipment

Best season: November to April (the dry season). Temperature 25 to 32°C. Light clothing plus something for the evenings (the clubs are air conditioned). Dance shoes: flat and comfortable.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about this expedition.

Do I have to know how to dance?

How is this different from a typical trip to Cuba?

Is Cuba safe for women?

What is the group like?

How much do flights cost?

Gallery from expeditions

The world we saw together.

Route

Where we operate

If you feel this is your expedition

Not a form. A conversation.

Call us or leave your details and we will call back within 24 hours. In the first conversation we listen rather than sell. We will tell you honestly whether this expedition is for you or whether it is better to look for something else.

Call now Leave your details →

During the call: we choose a date, answer your questions and go through the details.
After the call: the decision is yours. No pressure.