Explore the untouched eastern shores of Cuba for the ultimate authentic experience.

Our Cuban journey starts in Santiago de Cuba, the country’s second city and former capital. Stepping out into its hot and heavy atmosphere, it’s clear how this place was such a hotbed of resistance and revolt. We will be visiting some of the city’s main museums to help us piece together the remarkable story of Fidel Castro and his Cuban Revolution.

We will also head to Cayo Granma in Santiago’s Bay, a sequestered island that is so small it can be covered on foot in just sixty minutes, yet you’ll be eager to stay for a lot longer. We will interact with the locals, photographing the few families that inhabit the key and dwell above the water on stilted rickety houses. Journeying outside of the city, we will drive towards the ethereal beacon of el Cobre church perched on the Santiago hillside. We will join devotees as they complete their pilgrimage to this hallowed ground where there are endless curiosities to photograph: bright yellow sunflowers and abandoned crutches left to Cuba’s patron saint as symbolic offerings.

Winding through the mountainous La Farola Road, we will then descend into the storybook village of Baracoa, Cuba’s very first capital and unquestionably the most paradisiacal part of the island. Picture virgin beaches, echoing canyons, and winding rivers that are integral to the local way of life. The national parks and protected areas we will visit in Baracoa are teeming with endemic wildlife at every turn, countless birds, mollusks with multicolored shells, and the world’s smallest frog.

Besides the nature photography, we’ll be photographing the locals of Baracoa, the island’s most hospitable. This includes a trip to a tiny hamlet to meet a community whose remote location has allowed them to keep their indigenous dance and culinary customs alive. We will also participate in a very special “Quinceañera” shoot, a time-honored tradition in Cuba to celebrate a girl’s transition into womanhood.

OUR CUBAN RECIPE FOR SUCCESS: We really know how to do Cuba right. With a small group of 6-7 guests, we stay in beautiful and authentic Casa Particulares (Cuban bed & breakfasts), traveling in air-conditioned vehicles and beautifully restored vintage American automobiles. We dine at some of Cuba’s best restaurants and authentic hidden gem paladars, and lastly, we expose you to both the most authentic and photogenic Cuba.

This adventure is designed not only to guide you to the most picturesque locations carefully planned for the best light but to aid you in mentally visualizing a scene before capturing the decisive moment. In addition, you will become knowledgeable on how to survey the landscape, utilize and approach your environment, photograph people indigenous to the region, and consider the cultural challenges of photographing in a foreign country as complex and unique as Cuba.

Our aim is to raise your awareness and spark your creativity so that you go home with images to be proud of while also using your newfound skills to improve and expand your photographic technique in general, turning an ordinary image into an extraordinary one through your own creativity. Our time together will include individual and group discussions, inspiring ideas, and great fun. Cuba offers more photographic opportunities than any other adventure we offer. El Oriente is not to be missed!

Photo Workshop Adventures provides 100% legal and compliant Cuba travel under US Treasury Department’s OFAC License CT-2016-327909 / C.F.R. 515.567. This allows group travel to Cuba for “workshops” and “support for the Cuban people”.

Our Cuban journey starts in Santiago de Cuba, the country’s second city and former capital. Stepping out into its hot and heavy atmosphere, it’s clear how this place was such a hotbed of resistance and revolt. We will be visiting some of the city’s main museums to help us piece together the remarkable story of Fidel Castro and his Cuban Revolution.

We will also head to Cayo Granma in Santiago’s Bay, a sequestered island that is so small it can be covered on foot in just sixty minutes, yet you’ll be eager to stay for a lot longer. We will interact with the locals, photographing the few families that inhabit the key and dwell above the water on stilted rickety houses. Journeying outside of the city, we will drive towards the ethereal beacon of el Cobre church perched on the Santiago hillside. We will join devotees as they complete their pilgrimage to this hallowed ground where there are endless curiosities to photograph: bright yellow sunflowers and abandoned crutches left to Cuba’s patron saint as symbolic offerings.

Winding through the mountainous La Farola Road, we will then descend into the storybook village of Baracoa, Cuba’s very first capital and unquestionably the most paradisiacal part of the island. Picture virgin beaches, echoing canyons, and winding rivers that are integral to the local way of life. The national parks and protected areas we will visit in Baracoa are teeming with endemic wildlife at every turn, countless birds, mollusks with multicolored shells, and the world’s smallest frog.

Besides the nature photography, we’ll be photographing the locals of Baracoa, the island’s most hospitable. This includes a trip to a tiny hamlet to meet a community whose remote location has allowed them to keep their indigenous dance and culinary customs alive. We will also participate in a very special “Quinceañera” shoot, a time-honored tradition in Cuba to celebrate a girl’s transition into womanhood.

OUR CUBAN RECIPE FOR SUCCESS: We really know how to do Cuba right. With a small group of 6-7 guests, we stay in beautiful and authentic Casa Particulares (Cuban bed & breakfasts), traveling in air-conditioned vehicles and beautifully restored vintage American automobiles. We dine at some of Cuba’s best restaurants and authentic hidden gem paladars, and lastly, we expose you to both the most authentic and photogenic Cuba.

This adventure is designed not only to guide you to the most picturesque locations carefully planned for the best light but to aid you in mentally visualizing a scene before capturing the decisive moment. In addition, you will become knowledgeable on how to survey the landscape, utilize and approach your environment, photograph people indigenous to the region, and consider the cultural challenges of photographing in a foreign country as complex and unique as Cuba.

Our aim is to raise your awareness and spark your creativity so that you go home with images to be proud of while also using your newfound skills to improve and expand your photographic technique in general, turning an ordinary image into an extraordinary one through your own creativity. Our time together will include individual and group discussions, inspiring ideas, and great fun. Cuba offers more photographic opportunities than any other adventure we offer. El Oriente is not to be missed!

Photo Workshop Adventures provides 100% legal and compliant Cuba travel under US Treasury Department’s OFAC License CT-2016-327909 / C.F.R. 515.567. This allows group travel to Cuba for “workshops” and “support for the Cuban people”.

*All prices are per person and based on double occupancy. Please select single occupancy for a private room. For your convenience, we offer optional early arrival and late departure accommodations so you can extend your stay before or after the trip. We typically stay in upscale boutique hotels in the 4 and 5-star category. Not all destinations offer these types of properties. We look for unique hotels that offer cultural, historic, and/or authentic features. Depending on the size of the group, smaller boutique hotels may have limited room inventory. In some countries or in remote locations, we may be limited to lodges or branded chain hotels. In Cuba, we stay in upscale family-owned Casas (bread & breakfasts). On all of our tours, breakfast is almost always included, but not guaranteed. Meal categories listed include (B) for breakfast, (L) for lunch, and (D) for dinner.