Integrated Studies Program

Cayo Santa Maria

A 90-minute drive from Santa Clara lies the Cayo Santa Maria (Santa Maria Key) part of an archipelago of small islands, or keys. Ten miles long and one and a half miles wide, its 8 miles of magnificent white sandy beaches and a string of luxury hotels with restaurants and discos make Cayo Santa Maria a spectacular excursion destination for API students. What makes it so special is that although it is part of a major project of resorts on the keys being developed to outstrip better-known tourist resorts such as Varadero and Cayo Coco, it has been carefully controlled in order to preserve the marine life and the 248 species of flora of the Cayo. These include a UNESCO-listed biosphere and a dolphin preserve (dolphinarium). Activities on the Cayo include scuba diving, snorkeling, catamaran excursions and cruises and, of course, enjoying swimming off the pristine sandy beaches. The small village of Pueblo la Estrella at the beginning of the Cayo has restaurants, discos, spas, bowling and a shopping mall with local handicrafts.

Access to the Cayo is via a recently built 30-mile long causeway. The town of Caibarien, the “launchpad for the keys” on the mainland, is worth a stop with its museum that celebrates the history of the development of the sugar industry based in the region’s old sugar mill. In addition to original items there are wooden and bronze models and representations of every kind of machinery and activity involved in the production of sugar from cane. And for train lovers, Caibarien’s locomotive museum boasts Latin America’s largest steam engine!

Cienfuegos

One of Cuba’s main ports, the city of Cienfuegos is a UNESCO World Heritage site, being cited as the best extant example of the 19th-century early Spanish Enlightenment implementation in urban planning. Cienfuegos played an important role in battles during the Spanish-American and Cuban Revolutionary wars.

Havana

The capital and largest city of the island nation of Cuba, Havana has a long and storied past. The city was chartered by King Phillip II of Spain in 1592, and was recognized by royal decree in 1634 as the “Key to the New World.” Due to its historic role as a trading port, Havana often fell prey to attacks by pirates and buccaneers, leading to the construction of a series of forts that can still be visited today – the most famous of these being “El Morro Fortress.”

The city expanded greatly during the 17th century, growing to be the third largest city in the Americas by the middle of the 18th century; indeed, it was larger than Boston and New York at the time! The 19th century saw the construction of the railroad (the fifth in the world) and of various cultural arenas (theaters, lyceum, etc.) that hosted influential exhibits and performances throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Today the city continues to promote the arts with numerous international arts and music festivals each year, including the Havana International Jazz Festival, the International Havana Ballet Festival, the Havana International Film Festival, and more!

Trinidad

Cayo Santa Maria

A 90-minute drive from Santa Clara lies the Cayo Santa Maria (Santa Maria Key) part of an archipelago of small islands, or keys. Ten miles long and one and a half miles wide, its 8 miles of magnificent white sandy beaches and a string of luxury hotels with restaurants and discos make Cayo Santa Maria a spectacular excursion destination for API students. What makes it so special is that although it is part of a major project of resorts on the keys being developed to outstrip better-known tourist resorts such as Varadero and Cayo Coco, it has been carefully controlled in order to preserve the marine life and the 248 species of flora of the Cayo. These include a UNESCO-listed biosphere and a dolphin preserve (dolphinarium). Activities on the Cayo include scuba diving, snorkeling, catamaran excursions and cruises and, of course, enjoying swimming off the pristine sandy beaches. The small village of Pueblo la Estrella at the beginning of the Cayo has restaurants, discos, spas, bowling and a shopping mall with local handicrafts.

Access to the Cayo is via a recently built 30-mile long causeway. The town of Caibarien, the “launchpad for the keys” on the mainland, is worth a stop with its museum that celebrates the history of the development of the sugar industry based in the region’s old sugar mill. In addition to original items there are wooden and bronze models and representations of every kind of machinery and activity involved in the production of sugar from cane. And for train lovers, Caibarien’s locomotive museum boasts Latin America’s largest steam engine!

Cienfuegos

One of Cuba’s main ports, the city of Cienfuegos is a UNESCO World Heritage site, being cited as the best extant example of the 19th-century early Spanish Enlightenment implementation in urban planning. Cienfuegos played an important role in battles during the Spanish-American and Cuban Revolutionary wars.

Havana

The capital and largest city of the island nation of Cuba, Havana has a long and storied past. The city was chartered by King Phillip II of Spain in 1592, and was recognized by royal decree in 1634 as the “Key to the New World.” Due to its historic role as a trading port, Havana often fell prey to attacks by pirates and buccaneers, leading to the construction of a series of forts that can still be visited today – the most famous of these being “El Morro Fortress.”

The city expanded greatly during the 17th century, growing to be the third largest city in the Americas by the middle of the 18th century; indeed, it was larger than Boston and New York at the time! The 19th century saw the construction of the railroad (the fifth in the world) and of various cultural arenas (theaters, lyceum, etc.) that hosted influential exhibits and performances throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Today the city continues to promote the arts with numerous international arts and music festivals each year, including the Havana International Jazz Festival, the International Havana Ballet Festival, the Havana International Film Festival, and more!

Trinidad