STO focuses on a Cuba School Biology Expedition for Secondary School students, offered by World Youth Adventures.
World Youth Adventures specialises in custom-made overseas school expeditions with over 100 countries to choose from including Costa Rica, China, Mongolia and Bhutan.
Some trips to these countries have an educational purpose – many are specifically linked to subjects including Art, History, Geography and Science – while others aim to improve character or provide a chance to work on a community project.
Cuba School Biology Expedition in particular is a ten-day school trip to Cuba, and relates to both Biology and Geography while incorporating activities such as walking, swimming and snorkelling.
Students taking this trip will learn about Biology on the Caribbean island of Cuba, and get to understand the Geography of the island. Ecology, flora and fauna, local wildlife and habitats are also subjects covered on the expedition.
Trip highlights include birdwatching, insect spotting and plant identification in national parks, a walking tour of Trinidad, and snorkelling to study marine life in Playa Larga.
Pictured: Trinidad.
Itinerary highlights
The trip starts in Vinales, a small town in the Pinar del Río Province of Cuba, famous for its landscapes carved by limestone cliffs and valleys. The school group will visit the nearby Mogotes; isolated, steep-sided, residual hills which are composed of limestone, marble, or dolomite, as well as see a Prehistoric wall mural.
A trip to a cigar factory to find out how plants are used in cigar manufacture is also part of this first day.
Another day of the trip includes a visit to the Caminata Maravillas de Vinales trail. This is an area of outstanding geological interest, and following a hike, the class will stop for a picnic and learn about the endemic flora and fauna found in this humid region.
Bird watching will also be on the cards during a visit to the La Serafina Trail on another day’s excursion.
Pictured: Cuban landscape.
Day five of the Cuba School Biology Expedition includes a trip to a UNESCO World Heritage Site named the Zapata Wetlands; said to be the largest wetlands and bird sanctuary in the whole of the Caribbean.
The wetlands present a wild habitat of swamps, mangroves and beaches stretching into the sea, that are home to a variety of insects, fish and reptiles as well as numerous species of bird. Following this will be a snorkelling trip to view the marine life in the Cueva De Los Peces (cave of fish).
Further highlights throughout the trip include a visit to the Che Guevara Mausoleum in Santa Clara; two nights in the Escambray Mountains; and a Biology and Ecology walk in Sierra del Escambray in Topes de Collantes.
The trip will conclude with a walking tour of Havana, followed by the pupils being collected by classic American cars and driven to a restaurant for a farewell dinner.
Pictured: Havana.
School travel information
This Cuba School Biology Expedition includes twin share hotel accommodation; full board meals; bilingual Cuban guides; private transportation throughout; and a pre-departure information kit.
Teachers should note that this itinerary can be tailored to meet more of the curriculum if desired. For example, Cuba’s political and cultural history could be made the main focus of a trip instead of Science and Biology.
For further information call 020-8875 5060 or visit www.worldyouthadventures.com.
