Ciénaga de Zapata, (Zapata Swamp) located on Cuba's southern shore in Matanzas Province, is the largest of six Cuban sites, designated Wetlands of International importance. It is 6000 square miles in size, and is located in a UNESCO-recognized Biosphere Reserve.

The largest and best-preserved wetland in the Caribbean, the site is outstanding for the diversity of its bird species and for the presence of threatened endemic species. Part of a large karst watershed, the site includes a very large variety of wetland types, including subterranean karst hydrological systems.

The enormous resources of its rivers, lakes, marshes and pools, swamp forests, inter-tidal flats and estuarine waters, as well as a number of human-made wetland areas, are vitally important for the human communities both within the site and in its vicinity. Some 19 communities, with a total population of about 10,000 persons, make their livelihood here, chiefly by forestry, fishing, and tourism.

This wetland has extraordinary cultural value for Cuban and Caribbean heritage, because of its important archaeological sites of ancient pre-agricultural communities as well as the customs and traditions of the current population and their traditional use of natural resources.

The symposium will include Workshops on the following topics:

• Management and control of invasive species
• Adaptation to climate change in wetlands
• Protection and management of crocodiles and other endemic species
• Environmental education in wetlands communities

Program Highlights:

• Scale model of the City of Havana and talk on sustainable urban development
• City tour of Havana and Old Havana with visits to urban gardeners and farmers markets, community environmental projects along the Almendares River
• Participation in workshops at the Wetlands Symposium at Cienaga de Zapata
• Tours by bus, boat and foot of the Cienaga de Zapata and Bio-Reserve
• Meetings with community leaders living and working within the Cienaga de Zapata Wetland; talks on forestry, fishing and tourism
• All site visits will be co-led by a Cuban expert in wetlands, Cuban biodiversity, bio-reserve management, and/or urban and rural sustainable development.

Cost: $2250

Price Includes:

• round trip flight from Miami or Cancun to Havana
• Cuban visa
• Three star hotel accommodations
• Two meals per day
• Symposium fee
• Program guides
• Site visits
• In-country translation
• In-country transportation
• Program fees
• Cuban visa
• Price is based on double room accommodations; add $300 for single room
• Price does NOT include airfare to/from Cancun, beverages, gratuities, travel insurance, personal expenditures, etc.

How to Register:

Please read our Important Travel Guidelines and Cancellation Policy.

This trip will be as diverse as possible in terms of race, age and life experiences. We strongly urge people of color to apply. In some cases, a limited number of partial scholarships are available for low-income applicants.

Make your reservation online now!

Contact Pamela with any questions about this trip, or call toll-free 1-800-497-1994 .