Cuba remains one of the most extraordinary private aviation destinations in the Western Hemisphere: a country frozen in architectural time (the colonial centre of Havana, Trinidad, and Camagüey are among the best-preserved Spanish colonial environments on Earth), with a jazz, rum, and mojito culture of global reference, an extraordinary natural park system, and a complexity of entry logistics that makes private aviation the most practical access method for serious travellers. Beyond Cuba, the Caribbean island circuit — from St Barts (the reference UHNW island) through Anguilla, Mustique, St Lucia, Antigua, and the British Virgin Islands — provides a range of island characters and experiences that justify a purpose-built circuit.
Havana: The Living Museum
José Martí International Airport (HAV) in Havana handles private jet arrivals through a dedicated general aviation terminal; the process is more complex than other Caribbean destinations due to Cuba's regulatory framework (prior landing permits required, coordination with Cuban aviation authorities minimum 48 hours in advance). FFGR Jets handles all Cuban aviation permits as part of the standard Cuba service; the process is routine for experienced operators with established Cuban aviation relationships.
Havana's Old City (La Habana Vieja, a UNESCO World Heritage Site) is the centrepiece of the Cuban experience: the Plaza de la Catedral and its 18th-century baroque cathedral, the Plaza de Armas (Cuba's oldest public square, now a book market), the Malecón seafront promenade (7 kilometres of seawall where Habaneros gather at sunset), the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (extraordinary collection of Cuban art from colonial period to the present), and the Fábrica de Arte Cubano (Havana's premier cultural space in a converted cooking oil factory, combining gallery, concert hall, and bar). The Saratoga Hotel and the Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski (Cuba's first five-star hotel, in a beautifully restored colonial arcade building) are the reference accommodation addresses.
Beyond Havana: Trinidad and Varadero
Trinidad — a colonial city 300 kilometres southeast of Havana — is arguably Cuba's most perfectly preserved town: the cobblestone streets, the brightly painted colonial houses, the Plaza Mayor with its Santísima Trinidad church and municipal museum, and the surrounding Valle de los Ingenios (UNESCO, a valley of former sugar plantations) have been frozen in amber since the 19th century. Access from Havana is by domestic charter to the Abel Santamaría Airport in Santa Clara (CCC, 80 kilometres from Trinidad) or by road in a private vehicle.
Varadero — Cuba's premier beach resort, 140 kilometres east of Havana — is accessed by private aircraft through the Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport (VRA). The beach itself — 20 kilometres of white sand along a narrow peninsula — is extraordinary by Caribbean standards. The international hotel stock has improved significantly with the opening of Meliá Las Americas and the Paradisus Varadero resort, though the genuine UHNW experience in Cuba is less about resort infrastructure and more about the colonial city circuit.
St Barts: The Gold Standard Caribbean Island
St Barts (Saint-Barthélemy) is the reference UHNW Caribbean island: the only Caribbean island that is simultaneously French in culture and cuisine, extraordinarily secluded, expensive enough to function as a natural barrier to mass tourism, and beautiful in a way that rewards repeated visits. Gustaf III Airport (SBH) is one of the most challenging approaches in commercial aviation — a short runway (650 metres) at the end of a steep ridge descent, requiring specific type ratings and approach training — which means all arrivals by private aircraft larger than a light twin must island-hop via St Maarten or Guadeloupe by seaplane or turboprop.
The St Barts UHNW circuit centres on the beach clubs (Le Toiny for the most exclusive, Eden Rock for the most architectural, Nikki Beach at St Jean for the most social), the Gustavia harbour (superyachts anchored in the bay, boutiques lining the waterfront), and the villas of the Lurin and Colombier areas (most prestigious Rosé wine-coloured Caribbean architecture, extraordinary private pool terraces). L'Esprit de Saline, La Guerite, and Le Tamarin are the restaurants of reference.
The Lesser Antilles Circuit
The Lesser Antilles island circuit — Anguilla, Antigua, St Lucia, Martinique, Barbados — provides a 7-10 day island-hopping programme by light charter aircraft. Anguilla (AXA) — a flat British territory known for its extraordinary beaches, particularly Shoal Bay and Meads Bay — is a 15-minute flight from St Maarten; the Malliouhana Hotel and Viceroy Anguilla are the reference addresses. Antigua's English Harbour (the perfectly preserved 18th-century naval dockyard now converted to a sailing and superyacht hub) is one of the Caribbean's finest anchorages.
Barbados (BGI) — the most developed island in the eastern Caribbean, with Michelin-starred restaurants (The Cliff), an extraordinary west coast beach club scene (Lone Star, The Fish Pot, Daphne's), and a polo club — functions as the sophisticated anchor of the Lesser Antilles circuit. FFGR Jets structures Caribbean island circuits as a series of light aircraft sectors (many of which operate on scheduled services, with private aircraft arranged as needed for privacy and timing flexibility), coordinated around a superyacht base if the client has a yacht in the region.
Charter a Private Jet to the Caribbean
Or by email: contact@ffgrjets.com
