My 10 Days in Cuba With a Small Group Tour

I had the pleasure of spending 10 days in Cuba this year with Travels With Talek, a tour organizer offering tours to various exciting destinations.

Visiting Vibrant, Colorful Cuba Where Time Seems to Have Stood Still in Many Ways After the 1959 Revolution

Cuba is the largest of the Caribbean islands—roughly the size of the state of Tennessee—and it is not the
most commonly visited because of historical restrictions.

These 10 days in Cuba provided an educational and fun experience, with delicious food, fantastic music, engaging company and a variety of activities to increase our understanding of Cuban culture.

We started our trip in the capital city of Havana. Our accommodations were in a charming convent in the heart of Old Havana, Convento Santa Brigida, steps away from a life-and art-filled town plaza.

The kind nuns provided breakfast each day we stayed with them after they attended their daily morning mass.

Talek Nantes, the tour organizer, made it easy to exchange U.S. dollars for local currency showing us where were the best places to exchange money.

U.S. credit cards do not work in Cuba, so sufficient cash is necessary. She welcomed us with a reception of Cuban snacks and mojitos, giving us a rundown of what to expect during our nine days in Cuba.

Talek employed an amiable local guide, Julio Cesar Torres Cuesta (“J.C.”), to shepherd us around the country in a comfortable microbus.

J.C. went out of his way to ensure all went smoothly. He often pre-ordered food for us to minimize waits and confusion, and was an excellent translator. He answered our many questions with grace and good humor, providing insights about life in the socialist country, religious practices, history and politics.

One highlight in Havana was a city tour in classic cars. Many of the cars in Cuba are from the 1950s and prior.

Trade embargos prevent any newer American cars from entering the country. There are some newer model cars from China, but the restored classic cars dominate the roads.

Our brightly hued cars ferried us around the capital city’s major sites.

The drivers allowed us to take as many photos as we liked during our tour, including posing as drivers of
their impeccably-kept convertibles from the mid-1950s.

When we were in the countryside, J.C. engaged local guides to provide deeper levels of detail about what we were seeing and experiencing.

Enjoying Viñales on my 10 Days in Cuba

One example was while touring a tobacco farm near Viñales. The guide, Yaniel, knew the farmers we encountered and was close with the family-run farmhands and owners. He arranged a session in which we learned how to roll and sample cigars.

Our cigar rolling instructor quipped that many Cubans use “vitamin R,” i.e., Cuban rum, in their cigar recipes.

The lunch served after this tour included copious amounts of food, including a whole roasted pig, fresh yucca, harvested produce, fruit and the ubiquitous black beans and rice.

We thankfully were wheeled back to our bus in a horsedrawn oxcart after our feast.

We were encouraged to bring items to donate to Cuban people and visited a senior center that welcomed our donations, especially medicines, which are in short supply there. Government-run pharmacies often had sparse offerings on their shelves.

We also donated supplies at a school and to individuals along the way. I brought candy that I distributed to
children I encountered, which brought squeals of delight from the young recipients.

When staying in Viñales, we were housed in “casas particulares,” which are private homes that take in guests. It was a fun way to see Cuban life in a private setting. The hosts served us generous breakfasts before seeing us off each morning.

Want to stay in beautiful Viñales? Here are the best casas particulares.

We also were treated to nature walks, horseback riding, a Cuban salsa dancing lesson, as well as a paella cooking demonstration. J.C. arranged for an outing to the Buena Vista Social Club and to the grand Hotel Nacional.

The Hotel Nacional’s show was just as I imagined a 1950s cabaret-style show would be, with beautiful dancers in colorful, ornate costumes, talented singers and lots of flash and pizzazz.

A Stop in Trinidad, the most perfectly preserved colonial town in the Americas

A wonderful trip highlight was snorkeling in the turquoise Caribbean waters at a beach near Trinidad.

The multicolored fish were gorgeous and the water was pleasantly warm. We stopped to photograph pink flamingoes on our bus return to town.

Travel to Cuba for Americans is unlike travel to most foreign countries. There are restrictions on the expressed reasons for your visit (ours was “Support for the Cuban People.”)

Other restrictions include the places you can stay (Americans are not allowed to stay in government-run hotels), as well as things you can bring back to the U.S. For example, Cuban rum and cigars are prohibited from
being imported into the United States.

WiFi is not universally available, and we experienced a lack of electricity for several hours a day while outside Havana.

Most of the local people we encountered spoke no English and, although I speak semi-fluent Spanish, having a translator was helpful.

In many parts of Cuba, it seemed like we were traveling in a time warp. The roads were not universally in good shape, and we often observed horse-drawn buggies competing with motorized vehicles on major roadways.

Elegant colonial-style mansions stood adjacent to crumbling buildings. Many shortages existed of various goods. The cost of fuel is prohibitive for many, so hitchhiking is common.

The people exhibited tremendous resiliency and resourcefulness, however, despite everyday inconveniences that are part of Cuban life.

Having a knowledgeable guide like Talek makes everything easier for visitors to Cuba. Talek, who is of Cuban descent and raised in the U.S., clearly loves Cuba and shares with those on her tours the best that the country has to offer those lucky enough to visit.

Maybe 10 days in Cuba is not enough to enjoy all the country has to offer but it is a great start.

BTW, if you’re looking for a great place to stay in Havana, check out these casas particulares.

By: Maria Leonard Olsen

Want to know more about visiting Cuba, check out these useful guides.

What are your thoughts on how to spend 10 days in Cuba with a small group tour? Let us know in the comments.

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