Family Friendly Cuba Tour

You look out the window as the plane descends to find lush grass and swaying palm trees. One side looks out mountains rolling along the horizon. The other side overlooks the turquoise water reaching the edges of the historic city of Havana. Your private transfer greets you at baggage claim upon your arrival. The tropical image of Cuba emanates from the temperate climate and the emerald landscape edging the city. Travel along Calzada del Cerro, the boulevard taking you through the suburbs of Havana, leading to the center of the old city. The soaring, star-shaped spire of the Jose Marti Memorial stands 358 feet tall, towering over Revolution Plaza.

The Malecón wraps around the northern edge of the city, bordering the Caribbean Sea. Waves splash against the wall, spraying mist onto the sidewalk. Your hotel is located in the heart of the old city, inside a renovated 19th-century building. The elegant façade sets the scene of the comfortable, historic interior. Stepping into the lobby is like traveling back in time, delighting the kids and you. Polished tiles lead to the art-deco stairway. An open-air rooftop restaurant offers spectacular views of the historic city. The sophisticated dome of the capital building creates Old Havana’s skyline, challenged only by shifting colors of the ocean in the background.

The aroma of fresh pineapple and coconut accompany breakfast. Rich, indulgent Cuban coffee fills your cup. The music of the city starts early, filling the cobblestone streets with syncopated drumbeats. The sunlight stretches across the facades of both renovated and dilapidated buildings, showcasing one of the city’s unique contrasts. Classic American cars cruise down the narrow alleys and wide boulevards of the district. The kids are excited to step into an antique Cadillac convertible. The cushioned white leather seats cradle your body.

The open ceiling allows the family the best possible view of your surroundings. 19th-century buildings frame the Parque Central Horses pulling intimate carriages around the royal palm trees and vibrant blossoming flowers. Palacio de los Capitanes Generales was erected in the late 18th century. It acted as the governor’s mansion from its inception to the late 19th century. Columns and archways decorate the front arcade. Your guide points out the numerous marine fossils of the limestone façade. Stained glass windows glisten against the outline of small outline extended balconies. Havana features its history in everyday life.

After your visit to the local farmers market, you make your way to a family dance lesson at a studio in Central Havana. The bright walls of the room set an exciting scene. Your instructor greets the family with a familiar welcome. One of the best-known dances of Cuba is the Salsa. The movements originated as a mixture of Cuban Son and Afro-Cuban dance. The vigorous rhythm fills the room. Your instructor teaches you the basic steps before you can improvise, utilizing the encouraging beat to move your body. The kids laugh with excitement, eager to imitate the instructor, moving their hips and circling their partner nimbly.

Today your guide leads you along the trail of famous American author Ernest Hemingway, who had a home in Havana from 1939 to 1960. Enjoy a morning cruise around the edges of Cuba, departing from Marina Hemingway. Canals weave through tall grass. The family boards the catamaran setting sail on the calm turquoise water. Pelicans glide across the sky in search of breakfast. The morning sunlight washes over the powerful stone structure of Castillo de los Tres Santos Reyes Magos del Morro. The Spanish erected the imposing fortress in between the 16th and 17th centuries to protect the harbor from invading navies and pillaging pirates.

The kids can’t help but stare at the historic display of power. The kids get lost in the possibility Havana’s past, conjuring swashbucklers and pubs, sailors and treasure hunts. The walls of the castle are nearly 10 feet thick surrounded by a protective moat. The museum provides a detailed account of the 18th-century siege that eventually led to the fortress’s surrender to the British. You look back and see the high rises of Havana Vedado on the outskirts of the colonial structures creating the beautiful district of Old Havana. The kids keep an eye out for leaping marlins. The wind blows through your hair carrying a fresh, salty aroma. The sun reflects off the water. Weigh anchor in the marina and venture to the Finca Vigia, the Hemingway’s home while living in Havana.

The kids move to the sounds of Havana with ease. At breakfast, they take pleasure in the fresh fruits, which fill the restaurant with tropical aromas. Following your meal, your private transfer greets you in the lobby ready to escort the family to the province of Pinar del Rio, to the west of Havana. Local men stand atop the thick walls of the Malecón and cast their fishing lines out to sea. The shadows of high-rises in Vedado offer a quick view of the contemporary city, juxtaposing the architecture of Old Havana.

Travel past chicken farms and sugarcane plantations. Men and women stroll alongside the road waving down intermittent taxis, cars, and motorcyclists for rides in the countryside. Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve was established in the 1980s and encompasses more than 100 square miles of tropical forests. Evergreen trees keep the region bathed in emerald colors year round. Birders visit the area in search of the bee hummingbird. They grow to a length of two and a half inches and are known as the smallest living bird. The male has an iridescent blue upper-body that glints in the sunlight.

The town of Las Terrazas settled on the lakeshore in the terraced foothills of the Guaniguanico Mountain Range. The town helps sustain the delicate ecosystem of the area and oversees the reforestation of the region. A historical coffee plantation founded in the 19th century continues to cultivate and produce their crop with traditional techniques. Explore the town with a local guide, meeting artists, community leaders, and even a local folk singer along the way. The kids look into the canopy to find people soaring through the sky. You indulge them with an aerial tour of La Terrazas, traveling more than 2,600 feet across the gorgeous landscape.

Karsts rise above the flatlands of Vinales Valley, creating a striking contrast between thin towering rugged hills against the tiny figures of budding crops. The aroma of rich soil fills the air. Palm trees sprout from the red earth edging the hills. Farmers plant tobacco between November and February. The leaves grow thick and wide. Other times of the year farmers plant yucca and corn. Enjoy an exploratory-guided walk through the valley to visit a traditional tobacco plantation, along with a farmer’s home.

Oxen pull plows through the fields. Egrets linger near grazing cows in search of misplaced bugs. A refreshing breeze blows between the hills of the national park. You can see wild mango trees growing alongside the trails. When you reach the private farm, the farmer welcomes you with open arms and a delightful smile. He invites you into his home to teach the family about crop cultivation. The kids marvel at the size and strength of the oxen. Piglets run around a nearby pen.

The farmer explains the importance of the nutrient-rich soil and allowing the properties of the region to replenish before planting the same crop again. Vinales is famous for the quality of its tobacco. The kids learn about the treasures of sugarcane. Your guide introduces them to a press, making fresh sugarcane juice, and mixing the drink with delicious grapefruit juice. While the kids have a hands-on farming demonstration, you follow the farmer into a tasting room where you learn the tricks to a good cigar, including how to roll one.

The drive back to Havana takes you back alongside vibrant plantations. The wind blows across the tall grass of the countryside, making the greenery ripple. A group of boys wanders away from a large pond with a bundle of freshly caught fish. Before reaching Havana, you visit Fusterlandia, a small village on the outskirts of the city that turns art into an interactive experience. The rich colors and eclectic spirit of the sculptors, mosaics, and paintings represent life. Each street captivates the family. Jose Fuster, known as “Picasso of the Caribbean,” designed and developed the art, including the eye-popping houses.

Once in Havana, the music of the city quickly returns. Water splashes against the sea walls.  The engines of classic American cars roar. The beauty of the mechanical ingenuity and engineering enraptures you when you visit a Mechanic’s workshop in the city. The cars have endured 55 years of creative work, matching the classic exterior with a cocktail of machinery. A Chevrolet has the hood up. You look inside to find a Ford engine. Your guide explains that the engine came from an ambulance, giving the car an extra boost of power. Some mechanics have built special parts to keep the cars on the road when no replacements were available. The gloss and sheen of the Chevy’s frame harken back to a different time. The beauty of the cars, supported by the inventiveness of mechanics, adds to the luster of Havana.

At breakfast, you find the aroma of coffee and think back to the thriving plants at Buenavista Coffee Plantation in Las Terrazas. You remember the scent of the grounds, along with the familiar roasted aroma before you tasted the coffee. After breakfast, the family ventures to a private home to meet with your cooking instructor. She introduces herself to the family; immediately you feel welcomed into her home as if you have known the woman for years. Bright produce fills the kitchen.

Your instructor explains the importance of each ingredient, from a plant’s cultivation to the component's connection to the history of Cuba. The kids take turns chopping vegetables. They listen with intent when instructed on the proper way to cook rice. The atmosphere is both professional yet conversational. The aroma of fried plantains fills the kitchen. Colorful and aromatic dishes cover the table. The flavors of the Caribbean have enchanted the entire family. Take some time to relax after your dining experience before venturing to Hotel Nacional de Cuba, a government-owned monument.

The Art Deco building in Vedado adds to the skyline of the district, sitting atop the old Santa Clara Battery. A stone path leads from the hotel into a large bunker built during the Cold War. The family gets a firsthand introduction to the strained relations between Cuba and America during the 1960s and beyond. The cold, damp air fills the depths of the bunker. Former military electronics now act as decoration.  Posters recalling the Cuban Missile Crises decorate the walls, including artwork showing where Soviet troops, along with nuclear missiles, were positioned.

Artists display their work on the centered-marble walkway dividing Paseo de Marti. Painters and sketch artists depict life in Cuba, from the architecture to the dancing, the intimate stares of lovers to the jovial games of children. Bronze lions adorn the beginning of the walkway. Colonial buildings from the 19th century line the street. The Spanish colonists designed Plaza Vieja in the 16th century. The citizen of Havana restored the square to its former glory, bordered by Art Nouveau and Cuban Baroque buildings with an 18th-century fountain bubbling at the center. Your private transfer meets you at the hotel after breakfast and escorts the family to Jose Marti International Airport for your flight home. You have immersed yourself in the culture of Cuba, experiencing the culture, food, flair, and family values of the people.