Viva Cuba 1959

06/01/2023

Adios!
We have moved to our new page: Vive Mas Tours: Unique Cultural Experiences.
Here's our famous, "What to Expect on a Viva Cuba tour" video.
https://youtu.be/1Ip3uTNJHt0

Join us for a small group, no hassle tour that promises unique cultural experiences! You will have a Cuba guide who teaches along the journey, relish some o...

05/01/2023

See us at Vive Mas Tours: Unique Cultural Experiences. 😊🏝🥳

04/01/2023

The end of this page!
We are shutting this page down tomorrow at 7pm. Join us for all the latest happenings in Cuba AND Colombia at our new page, Vive Mas Tours: Unique Cultural Experiences.

04/01/2023

We’re expanding to Vive Más Tours, including trips to Cartagena. Here’s a quick peek.

Cartagena is such a popular destination that many cruise ships dock here, but our tours take you beyond Cartagena. You'll also experience the amazing UNESCO ...

02/01/2023

The end of this page!
We are shutting this page down on Thursday at 7pm. Join us for all the latest happenings in Cuba AND Colombia at our new page, Vive Mas Tours: Unique Cultural Experiences.

01/01/2023

My post yesterday shared the end of eight years of offering tours ONLY to Cuba. Today I want YOU to know that we start the new year off by announcing our new business, Vive Mas Tours.

We are expanding our carefully crafted, unique cultural tours and following the Spanish Armada of 500 years ago from Havana down to Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.

It’s timely too, as just two months ago Wanderlust Magazine named Cartagena as one of the top 3 cities to visit along with New Orleans and Tokyo!

Chosen in 1984 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the port of Cartagena – together with Havana and San Juan, Puerto Rico – was an essential link in the route of the West Indies and thus an important chapter in the history of world exploration of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries.

Cartagena brings together the charm of colonial architecture, gourmet cuisine, and lush landscapes right on the Caribbean Sea, with a thriving tourist infrastructure.

Check it all out on our NEW WEBSITE: www.vivemastours.com
Viva Cuba tours are still happening too!

31/12/2022

The end of Viva Cuba...
(read to the end)
It's hard to imagine that Steve and I started Viva Cuba in 2015. Our kids were ages 8-15 and now we have a college graduate (Rachel) who lives part time in Latin America and works for us.

What were you doing in 2015? Were you dreaming of a trip to Cuba?

We are incredibly grateful for you and everyone who traveled with Viva Cuba, shared warm smiles and "todo bien!" with our Cuban hosts.

Since then, a lot has changed. Our Cuban friends made it through the dark days of COVID, but like most developing countries, the return to normalcy is very slow. They are grateful to see tourism coming back to the island.

Our expansion to Vive Mas Tours 😍 begins tomorrow! Our signature Viva Cuba tours will continue, but we are headed further south in the Caribbean waters to an additional destination.

Join us on our new page--> Vive Mas Tours: Unique Cultural Experiences

18/12/2022

In a private session with musicians near The Bay of Pigs, our guide Roger teaches about the “Cuban Tres” guitar.
(Hear the group performing in an upcoming reel!)

14/12/2022

I love how our driver describes his ‘55 Chevy Bel Air.

Take a spin in this shiny red '55 Bel Air through the artful neighborhood near Fusterlandia.

09/12/2022

Stunning gardens of Hotel Nacional in Havana. Live music on the back patio with this view…it’s dreamy.

25/11/2022

Yesterday was Roger Blanco’s birthday! Roger is our primary guide in Cuba and he has shown over 200 Viva Cuba customers the wonders of his homeland. We are so proud to work with him, and particularly now that tours are back in action after Covid shutdowns.

These are pictures from last week.
Happy Birthday, Friend! 🎂

24/11/2022

A special place for a gourmet meal in Havana...La Guarida. It's impressive how many photo shoots are hosted there, including this one by Charles P. Baker.

20/11/2022

Phenomenal live music at the Buena Vista Social Club in Havana. The performers really brought it and the horns were phenomenal!

18/11/2022

Sunday night @ 6pm MST!
Join us on Zoom to hear what Cuba is like RIGHT NOW as it emerges from Covid and following last month’s hurricane.
-What’s different now?
-Can visitors still have a good experience?

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5675671883

Modernize workflows with Zoom's trusted collaboration tools: including video meetings, team chat, VoIP phone, webinars, whiteboard, contact center, and events.

16/11/2022

Last night’s farewell dinner at the Hotel Nacional en La Habana.
It was an incredible tour, familiar friends and places, but also discovered new places and made new friends.
So much laughter…😂

12/11/2022

We’re with a group on the Off the Beaten Path tour of Cuba.
We woke up in Cienfuegos this morning and saw some of the spectacularly preserved French architecture at this UNESCO World Heritage site.
The sites and sounds of everyday life in the “Pearl of the South”.

04/11/2022

Join us Nov. 20th at 6 pm MST to hear about the latest observations from Cuba as it emerges from Covid.

We will also be announcing the next destination beng added to our tours on this call. 👀

See you there: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84837744069

24/10/2022

A Visit to the Art at Fusterlandia came up yesterday when Jenny was teaching the Curious About Cuba class Part 2.
Thanks, Jeff Brown, for recording this while on tour in Jan. 2020!

A visit to Fusterlandia in Havana, Cuba.

08/10/2022

Expert storyteller!
A quick history of coffee production in Cuba by one of our guides, Roger.
(The woman beside him is a local environmental expert, but she asked him to share the information.)

04/10/2022

The 💡are coming back on in Havana! Our friend told us that over the last 5 days it’d be on and off, the voltage wavered, but now it’s on. Wifi is back.
It’s good news. 🇨🇺💪🏼

28/09/2022

Viñales (in the western Pinar del Rio) section of Cuba was devastated by Hurricane Ian today. If you've been on an "Off the Beaten Path" tour with us, you've been to this stunningly beautiful rural area known for its to***co.
Cuba, the largest of the Caribbean islands with 11 million people, is without power tonight. But this is a resourceful, resilient country that has the ability to mobilize repairs quickly.

To our friends in Cuba, know that we are praying for you and wishing you a strong recovery. Viva Cuba!!!
(photos before Ian)

23/09/2022

More flights? Easier and cheaper travel to Havana?
Excited to see United expanding, at the same time the U.S. embassy in Havana is adding staff.

United Airlines said on Wednesday it is working to resume flights to Cuba later this year that it suspended in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

04/09/2022

Experiencing the best of Cuba with a little sand in your toes and 50s era classic cars driving by…isn’t that the perfect way for teachers to enjoy their Thanksgiving break?

#2022

https://vivacuba1959.com/education-culture-and-more/

16/08/2022

Camaguey!
We are so excited that flights are going between Miami and Camaguey again (they'd been blocked by the US govt for a while). It enables us to offer our wildly popular, EPIC Tour which includes seeing the workshops of some incredibly talented artists.
Pepe is one of them and leather is his muse.

We also get to visit the restored 19th century family home of our talented guide, Roger.

The tour ends with a farm-to-table pig roast, with live music. It is always a delightful time and we're so lucky to get to restart this itinerary.
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10/08/2022

One of the lovely experiences on the Off the Beaten Path tours:

Say, “Hasta luego!” To Havana as we head southwest to Viñales via Soroa (2 hours driving with stops).

Viñales is the one of the most scenic areas of Cuba, among the limestone pincushion hills (called mogotes) in the to***co-growing area of Cuba. On the way to Viñales we will visit Soroa, a man expansive botanical garden with amazing orchids that were brought from China decades ago.

Arriving in Viñales, we will settle into our casas and take a walking tour of the small town, which has one main road. It’s easy to see why this was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site!

In the early evening we will take a low-key salsa class, which is always fun regardless of your level.

After dinner, you can head to the local plaza where the outdoor disco gets going every night at 9 pm. They feature live bands, dance performances and drinks to give you a flavor of Cuban nightlife. This venue often packs out with both Cubans and visitors.

06/08/2022

Nothing like a little “Guantanamera” dinner serenade! (Circa 2019)

31/07/2022

Some of our favorite things to do in the wintertime are featured in this short video.
Now booking for Nov & Feb!