Tag Archive for: Tours to Cuba

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Havana Jazz Plaza, the Annual Jazz Fest in Cuba.

Cuba Music Festival

By Chaz Chambers(Musician, Tour Guide Leader, and Director of Havana Music Tours and Musical Getaways)

Havana Jazz Plaza is one of the biggest music festivals in Cuba all year. It usually happens around December or January. For 2020 it will be happening January 14th-20th. Some of the most famous artists from Cuba and around the world come to perform for an international audience each year. Almost every theater and music venue in Havana will have an interactive schedule of music events, public performances, clinics, and workshops.

havana music tours jazz plaza festival picture at teatro nacional

In the past we have seen such artists as Chucho Valdes, Alain Pérez, Interactivo, Daymé, Los Van Van, Hector Quintana, Muñequitos de Matanzas, Pedrito Martinez, Cimafunk, Ruy López Nussa, Dave Weckl, Horacio Hernández (El Negro), Habana de Primera, Rumbatá, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and much more!

The Havana Jazz Plaza is not just Jazz, but the foundation and history is Jazz. Cuba and its musicians are very much influenced by jazz, Latin jazz, and world music. This music festival is a great example of a modern-day fusion. Usually, you can find many artists that you want to see each day and sometimes it seems there are too many options!

live latin jazz in havana cuba

Live Jazz at La Zorra y El Cuervo

The Havana Jazz Festival is organized in multiple venues all over the city and has a schedule each day full of music. Some of the best venues in Havana are available to host each concert. Venues such as Fabrica de Arte Cubano, Teatro Mella, Teatro Karl Marx, Teatro Nacional, La Zorra y El Cuervo, Bar Elegante at Hotel Riviera, Jazz Café, Casa de la Cultura, Teatro America, Cafe Teatro Bertolt Brecht, and more!

No matter if you are a fan of Latin jazz, rumba, son, or even jazz fusion, this is the festival for you. If you have never been to Cuba before and want to see the music, this is the best music event to catch many amazing artists within one week.

a picture of chucho valdez playing at havana jazz plaza

American travelers can visit Cuba with Havana Music Tours under a license for Support for the Cuban people and Public Performances, Workshops, and Clinics. Despite further regulations from the US Government it is still possible to travel legally to Cuba. Music travel to Cuba has never been easier. When you are ready, you can book your VIP Jazz Plaza pass and festival tour here.

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What is the best way to travel to Cuba?

Legal Travel to Cuba

(Updated February 2022)

By Chaz Chambers(Musician, Tour Guide Leader, and Director of Havana Music Tours and Musical Getaways)

There are many different ways to travel to Cuba. The “best way” is different for each person. This blog post will give you some insight into what I know about travel to Cuba. Including how traveling to Cuba differentiates from other international travel destinations.

The first thing that you should know is that travel to Cuba is legal for Americans. I know I am writing from a tour agency’s blog, but ultimately, I think you should travel to Cuba in any way that fits you best. For example, maybe you don’t like to be risky in a place that you don’t know…? Or perhaps you prefer the freedom to explore on your own versus being on tour.

This blog will break down the differences between the few and give some information to help you decide which travel option is the best for you. Traveling on your own time and exploring freely definitely has its benefits. You could stop at a specific store you want or spend more time inside a cafe or restaurant. Honestly, I like to do that too. This sort of freedom can give you a bit of space to discover something new when you arrived versus when you were initially making all of your reservations.

How can you travel to Cuba?

Despite any misinformation you may have heard, you can travel to Cuba on your own without a tour or cruise ship. However, there may be some significant benefits to traveling with time to Cuba (at least on your first visit). I will expand on that later in this article.

When traveling to Cuba on your own, especially as an American or someone living in or traveling from the United States, at the very least, you must follow the general guidelines of OFAC’s Cuba regulations. The only license that allows individual travel is “Support for the Cuban People.” A basic overview of the rules listed in this license: You must stay in a Casa Particular (AirBnB) or any privately owned home. No hotels as they are all partially owned by the government. It is hard to justify a license to Support the Cuban people if you aren’t supporting them.

You must have a full-time itinerary, obey the Cuba restricted list, and keep your receipts for at least five years. In addition, you must shop and eat at privately owned businesses and restaurants. In any case, you can take a tour and then wander on your own; many of our guests do it like that. You can start with a Tour, get the hang of Cuba, and then adventure independently. It is a perfect way!

I have been traveling to Cuba for over two years, and I am still learning things every day. Booking a tour is the easiest way because you can stay in a Casa Particular to fulfill your Support for the Cuban People License, again, the license you must use to travel as an individual to Cuba. Otherwise, I recommend at least a whole week in Havana to begin to grasp all of the different cultural experiences available. 

The honest case for a Cuba tour is that any Tour, especially ours, is not necessarily relaxing; they are very interactive, busy, and full of different experiences. We at Havana Music Tours allow free time to explore within your itinerary. 

Let’s go to Cuba!

The ultimate way to experience Cuba is with a cultural tour like ours. Yes, we are biased, but it is true. From the many testimonials on TripAdvisor, you can read that our guests have a blast. Our tours allow you to “skip the line” and experience the best of Cuba in a short amount of time.

I want to quote one of our guests, Fred, “Even if you speak Spanish fluently (unlike me) or are good at ferreting out obscure events in strange places (which I generally can), there is still no way you will find half of what Mr. Chaz Chambers can introduce you to.” Especially if you are a Cuban music lover, you can’t afford to miss what we have found for you.

Join us for an unforgettable tour of Cuba. Book your CubaTour Now!

Also, check out our Ultimate Cuba Travel Checklist (Updated January 2022)

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“My first Cuba Tour.” What to expect when traveling to this Caribbean Island

 First Trip to Cuba

You’ve probably heard about the vintage cars and delicious cuisine, but as cool as those things are, my favorite part of my  Cuba Tour was the culture. Don’t get me wrong, eating fresh mango and riding in a car from the 50s is impressive, but there’s something truly unique about their culture.

Cuban Culture

The city squares teemed with life every morning and evening. The people were very kind and incredibly excited to hear I was from the US. I sat with locals and watched a Cuba vs. USA baseball game, and though my Spanish is terrible, we still laughed, cheered, and hazed each other when our teams did well. I’m a nerd, so of course, I hung out and watched the locals play chess in the square. One evening, I even had a local English-speaking professor come up and tell me about the history of their revolution. There’s a sense of community there that I hadn’t experienced back in the states.

I consider myself an astute musician, art appreciator, and lover of random historical knowledge, and this Caribbean island appealed to each of these aspects of my character. From beautiful cathedrals to statues of Don Quixote, from vibrant pastel buildings to streetside musicians improving rumba music, my mind was enamored! I will be taking another trip back to this timeless paradise!

Cuba Tours

If you’ve always wanted to do a Cuba Tour but you’re worried about the travel bans and regulations, some great articles in the blog cover these topics. The new rules were announced 2-3 weeks before I flew down, so I had the same concerns: Can Americans still travel to Cuba? What do I have to do to go to Cuba? Etc. There very well may come a time when we will have limited access to that beautiful country, but that time isn’t now! Enjoy it while you can!

 

Join us for an unforgettable tour of Cuba. Book your Cuba Tour Now!

Also, check out our Ultimate Cuba Travel Checklist (Updated January 2022)

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