Cuba Unbound

I wanted to honor my Cuban mother by going to visit her birthplace, Santiago de Cuba, and by trying to find the farm where she grew up. I communicated this to Maria Rosa from Cuba Unbound and right away she started planning a personal trip for my daughters and me. She listened to all of our wishes and together with our awesome tour guide Wency Rosales, they planned a trip of a lifetime for us.
Not only was I able to celebrate my mother, but Wency left no stone unturned to find the land and the farm where my family grew up. I reconnected with my roots, my people, my homeland. We were able to support the Cuban people, by staying in casas particulares and visiting privately owned small businesses. We were also able to enjoy and admire the untouched and beautiful nature of our Isla Bella.
I unequivocally recommend Cuba Unbound to anyone going to Cuba, for any purpose. They will listen to you and deliver the trip of your dreams.

Had a fantastic Cuba by Kayak trip. Our local guides "Harry" and "David" were awesome. Meals and accommodations exceeded expectations. Inspiring natural areas and abundant wildlife. Cuba Unbound briefing materials well prepared us for the challenges of traveling in a country with economic issues. Everyone we met was helpful and friendly.

Joined a Senior Cycling group that biked through parts of Cuba. Had a wonderful time cycling though the Cuban country side and small towns. The accommodations and meals were very nice; however, the cultural experience was exceptional. Our guides were attentive and knowledgeable and everything went smoothly. We truly enjoyed the trip.

My expectations were high for this trip and my level of satisfaction was even higher. From start to finish, everything was smooth and well organized: cycling, kayaking and touring Old Havana, Trinidad and Cienfuegos. The guide, Juan Manuel, spoke perfect English, was friendly, funny, brilliant and informative, and had an extraordinary knowledge of Cuba and its history. Our driver, Alexi, was friendly, courteous and safe. I highly recommend and encourage any traveler to book a trip to Cuba with Cuba Unbound. You'll have a unique and wonderful experience. And the Cuban people deserve, and will appreciate, your support.

Went on the signature tour in January and it was as fantastic as described on the website! Very well organized, safe, I felt well taken care of. Everything was meticulously planned and I felt in good hands! Swimming and kayaking in the Caribbean were heavenly! I learned so much about Cuban society and history, the guides were some of the most interesting people I have ever met. The nature and architecture were beautiful; I did not want it to end!! Thank you Cuba unbound staff for all your hard work ! : )

The Cuban people are the most resilient culture that I ever encountered.

Eastern Cuba hasn't had rain for 7 months.

Our group had 5 days of kayaking in 8 days. Very different parts with rivers and big bays. The guides and drivers were dedicated to making our trip safe, fun and carefree. Cuba is beautiful

Still, it became very apparent how dire the situation is there now.

Yet the Cubans are making the best of what they got. 98% literacy rate, no homeless except for the mentally ill. No one is starving with the ration, but it could be so much better. They have data on their phones now. WhatsApp

Que Bola!

We did the Cuba Walking Tour (National Parks Tour) in February and it was truly a fantastic experience. It was clear that Cuba Unbound has done extensive research and preparation, resulting in a seamless experience. First among the superlatives was our guide team. Our guide, Gueryln, was phenomenal. She is so knowledgable over a sweeping breadth of topics including the nature, history, and economy of Cuba. Her presentation of the information was clear and accesible and she was very open and patient with questions. She was amazing. Our driver Rolando was very friendly and professional and we always felt safe with him behind the wheel. We had many local guides and naturalists who were each very knowledgable and helpful. Everything was extremely well organized. The lodging and restaurants were excellent, clearly a result of extensive research and experience. The acomodations were very clean and comfortable and the food was excellent. We saw such beautiful places and met many cool and interesting people who were very open with sharing some of their lives. We learned so much about Cuba from this trip and have a much better understanding of life there. This was an exceptional experience from start to finish and we cannot recommend it enough.

Cuba Unbound provided an experience of a lifetime for me! I took part in their first walking tour of the National Parks in October/November 2016. All of the guides were incredibly warm, friendly, and knowledgeable, not to mention they were able to add such meaningful context to the trip. I felt like I learned so much in a short amount of time, on top of seeing amazingly beautiful parts of the country most tourists overlook. You will not be disappointed if you choose Cuba Unbound. I was so impressed, I am hoping to return for a second trip with them to the east side of the island in January!

Thank you Danny, Jorge, and especially Peter for your passion, enthusiasm, and wonderful guiding on our Classic Cuba Bike Tour. The cycling routes through small towns gave us the opportunity to meet the local people. Staying in "casas particulares" allowed us to meet local families. We thoroughly enjoyed learning about Cuban history, politics, as well as the silly stories and singing duets on the bus! Thank you for an outstanding trip.

I chose Cuba Unbound West via ROW Adventures because I wanted two things: 1) kayak the Bay of Pigs 2) see pink flamingos. Well, did I get that and soooooo much more!!! Once you sign up, you will get multiple VERY informative, detailed emails on what you need to get ready (necessary paperwork/visa to enter the country, money, packing list, etc). Upon arrival at HAV airport, you will be greeted by your country guide; in my case, American. You WILL be travelling in a super comfy, air-conditioned tourbus. I was incredibly lucky to have a group of 8 other tourists, all seasoned travelers and kayakers. At 58 years old, I was actually the youngest! I was also the least experienced paddler. Yes, I got my 2 wishes BUT I had no idea how much more I would get out of the trip. In Playa Larga (Bay of Pigs), the group stayed at a large Casa Particular that could host the entire group. It is also one house away from the water. It also has the BEST piña coladas on the planet, I kid you not! I don't drink alcohol but they were still very enjoyable. Forget the calories! Yes, we saw hundreds of flamingos; they start off white and pinker with age due to their diet. This 5 hr paddle was the hardest and longest with the wind constantly at our face. We also had the full moon and low tides making the paddle more tedious. At the end, Nerdo, the Cuban kayak guide offered a towline. Even if the line dragged in the water the whole time, it gave me psychological advantage and renewed energy. The group then traveled to Trinidad, one of the oldest cities in the country, very picturesque with its cobblestone streets. We stayed there 2 nights. Here, the group was split up staying in several Casa Particulares. I am anaphylactic to dogs which ROW (Vivi, Angie) knew and was carefully taken into consideration.

What will you learn? 1) An immense amount of history from your Cuban guide, in our case, the handsome Pablo, who graduated with a law degree from the University of Havana. Unfortunately, the govt doesn't pay these educated guys very much so he's a guide. Apparently, this happens frequently. 2) an intimate look into what a Cuba home looks like. 3) diverse ecosystems. Nerdo, the kayak guide, was also knowledgeable about birds so I got my birding fix during the paddles and during the visit to a Botanical Garden. 3) Angie and Pablo are very good at keeping secrets because they had several WONDERFUL surprises for us at a variety of places.

I have traveled all over the world over several decades using so many adventure companies, including REI and Mountain Travel Sobek and by far, ROW/Cuba Unbound was the most fun I've had! The kayak equipment, buses, guides, balance of city and nature during the trip was all TOP notch! I look forward to my next adventure with ROW.

Maybe....Croatia.....

Thank you Cuba Unbound for an amazing Multi Sport tour of Cuba. We had a wonderful time with our guides, learned so much about Cuba and enjoyed seeing the country. The biking, kayaking and hiking was a lot of fun and a great way to enjoy all Cuba has to offer. Highly recommend this trip - we loved it. Thanks!

This is my third large group tour in uncharted waters and I truly believe we are at the mercy of our guides. If it weren't for the compassion, patience and knowledge of our guides, this trip could have had a different outcome but I left Cuba with a very heavy heart knowing that the trip had to come to an end. Every day was filled to the brim with those "Ah Ha" moments. Cuba is complicated but this tour made sense of all that and I would travel with Cuba Unbound again and again. From the very first email from the front office to the last mojito overlooking the beauty of Cuba, all the pieces came together. Gracias por todo.

Group travel has its own challenges but for Cuba we had no other option. Despite that, our bike tour (Oct/Nov 2017) with CU was my favorite trip ever. It was so good, I cannot go back to Cuba because another trip could not live up to this first. Our group was delightful, our guides and bus driver were professional, knowledgeable, interesting, and made everything work out--a larger challenge in Cuba than for instance Texas--and I say this not just because they helped me find some chocolate in Cienfuegos after my stash had run out. The logistics were well planned and considerate of everyone's time, tastes, and interests. Cannot recommend the firm highly enough.

We often travel internationally to kayak and I had long wanted to return to Cuba [which I visited as a very young child in 1954]. Cuba Unbound planned a phenomenal trip for us! We met and stayed with Cuban families; ate local food in private-owned restaurant; kayaked in bays, a river, and the Caribbean; and got to visit so many important sites. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly, the tour bus to take us around the country was extremely comfortable, and the kayaking guides were great. We got to experience a variety of Cuban settings -- loved it!

Just wrapped up the Classic Cycling Tour of Cuba with guides Danny and Jorge, and driver Alian. What a great team and experience! We found the Cuban people warm and welcoming, resourceful and very patriotic. The tour introduced us to the people and culture while offering a historical perspective. Our weather was fabulous! Highlights included the land crabs migration and vintage car tour of Havana. The cycling was great with a mix of Highway and gravel roads. We encourage people to consider Cuba Unbound for their trip to this wonderful place. We will cherish the memories and our new Cuban friends forever.

We were the second group to go on the Cuba Unbound tour in December 2015. It was a fantastic experience! The guides were knowledgeable and friendly and fun to hang around with. The kayaking was fantastic! A highlight was paddling in the Bay of Pigs. There were some other activities as well, such as a visit to a crocodile farm and a botanic garden. The food was great, and the people were great!

We have been taking trips from the original company (Sea Kayak Adventures/ROW) for some time, and have always had great trips. When they started this trip, we jumped on it as a chance to explore Cuba before changes came. We went in January of 2016 and had a great time. The company did a great job of balancing time kayaking (a focus of our visit) and other activities. The guides were great, and we very much enjoyed our time in Cuba. Had great food, and visited some fantastic places and met interesting people too.

Our small group had an unforgettable trip to Cuba. The staff at Cuba Unbound did a customized trip for us, adding days in Havana and to spend more time at the national parks at our request. We loved the home stays (3 nights) and also the people-to-people experiences that they arranged. They responded to email very quickly and were very timely re: sending out information before the trip. Our guide was very knowledgeable and the staff was very responsive to individual needs as they came up--re: illness, lost cell phone, etc. Our guide did an excellent job of teaching our group about Cuban history and the current state of the country while being sensitive to politics. I highly recommend Cuba Unbound.

Very professional staff made for a fantastic experience. Itinerary was extremely interesting, informative and exciting. Besides the kayaking, got to experience a number of natural treasures, from a crocodile farm to the botanical gardens.
Got to meet and learn from the Cuban people about their country and its history.
Good accommodations and excellent meals.
One of the highlights was getting to ride around Havana in a car identical to the first one I ever owned back in 1963.

Five members of our family celebrated New Year's in Cuba with Cuba Unbound - the trip surpassed our expectations. It was interesting, lots of fun, and our guide was terrific. She was responsive to what we wanted to do and was very knowledgeable about what we were seeing. I would go on another Cuba Unbound trip in a minute (and hope I can fit another one in soon!)