Cultural Programs & Events
An adventure to explore Cuba's natural beauty and cultural heritage
Cultural Programs, Events & Curiosities
Cuba has an amazing variety of cultural programs, events and places of interest to offer with many influences from this diverse multi-cultural society. Represented here you will find a synopsis of some of the best things available to experience. The page will be updated from time to time with more information.
Art
The art of Cuba represents the colour and vibrance of this Caribbean island with many good examples to be found at the Arts & Crafts market in Old Havana and at the Fine Arts gallery.
The Havana Biennal (Festival of Visual Arts), usually takes place from March to April Havana City. It is presented as one of the biggest events of Visual Arts in Cuba, where participants can see the most representative artists of Contemporary Visual Arts. Each meeting reveals the prestige gained by the artists who have turned their environment and spirituality into works of sculpture, painting, and pottery together with the latest digital techniques of conservative and non-conservative styles to also gain their place in universal visual arts history.
Tour Tip– Ask us about arranging meetings with Cuban famous artists.
Architecture
Cuba is a showcase of a wide representation of colonial architecture. Some of the most excellent examples can be seen in the Colonial centre of Havana as well as in the Miramar district.
Tour Tip – Ask us about arranging an architectural tour with a specialist guide.
Carnivals
The carnival in Santiago differs from all others in that it doesn't happen at carnival time (i.e. the days preceding lent) and also it isn't really called 'carnival' at all. Properly called the 'Fiesta de Mamarrachos' or 'Fiesta de Mascaras' (the name 'carnival’ was attached during the 20th century for commercial reasons), the festivities take place during the days surrounding the saint day of Santiago Apostol (patron saint of the conquistadores) on 25th July. Santa Christina (24th July) and Santa Ana (26th July) give good reason for the celebrations to continue.
Nowadays, the celebrations begin with the annual 'Festival del Fuego', an arts festival which each year focuses on a country of the Caribbean or Latin America, inviting artists, live bands, writers, dance groups and carnival bands to the city for a 2 week festival, culminating in a parade, giving the congas a chance to flex their muscles before the days of carnival. The groups that parade during the carnival are the Comparsas de Conga, Paseos, Cabildos, and the Tumba Francesa along with the children's groups attached to these during the
Carnaval Infantil
The carnival in Santiago de Cuba fully deserves its reputation of one of the world's great street celebrations; and the beauty is you don't have to miss Rio, Salvador or Trinidad in order to be there!
Tour Tip – We can arrange domestic flights from Havana to Santiago de Cuba or other places in Cuba.
Dance
The Cuban National Ballet is world famous and performances can be seen at the Gran Teatro at Parque Central, Old Havana directed by the prima ballerina Alicia Alonso.
Cuban National Ballet Anniversary Tour. Havana City. Presided over by the prima ballerina Alicia Alonso, this event attracts important companies and ballerinas from all over the world. As in previous occasions, the festival includes theoretical events, artistic galas, expositions, and an important repertoire of classic and contemporary ballet. The Ballet Festival first took place in 1960 and since then has included the presence of important companies, personalities and lovers of dance who have brought the best of their art to the Cuban stage.
The great Cuban pastime is dancing and in particular salsa. One of the best nightclub venues can be found at the Casa de La Musica where you will also experience some pulsating Reggaeton.
Tour Tip– We can arrange tickets for you to see the Cuban National Ballet.
Fairs
The International Havana Book FairFebruary, Havana City. Varies countries each year are the guest of honor, it is one of the most important literary events in Latin America. The fair draws millions of visitors.
Festivals
Jazz Festival - International Jazz Festival
December, Havana City. This is an encounter of great figures and new talents of Jazz at world level. This festival is a huge Latin contribution to the genre, and the Cuban track in its foundation stages—in New Orleans, then—and in New York in particular, will be confirmed once again. Master Chucho Valdés is soul and motion, and the most complete symbol of the Cuban piano in Jazz; thanks to his promotional activity in the international arena, the presence of so many great musicians in these tournaments has turned out to be something habitual.
Music
Music in Cuba still remains mainly live with bands playing in the streets and plazas of Colonial Havana and other cities as well as in hotels, bars, restaurants and dance venues. Buena Vista Social Club and Chucho Valdes are among the most well known artists both in Cuba and around the world.
Cubadisco. May. Music of the people who are traditionally ignored by the mainstream record industry. In the form of a big celebration of the largest of the Caribbean islands, award-winning Cuban musical groups will present, as well as show companies of the highest level. This event is a meeting among agents of the music and spectacle worlds. Therein will be developed expo-sales of the works of Cuban and foreign record companies. During the Fair you may enjoy specialized conferences, expositions, colloquy’s, concerts, and presentations by a large variety of Cuban and important foreign groups’ titles.
Religion & Ethnicity
Santeria and Catholicism - The mysterious blend of Catholic ritual and African spiritualism known as Santeria took root in Cuba four centuries years ago, when evangelical priests in 1598 began encouraging slaves to associate their Yoruba deities with Catholic saints. The effort backfired: despite years of church hostility, Santeria only gained a firmer hold on Cuba's faithful, especially as the slave population grew.
A permanent shortage of priests didn't help; by this century, Catholic surveys labeled Cuba "the most un-churched nation" in Latin America. Even before the revolution, while as many as 70 percent of Cubans described themselves as Catholic, only one percent attended church, and now priests complain that while many people have no concept of what the Pope represents, they can name all the Santeria "orishas." Fidel Castro capitalized on the priests' plight in 1990, when the Catholic leadership was out of favor, by giving Santeria prominent coverage in government-controlled media.
Tour Tip – If you are interested to learn more about the religions of Cuba including visiting a Santeria as well as seeing some beautiful examples of churches this can be arranged for you.
The Chinese Community in Cuba - Havana's Chinatown, a symbol of the presence of Chinese culture in Cuba, is one of the hot spots for leisure in the city. According to experts, that area is an excellent place to enjoy a wide range of gastronomic options from the Asian country, in an atmosphere characterized by the predominance of such colors as red and golden. In Chinatown, there is room for Chinese traditional martial arts, which are practiced by people of all ages.
The descendants of the first Chinese who arrived in Cuba are faithful to their ancestors' traditions and celebrate All Saint's Day, when they pay tribute to the dead at the Chinese Cemetery in Havana. Generally, Cuban-based Chinese keep the traditions, festivities, artistic expressions, typical costumes and religion brought by their ancestors from the Asian country many years ago.
Artistic creation is promoted by the Hua Qu society, which is made up of 40 artists who are developing a project to boost Chinese plastic arts.
Tour Tip – Try the Pabellón del Tesoro a great Chinese option at Marina Hemingway. Located at the end of one of the jetties the food offers an excellent alternative to Chinatown, especially if you value peace and quiet over the hustle of Chinatown.
Cuban Cigars – Romeo & Juliet, Partagas, Cohiba, Punch, Robaina, Montecristo are all famous Cuban cigars which can be seen being hand rolled at the various cigar factories in Havana. Visit the tobacco plantations of Pinar del Rio where the fields are still ploughed by oxen. There are two annual cigar festivals in Havana, the Partagas Cigar Festival in November and the Habanos Cigar Festival in February.
Tour Tip – We offer special visits to cigar factories as well as providing you with a package to participate in the cigar festivals.
Casa de Chocolate(The Chocolate House) – ‘’Chocolate drop’’ into this shop situated in Old Havana for a cup of creamy thick hot chocolate whilst watching a chocolate maker and designer at work. It is also a museum with artifacts of chocolate making equipment.
It's still not known what date cocoa was introduced to Cuba .Some say cocoa would have been brought to Cuba from Mexico around 1540 by the Spanish. Others believe it would have been imported by the French later on .But the first real proof of the presence of cocoa in Cuba dates from 1748.
At the beginning of the 1800s there was large scale exportation of cocoa and coffee. There's no long, native tradition of consuming cocoa beans in the form of a divine or fortifying drink, as there was, for example, in Mexico .So the cocoa tree had been introduced to be cultivated and didn't grow in the wild. The only region where cultivation continues today is in Baracoa, in the south eastern tip of the island.
Tour Tip- We offer an interesting journey on the original ‘Hershey Chocolate Train’ from Havana to Mantanzas with stop on route to cut sugar cane and ending with a visit to the Hershey Village and Hershey Park (limited to groups only).
Cocktails – Enjoy a fusion of rum based cocktails such as Pina Colada’s, Daiquiris, Mojito’ & Cuba Libre’s wherever you are in the land of sugar cane the basis of good Cuban rum.
Pina Colada Recipe
- 1 1/4 oz. Rum
- A good Splash each of Cream of Coconut & Pineapple juice
- Shake with ice & serve in a Hurricane or decorative glass
- Or blend with ice cream for frozen variation
- Garnish with fresh pineapple wedge &/or a cherry
- Top with whipped cream if frozen & then garnish.
Tour Tip– Join us on the’ Hemingway Trail’ to savour some of the cocktails that he enjoyed of that era.
Please contact us with your brief and include proposed dates, number of persons and a short profile of type of group so we can send you a proposal.