Five Unique Activities for Visitors to Cuba

    Learn to Roll Your Own Cigars

    This may be the most unique experience for visitors. While not everyone likes to smoke cigars, their manufacture in Cuba is a must-try activity. The home-grown top-grade tobacco is brought into Havana and the factories, which are known as “habano.” The making of this most famous of Cuban exports is on view via tours offered by the habanos, and some of these tours feature instruction in how to roll your own. One of the best tours is provided at the Partagos factory.

    Hand rolling cigars (Photo Credit – Instagram @s.g.choi)

    Take a Peek at Hemingway’s House

    While you can’t actually drink with famous American author Ernest Hemingway, who died in 1961, you can still visit his house. The white colonial home in Havana is preserved just as Hemingway left it, but it is no longer open to visitors due to thievery committed by tourists in the past. You can still look through the windows of the Museo Hemingway and imagine him at his typewriter. A must-see for fans of his books.

    Museo Hemingway (Photo Credit – Instagram @quintanafoto)

    Hang out at the Christopher Columbus Cemetery

    It may sound strange to visit a cemetery on your vacation, but the Cemeterio de Colon is worth the trip. It features a wide array of beautiful tombs and headstones Take advantage of a guide to lead you through the history of those resting there. It will definitely be a memorable experience.

    Outside of the Cemeterio de Colon (Photo Credit – Instagram @faith.bakewell)

    Rancho la Guabina

    Located in Carretera de Luis Lazo, this former Spanish farm covers 1,000 hectares of forest, pasture, and wetlands. Here you can take in some horseback riding, go boating on its lake, enjoy a great Cuban barbeque, and even see a cockfight if you’re so inclined. The major attraction here are the spectacular horse shows. The rancho is a long-time breeding center that raises the Pinto Cubano ad Appaloosa. Three days a week, it offers mini-rodeo-style shows that should not be missed.

    Cockfighting in Rancho la Guabina (Photo Credit – Instagram @lukastusmus)

    Climb the Torre de Manaca Iznaga

    This 44-meter-high tower was built to keep an eye on the slaves who worked at the old plantation. The foot of the tower features the bell that was used to warn if a slave attempted to escape. Once you climb the tower, you’ll have outstanding views of the Valle de los Ingenios, or Valley of the Sugar Mills. At the peak of the sugar industry in Cuba there were more than 50 sugar cane mills here, and over 30,000 slaves working in the mills and on the plantations. The valley was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. The estate was founded in 1795 by the villainous Pedro Iznaga, who became one of the richest men in Cuba by trafficking in slaves. Your climb can be followed by lunch in the restaurant-bar that is located in the estate’s former colonial mansion.

    Torre de Manaca Iznaga (Photo Credit – Instagram @peut3tre)

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