Nueva Havana (New Haven) to Old Havana: Sustainable Development and Cultural Exchange in Cuba

Knowing that arts, education and good environmental stewardship are essential to build a sustainable future for our children and that cultivation of best practices for our future leaders is needed today, Soul de Cuba Cafe’s founder, Jesus Puerto, invites you to visit Havana, Cuba this November.

Specially crafted for community leaders of New Haven, let Jesus’ counterparts in Havana guide you in exploring Cuba’s advancements in building sustainable communities while also immersing yourself in the vibrant Food and Arts Culture of Havana and Jesus’ ancestral home town, Guanabacoa!

Our Journey is hosted by the Antonio Núñez Jiménez Foundation for Nature and Humanity and together we will learn about the remarkable expedition the late Dr. Núñez Jiménez led on river through the jungles of the Amazon all the way to Cuba on canoes. This extraordinary scientific endeavor, which was the highlight of Dr. Núñez Jiménez life, greatly influenced his work, and propelled him to become one of the main explorers of the 20th century worldwide. Thirty years after this historic journey, his vision that is possible, through a “Culture of Nature, to achieve harmony between society and its environment,” has acquired strength and validity. We will visit the Hatuey Canoe museum where one of the vessels used in this journey is housed and there, experts will provide insights into Dr. Núñez Jiménez’s vast scientific accomplishments and his personal life.

Additional highlights of the program includes in-depth tour of historic Guanabacoa, the once sacred homeland of native Cuban Indians, to Finca Marta farm which provides many local restaurants and families fresh, organic produce and honey, and we will have a presentation by Afro-Cuban filmmaker Gloria Rolando.

The tour will also include tobacco farm and rum factory visits to allow you to connect with local people in their place of work and receive insight into not just the production processes of these products but also learn about workplace culture in Cuba. This tour is specially designed to allow you to connect and engage with your soon to be friends and family in Guanabacoa and Havana as you will be able to dine and jazz through the evenings with them or just relax to a tranquil Cuban bolero at a bar nearby the centrally located hotel.

Proceeds will go to the Cubanakoa Foundation which seeks to support the sustainable revitalization of Guanabacoa, creating jobs and projects in areas including cultural preservation, organic farming, workforce development training and leadership and peace education and the Antonio Núñez Jiménez Foundation for Nature and Humanity.

Read our 2018 blog interview with Jesus Puerto here!

Tour Price
$3722 double occupancy in 4-star hotels | single supplement $520
$2910 double occupancy in casas particulares | single supplement $360

Trip Itinerary
View Trip Itinerary Here