Exploring Cuba: Culture and CME for Medical Professionals
Some FAQ about our MedTreks Cuba CME Cultural Tour
Cuba has a way of pulling you in before your plane even lands… the turquoise water, the old cars glinting in the sun, the thought of live music spilling into the streets of Havana. But if you’re a U.S. citizen, there’s usually one big question first: Can I even go?
The answer: yes. And it’s easier than you might think. For our annual MedTreks Cuba trip, you’ll pay an $80 visa fee, breeze through a small, old fashioned airport, and hop into a private transfer. After a short ride through historical buildings, you’ll arrive to our first casa particular. A charming, remodeled home with four-star comfort and the warmth of a Cuban family welcome.
From there, everything starts to come together. We’re talking amazing mojitos (and cocktail-making lessons), fresh lobster and seafood dinners. Also, papaya desserts, and those perfectly spiced rice-and-bean dishes that taste like someone’s grandmother has been making them for decades. The tourism sector here runs on family businesses, which means every meal, every stay, every guided walk directly supports local people.
Our days blend the cultural and the coastal: strolling through Havana’s colonial streets to the sound of live salsa, browsing an antique market for one-of-a-kind souvenirs, and laughing together as we learn a few dance steps from a local instructor. Out by the water, it’s Caribbean bliss!! Warm seas, soft sand, and maybe a few colorful fish. (For the record, in January, locals might call it cold; you’ll probably call it perfect.)
What’s Next?
From Havana, we head west to the countryside. Horses wait for us by a dirt road, and before long we’re riding past farmers who wave without stopping their work. At a coffee farm we learn all about drinking coffee at anytime of the day, as Cubans do, without sugar. There’s a fun trail nearby the farm that leads to a waterfall, and when we get there, it’s just us! The water is a tiny bit cold, but the kind of cold that makes you feel alive after the hot hike. At a tobacco farm we sit at long wooden tables, mojitos in hand, as a local farmer shows us how to roll our own cigars. Slowly, carefully, like a craft passed down through generations.
Trinidad is all color and texture! Cobblestones underfoot, cute market stalls onto the street, paintings propped against doorways. We eat in a restaurant tangled with bougainvillea. Later, the music starts and suddenly we’re dancing. (Badly at first compared to the band), until the steps stop mattering! By the end of the night, we’re laughing so hard we forget to care who’s watching.
For MedTreks founder Ari Rasori, Cuba is more than just a favorite destination, it’s where the idea for MedTreks was born back in 2011. Every year, we come back not just to explore, to learn and share, and to give our travelers a taste of what inspired it all.
So what’s it really like to travel on our MedTreks Cuba CME Cultural Tour? It’s easy, it’s safe, it’s delicious, and it’s filled with moments you can’t plan.
In late January, we’ll be back! Exploring Havana’s streets, purchasing local artwork, swimming under waterfalls, and getting a massage (or a tattoo!). It’s 11 days with a small group, a mix of cultural immersion with CME learning. Plus, those unexpected moments that make travel unforgettable.
If you’ve been curious about Cuba, this is your chance to experience it with every detail taken care of. Click here to join us in January!
