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Weekend in Havana with Geoffrey Baer

Havana, Cuba

Photo by Simon Phillips.

Travel to Havana – Cuba’s vibrant, alluring, and rapidly changing capital city – with Geoffrey Baer for a whirlwind tour led by three prominent young Cubans, all of whom are passionate aficionados of all their city has to offer. Jazz musician Roberto Fonseca provides a lesson in Afro-Cuban history, rhythm, and culture. Architect Daniel de la Regata leads an eye-opening tour of the city’s buildings and infrastructure, as well as the government’s restoration efforts. And renowned flamenco dancer Irene Rodríguez hits the town for a night spent soaking up Havana’s hot spots. Take the immersive tour, view 360 video, peek inside Geoffrey’s travel journal, watch the documentary, and explore a Cuba that is sizzling with the energy of new possibilities.

Side Trips

Jonathan Reyes Gil and Raudel Carrazana

Cuban Entrepreneurs Navigate Uncharted Territory

The number of private businesses in Cuba has grown more than four-fold since 2011, when Raul Castro announced economic reforms aimed at spurring economic growth. Meet a young entrepreneur forging a path with no template, few mentors, and limited resources.

Restoring Havana’s Architecture after Decades of Neglect

Architect Daniel de la Regata takes Geoffrey on an eye-opening tour of Havana’s dilapidated buildings and infrastructure and gives him a behind-the-scenes look at government efforts to restore the city’s architectural gems.

Cuban cigar

What’s So Special about Cuban Cigars?

Cuban cigars have been celebrated by Cubans and coveted by outsiders for centuries. Meet some of Cuba’s most prominent cigar aficionados and learn about the art and the science of Cuban tobacco.

Flamenco dancer

Inside a Cuban Dance School

Flamenco dancer Irene Rodriguez explains why dance is at the heart of Cuban culture, and treats Geoffrey Baer to a live performance at Cuba’s Escuela Nacional de Ballet.

Classic cars in Havana

Keeping Cuba’s Classic Cars on the Road

While many of the classic cars on the streets of Havana were manufactured in the U.S., years of ad-hoc restoration and creative repairs have transformed them into something uniquely Cuban. Visit a repair and restoration shop on a side street in Havana, where the transformation takes place.

How to Find the Perfect Cocktail in Cuba – Or Make Your Own

Learn how to make Cuban cocktails with some of the city’s renowned cantineros, or professional mixologists.

Hemingway in Cuba

Ernest Hemingway stayed in Cuba longer than any other place in his life and is today celebrated as a native son. Trace his footsteps and peek inside his longtime home outside of Havana.

U.S. President Barack Obama and President of Cuba Raúl Castro

A Brief Timeline of U.S.-Cuba Relations

After an embargo lasting a half century, it is easy to forget how close Cuba and the United States have been – economically, culturally, and politically – at different times in their long, shared history. Trace the history of U.S.-Cuba relations in this brief primer.

Afro-Cuban music ritual

Afro-Cuban History and Religion

Afro-Cuban jazz musician Roberto Fonseca explains his musical and spiritual roots during a trip to an old slave plantation outside of Havana.


Weekend in Havana with Geoffrey Baer is made possible, in part, by The Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation
and by The Grainger Foundation. Support is also provided, in part, by Peoples Gas and by Matt and Joyce Walsh.