Hector and Barbara Garcia from US

Written on 15 February, 2020

We had the good fortune of finding Raymel when he responded to our request for a driver to Viñales Valley from Havana. Our trip was on February 5, 2020, and it was the highlight of our 10-day stay in Cuba. Raymel promptly picked us up at our casa particular in Vedado as scheduled (actually he was 15 minutes early). It was my husband, myself, and our 2 adult sons. Raymel quickly became like a part of the family as we drove off for the day to Viñales. We did not have an itinerary, although we knew we wanted to take the boat through the caves, see a tobacco farm and take in the views of the mountains and valleys.

Raymel knew exactly how to cater to our interests when he took us first to a magnificent overlook near the Jazmines Hotel, then to a tobacco farm where we had a tour and demonstration of cigar rolling and a sample to smoke. We declined the horseback riding tour through the coffee farm due to the amount of time it would take. Next, Raymel took us to his family farm where his 73 year old father escorted our two sons on a hike up to the top of a very steep and high mogotes. My husband and I stayed at the bottom with Raymel and toured the farm while they hiked. Our sons were absolutely amazed by this unexpected segment of the day, climbing to the top and taking in the beauty of the mountains and valleys around them. Next, we had a much deserved lunch at a family paladar which was outstanding. We were served a buffet of a large variety of Cuban food, too many to list, which was delicious! Following that, Raymel drove us to the Caves of el Indio where we took a boat ride through the caves for an amazing experience. Next we were on to a Canopy Zip-line experience which was also amazing. Lastly, Raymel drove us to the famous mural painting on the side of a mountain which we viewed from the entrance, as we were running out of time. On the way back, Raymel drove us through the town of Viñales where we also took a walk and bought souvenirs, and then a ride through the town of Pinar del Rio on the way back to Havana. So much in one day!

Raymel’s rate was very reasonable and the extra activities were separate costs paid to the individual venues but also very reasonable. We highly recommend Raymel for this trip or any other day trip you want to take. We hated to say goodbye, as Raymel became such a close companion and magnificent driver and guide.

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