Should I Travel to Cuba Now?
Give Hope Where There is Little
March 22, 2026
You've no doubt read the news about Cuba. The fuel shortages, expensive food, garbage piles, water issues and immense difficulties that plague the country right now, some of which have been greatly exacerbated by the current oil embargo that started when President Maduro of Venezuela was taken out by a U.S. military action and the U.S. threatened higher tariffs to any country that sent oil to Cuba. This oil embargo has made life that was already hard, even harder.
I've spent about two years in Cuba over the past decade, planning, guiding and helping orchestrate our tours there. I have a large network of friends and guides, some of whom are like family to me. I'm also in touch with the owners of restaurants, guest houses and other people that provide services for our tours. The message is consistent - times are very tough in Cuba. Very tough. Power is out in many towns 15-20 hours per day and sometimes there is no power for a couple of days at a time. Fuel is nearly impossible to access. For locals, food is very expensive since their salaries are so low. Medical care has been severely compromised as even hospitals don't have power and medical supplies are almost impossible to find. For Cubans that don't have family or friends in other countries that can send money, life is an even greater struggle.
With all the bad news about Cuba, you'd think we might throw in the towel and give up, as many travel companies already have. But we're not in this for the short term, nor are we in it solely for financial gain. We value our friendships and relationships in Cuba and have no intent of abandoning those. So we continue to operate tours. But you might wonder, given all the challenges, how we are able to do that?
The short answer is that we have incredibly resourceful guides and partners there. They do their best to stock up on fuel; they connect with local farmers and fishermen to make sure there is plenty of food for our guests; they coordinate visits to the many special places we visit and make sure they are ready for us when we arrive. The accommodations either have generators or solar power back up. Solar is highly preferable since there is no need for fuel and right now, fuel is almost impossible to get. Many of our accommodation partners have made big investments in the past couple of years, setting up elaborate solar panels and battery banks. How could we abandon these good-faith efforts?
In February 2026 we guided a tour for 12 cyclists that rode through the Cuban countryside. The lack of fuel means there are very few vehicles on the roads. Restaurants buy food locally, and our guests enjoyed wonderful meals, with fish, shrimp or lobster an option almost every day. While chicken, pork and beef are luxuries few Cubans can afford, we budget for them in our tours, and the restaurants who serve the meals are thankful for our business as are the farmers who provide the produce that is served.
It isn't all rosy and sometimes there are inconveniences. We've had to wait an hour or so for fuel on a couple of trips. We've had to modify our itinerary a time or two if a museum or restaurant was closed. But these instances have been few and far between. The cycling guests from our February trip had nothing but positive praise for the experience and especially for the friendliness and resourcefulness of the Cuban people they met along the way.
Imagine yourself living in Cuba right now. Having power only a few hours a day which means no fans or AC to cool things down for sleeping, no internet and minimal cell service. Imagine going to bed hungry. Imagine wondering if the electricity will come on to run the water pump to fill your cistern on the roof, so that you can have water for cooking and bathing. Would you feel defeated and hopeless?
If you have ever thought of visiting Cuba, we invite you to join us, and give hope and direct economic benefit to the people of Cuba. There may be some inconveniences, but there won't be any crowds. If you are a flexible traveler with compassion for others less fortunate than you, we welcome you. Cuba needs our support now more than ever. Our team is in place and ready to do everything in their power to share the wonders of their culture and country with you. We invite you to contact us to learn more and if you can't travel to Cuba but would like to help in other ways, we have some charities we can recommend including groups that carry medical supplies directly. Thank you for your support.
By Peter Grubb
The Founder of Cuba Unbound, Peter has been a guide and tour operator for over 45 years. He has traveled throughout Cuba on over 30 trips in the past ten years, having spent over 24 months on the island, exploring places well-known and remote.
