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Casas particulares – homestays

Casas Particulares

A unique way to get to know the real Cuba: stay in one of these atmospheric and often historic family homes, offering a similar type of accommodation to a Bed & Breakfast.

The homestay concept in Cuba is not dissimilar to that of the bed and breakfast in the UK, except that generally all meals can be taken in the house. The hearty home-made food on offer can often represent the most attractive dining option in town.

But what really differentiates Cuban homestays is, of course, their unique character and the insight they offer into ordinary life in Cuba. Run by a family or couple, casas particulares are restricted to a small number of guest rooms, making the experience very much one of being a guest in a private home. The level of interaction can depend on the owners and of course the guests, but it is sure to offer a more intimate portrait of Cuba than a stay in an ordinary hotel.

The houses themselves can often be extremely charming, occupying historic buildings or bedecked with antique furniture (this being Cuba, it is kept for practical use rather than ornamentation!). Rooms are rudimentary but homely and comfortable with en suite facilities.

Bartolome, Galápagos

What our clients say

  • "Delightful accommodation, which was kept extremely clean. Very friendly hosts, excellent location and great experience."

    MS, Glasgow Mar 2014
  • Vinales Homesay - Basita's Houses: Basita and her husband Jose were more than welcoming and couldn't do enough to make us feel at home.  Delicious food cooked by Basita and…

    PG, London Dec 2016
  • Vinales: Very simple but spotlessly clean and very helpful hosts who arranged riding tour for us.  Good cooking and great value food and drink- we bought our second dinner there.

    SP, Cirencester Feb 2015
  • "Martha was absolutely lovely and her 'trust' fridge with drinks was brilliant as we couldn't always find a shop, let alone one with cold drinks! She was very kind eventhough…

    ZEW, London Jun 2015
  • “The Vinales homestay - so welcoming and made us feel like we were seeing the real Cuba and Cubans.”

    SM, Teddington Feb 2014
  • "We had the best time with Basita, her and her husband were really nice and his Eng was good. He made some really good recommendations and even drove us to…

    ZEW, London Jun 2015
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Our Expert's Opinion

Jamie
Jamie Swan - Product & Marketing

Jamie backpacked across Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina and Brazil before joining us; he has a degree in politics and is also a keen sportsman..

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Bartolome, Galápagos

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    Lina Fuller - Travel Expert

    Lina's passion for the continent where she was born really took off when she moved to Córdoba (Argentina) to study, spending the holidays travelling between Argentina and her native Colombia.

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    Kathryn Rhodes - Travel Expert

    Kathryn backpacked across Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru before joining us. She has a degree in Philosophy and French and is a keen netball player.

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    Born in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, Mary’s insider knowledge and dry sense of humour make her a highly valued member of the Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tour sales team.

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    Juliet Ellwood - Travel Expert

    After graduating with a degree in Anthropology and History and having been fascinated by Latin America since childhood by the book featuring photos of Nazca, Juliet first visited the region in 2003. Since then, Juliet has visited the majority of countries in Latin America but has particularly extensive experience with Peru, a country she loves for many reasons but not least, its incredible archaeological richness and delicious food!

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    Sally Dodge - Travel Expert

    A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.

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    Hannah Waterhouse - Travel Expert

    Hannah had an early introduction to Latin America when her family moved to Ecuador and she returned to study in Buenos Aires for a year before backpacking across the continent.

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