Meet the Charming Cowboys of Viñales, Cuba
Cuban cowboys gathered around for an afternoon of dominoes, cigars, and life on the farm.
Look, I get it. You're probably thinking, "Oh great, another travel blogger about to spew sunshine about 'authentic experiences' while standing in front of a perfectly staged Instagram backdrop."
But the cowboys of Viñales Valley? They're the real deal. These guys are too busy actually living their lives to care about the perfect aesthetic or a carefully crafted caption. They aren't your rhinestone rodeo types – they're weathered, no-bullshit tobacco farmers who've been working Cuban soil for generations.
Meeting these guys has legit changed my life and I have a good feeling that they’re part of the reason people rebook my Cuba group trips year after year. So let’s dive in and find out exactly who you’re likely to meet when you join me on one of my Cuba group trips.
Changa—a Clint Eastwood lookalike and warm-hearted cowboy.
Changa: Eastwood of the South
First up is Changa, who looks so much like Clint Eastwood it's almost ridiculous. He's taken to calling me his "Reina del Norte" (Queen of the North), which would be eye-roll worthy if he wasn't so genuinely sweet about it. Changa’s energy is unmatched – he’s always the first face we see when our group gets ready to head to the tobacco farm, grinning ear to ear like we're long-lost family returning home. Fair warning – he doesn't drink but raises fighting roosters, which feels like the most Cuban contradiction ever. And without fail, when it's time for us to leave Viñales, there's Changa—standing at the edge of our casa particular, waving us off with the same enthusiasm he greeted us with. I swear the man doesn't understand the concept of a half-hearted goodbye.
Ronnie—a cowboy that does not get enough credit for the amount he does for our groups.
Ronnie: The Unsung Hero
Then there's Ronnie, who's basically the guy holding everything together while everyone else gets the credit (sorry, Ronnie!). He's married to our behind-the-scenes-Cuban-planning-wizard, Cassie, and absolutely hates Havana, which knowing him, I totally understand. The second Ronnie escapes Havana's chaos and hits Viñales' dirt roads, it's like watching a transformation. On go the cowboy hat and beaten-up boots, his shoulders relax, and suddenly you're looking at a completely different man. The city version of him quickly dissolves, and the real Ronnie emerges – the one who belongs among tobacco fields and mountain views, not concrete and tourists.
This man is the ultimate fixer – one minute he's wrangling massive pigs for our authentic Cuban pig roast with his bare hands, and the next he's somehow exchanging thousands of Cuban pesos on the black market without breaking a sweat. Give him some rum, coffee, cigarettes, and a few cute Cuban kiddos to banter with on the streets, and he's happy. And don't let his easy smile fool you – Ronnie casually carries a machete wherever he goes, slicing through problems (and ice for our mojitos) with the confidence of someone who's seen it all. When shit hits the fan in Cuba – which it inevitably does – Ronnie's the one we call.
Frank—in his authentic “Woody” getup!
Frank "Carioco": The Noble Protector
Frank (aka "Carioco") is the one who accidentally became a Toy Story cosplayer when he showed up one day dressed exactly like Woody. We brought him a Woody doll from the U.S., and they’ve been inseparable every since.
Frank's the quiet, steady presence – the type you might overlook until you realize he's somehow making sure everyone's taken care of without making a fuss. He's up at 4 AM every day taking care of the horses, and he’s always waiting for us at the end of the dirt road in Viñales that leads us to the tobacco farm. While Changa's all charisma and Ronnie's solving problems, Frank moves through our days with this gentle, understated energy, silently refilling my mojito the second it gets low without me even noticing.
Here's the wild part - Frank once got stabbed protecting a woman from an attacker. Actual hero stuff, but he never brings it up. That's Frank – the kind of guy who'd literally take a knife for someone then act like it's no big deal while making sure you have enough rum in your drink.
Daviel serving a fresh mojito.
Daviel: The Quiet Strength
Daviel's the quiet one, which in Cuba is saying something. He's Loly's son (if you've been on one of my trips, you know Loly - she's basically the Cuban grandma everyone wishes they had). He and his wife open their home to our groups, and while he doesn't say much, he's the one I trust most not to let anyone fall off their horse.
Daviel's that rare person who never says no - mention you're interested in seeing the tobacco farm at some random hour, and he's already grabbing his hat. Need a last-minute domino partner on the farm? He's there with a subtle nod and a half-smile, ready to absolutely destroy you at the game while barely saying a word. In a country where plans constantly shift due to power outages or random shortages, Daviel's quiet dependability feels like finding an anchor in a storm.
A rare moment where Rolando is caught standing still and not dancing.
Rolando: The Dancing Spirit
Now, Rolando (Ronnie's dad) is something else. The man nearly lost his leg last year, and you know what he did? Kept right on dancing. Not even kidding. His smile is so contagious it should come with a warning label – one flash of those teeth and suddenly everyone in our group is laughing along with him. After our New Year's Eve party, he pulled me aside with tears in his eyes to tell me it was "the most fun he'd had in years," which honestly made my whole damn trip. The way he fusses over our groups when we visit his family farm, you'd think we were his long-lost children finally returning home. If I have half his energy at his age, I'll consider it a win.
Mario’s laugh gets us ALL laughing.
Mario: "El Tigre"
Mario... oh, Mario. His laugh is absolutely infectious, and he's earned the nickname "El Tigre" - supposedly sweet by day, wild by night (I'm choosing not to investigate this too closely). The man is perpetually on standby for two things: finding a salsa partner and demolishing anyone foolish enough to challenge him at dominos. He's also explicitly told me he's on the hunt for a blonde girlfriend, which he announces to pretty much everyone. Points for transparency, I guess?
Yasel getting smart with us.
Yasel: The Charming Teacher
And finally, there's Yasel, our resident tobacco expert who thinks my groups don't understand Spanish when he's flirting with me during our tobacco demonstrations. "¿Necesitas un novio cubano?" (Need a Cuban boyfriend?) is basically his catchphrase at this point. With those striking blue eyes and that perfectly weathered, rugged cowboy look that screams "I've actually worked the land my entire life," he's basically a walking Viñales Valley stereotype.
Yasel comes from generations of tobacco farmers – this isn't some tourism gig he picked up last year. When he demonstrates how to roll the perfect cigar, dipping it in honey and rum while explaining the process, there's this quiet pride in his movements that only comes from doing something your grandfather taught you. He'll spend hours patiently answering the same questions from every group, never losing that mischievous smile or the occasional wink in my direction that he thinks nobody notices.
Everyone notices, Yasel. Everyone.
One of our Cuba groups unwinding and playing dominoes.
Here's the thing - in an industry full of manufactured "authentic experiences," these guys are the real deal. They're not putting on a show for tourists or trying to create Instagram moments. They're just living their lives, rolling cigars, playing dominoes, and occasionally trying to marry me off to their relatives (looking at you, Changa).
And yes, this is absolutely a plug for our New Year's 2026 trip. Because while I could try to capture the magic of spending an afternoon playing dominoes while Mario's laugh echoes across the valley and Yasel pretends I don't understand his latest pickup line, some things you just have to experience for yourself.
P.S. - If anyone asks, I'm still working on my response to Changa about the whole son situation. Some things require careful diplomatic consideration, you know?
