I was born and raised in the center of Old Havana, a colorful, crowded and busy neighborhood filled with music and friendly neighbors. It was here that I first started meeting tourists and learning about the world outside of Cuba and building friendships with people from other lands and cultures. I have always enjoyed meeting people from around the world with different customs, traditions, philosophies and lifestyles. Even as a child, I had a strong interest in Cuban history, architecture and culture and I used love meeting tourists and sharing my opinions and knowledge. I enjoy curious people who want to understand my country. I learned to speak English as a child, via cartoons and American movies and I soon found out my ability to speak English and my outgoing personality was a perfect fit for working in the tourism industry. After a lot of hard work in high school I was thrilled to be accepted as one of only 40 incoming freshmen at the University of Havana, School of Tourism and Hospitality.
Around the same time, I got very lucky and landed a prized job as a waiter at one of the most famous private restaurants in Havana. Working at Paladar San Cristobal I was able for the first time to see and work with organized groups of visiting tourists that were being managed by tourism professionals and tour guides. This opened my eyes to what the industry looked like. And it looked like everyone was having a lot of fun! Over time I built friendships with our regular clients and met people who were willing to share their knowledge and provide me small opportunities to help with tour groups and assist private travelers who needed a local guide that could help them make good use of their time in Havana. During this time tourism was growing rapidly and represented an important source of foreign money in Cuba’s burgeoning economy.
Working at Paladar San Cristobal gave me a chance to serve famous celebrities, successful business people, and artists. It was a great way for me to practice my English and learn how people outside of the island viewed the world. I watched how they conducted themselves and asked a lot of questions. I started to understand how entrepreneurs operate and witness people similar to me who built and idea into a business. Over time, my reputation began to grow and soon I was getting referrals from many directions and had a real business. Around this time I met my wife Jolie and together we dedicated ourselves to starting our own business assisting travelers from around the world. Four years have passed and now we are a small family and our business has grown to include a variety of services such as finding private accommodations, transportation and tour design.
I love my work and I am always on the lookout for new ideas and opportunities that will help improve my situation, my community and my country. Many new entrepreneurs in Cuba can be found in the private housing rental market. This is an important source of income for my neighborhood and I work hard helping them market their homes to tourists. Recently I created my own project called Mayito’s BnB that provides a website to look at available homes while at the same time offering my various services which ensure visitors make great use of their vacation time in Cuba. Mayito’s BnB helps tourists connect with caring home owners who provide clean, safe and reliable lodging in Cuba.
I am excited about the future in Cuba and look forward to being part of new generation of young Cubans who are trying to make a positive contribution to Cuban society.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I am a passionate traveler and a full time dad!! I love to share my beautiful country with visitors from the whole world but also discover interesting places. I think Coushsurfing is an amazing opportunity for young adventurers.

Interests

• adventure races
• adventure travel
• adventure
• cuba
• experiences
• transportation
• guest
• airbnb
• old cars
• experiencias
• cuban music
• activities
• cuban food
• havana
• accommodation
• guests
• activity
• things to do
• transfer
• mayitobandb
• your host in havana
• experience havana like a local

Music, Movies, and Books

Music:

I love classic music and salsa.

Movies:

I love to watch comedy or thriller movies at night with my lovely wife and daughter.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I have jumped from a plane with a parachute in California.

I have spend days in Roller Coster parks like Universal Studios and 6 Flags Magic Montain

I have traveled and guided other travelers all around Cuba

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share Tons of Information about my beloved island.

Countries I’ve Visited

France, Germany, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Cuba