My life in travel: Nils Navarro says he's called to guide tours in Cuba

While most tourism in Cuba revolves around the beaches, he says the natural diversity is irresistible.

Cuba is best known for its old-world aesthetic, but there's much more to find. Picture: Supplied

The Caribbean’s taxonomic history is indebted to this wildlife author and illustrator, who now shares his expertise as a Simply Cuba Tours guide.

I grew up in Holguin, Cuba, where I spent a lot of time on my grandparents’ farm. I’d spend hours in the undergrowth looking for whatever bugs I could find, then I’d put them in my pocket so I could draw them later. I’d take them to my grandmother, who was bedridden, and she’d spend hours helping me. It was from there a love for zoology and art arose.

While art doesn’t run in my family, the thirst for knowledge certainly does. My brother and I were in constant competition growing up about who knew more Latin scientific names for birds, insects and other animals. My father, now 91-years old, has also always been an avid researcher with an extensive scientific library. Growing up I spent a lot of time asking about nature and both he and my mother were very supportive.

Vinales is home to the Sierra de los Organos mountains. Picture: Supplied

During elementary school I joined a painting club led by a beloved teacher and professor who convinced my mother to take me to the Academy of Fine Arts to sit the entry tests. Fine arts wasn’t really my thing - I was really still just looking for bugs to draw - so I focused on delivering art based on nature. In fact, my final exam ended up being a piece on ants, of all things.

I kept finding ways to escape on various expeditions, though. The first country I ever visited was Trinidad and Tobago, for a Birds Caribbean meeting, a long time ago now. Since then I’ve had the opportunity to travel extensively throughout the Caribbean, Central America and North America, which has allowed me a holistic view of the region’s biodiversity.

Cuba is home to incredible biodiversity, especially when it comes to birds. Picture: Supplied

When I started in this line of work, I was cataloguing birds and bats for the Natural History Museum of Holguin. Sadly, at the time I found scientific illustration poorly recognised by the art world. To the point I wasn’t allowed to become a member of local artistic associations like the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba, despite having published books and obtained several awards in the arts. But I also couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

Today I consider myself both an artist and a scientist; I really can’t separate the two. When illustrating a new animal, I always start by drawing the eyes because I think that once you capture their essence they’ll help guide you through the rest of the process. It’s like like putting the soul of a bird down on paper. Only I get to do it with a view to scientific understanding and conservation.

Nils Navarro considers himself an artist and a scientist. Picture: Supplied

I’m currently involved in quite an ambitious project: the creation of a new Guide to the Birds of Cuba. The first hurdle I faced was that Cuba didn’t actually have an official list of its bird species… so we essentially had to create one, which is now an annual publication. More than 40 new species have been added to the list as a result. It’s my hope I’m expanding a knowledge pool which will in turn contribute to the preservation of the natural heritage of our planet.

The hardest part of all this, of course, is that it takes me away from my family. I have three children and a granddaughter, and my beautiful wife Yerenia who, funnily enough, doesn’t like bugs. But doing something different has never occurred to me - words just can’t describe what it feels like to be with a species not yet described by science and knowing you’ll have the pleasure of making it part of public knowledge.

Navarro says Cuba has a lot to offer foreign visitors. Picture: Supplied

Unfortunately, during 2020/2021 I lost many family and friends to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s also added to an already intense economic crisis in Cuba. But that’s part of why I get such great pleasure from working with Simply Cuba Tours - our country has a lot to show foreign visitors and being a medium for that is really important to me. While most tourism in Cuba revolves around the beaches, for me it’s all about our natural diversity. In all its colourful glory.

Nils Navarro is author of Endemic Birds of Cuba, and host of Simply Birds of Cuba Photography Tour - 10 days/9 nights from $5,719 per person. For more information, click here.

See also:

The real way to see the best of Cuba

The trick to getting Wi-Fi in Cuba

Cuban stays where you’ll be Havana good time

Rhythm of life beats in the heart of Cuba

Originally published as My life in travel: Nils Navarro says he's called to guide tours in Cuba