A young Cuban woman named Chelsea has become a sensation on Instagram by sharing glimpses of her everyday life on a rural estate in Spain, where she and her family settled after leaving Cuba.
In her videos, Chelsea provides an in-depth look at her six-bedroom, four-bathroom property surrounded by gardens, animals, and natural landscapes that she says are reminiscent of her homeland.
"I'm Cuban and it feels like we're back home, but we're here. A true Cuban uses plenty of water for cleaning, whether in Spain, Brazil, or Uruguay," Chelsea remarks while scrubbing her porch with a broom and detergent, showcasing classic Cuban cleaning methods.
After tidying up, she checks on eggs about to hatch and shows off newly born chicks alongside a homemade feeder crafted by her mother from a bottle.
Life on the Farm
She also visits the garden where her father has planted tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and onions. During the recent Holy Week, she notes that visitors flocked to the nearby lake to fish, swim, and camp in kayaks: "Everyone except us who live here," she jokes.
In a video from January, Chelsea took viewers on a tour of the farm following heavy rains, showcasing temporary waterfalls on the hill and rising water levels covering bridge columns. "I'm not a prepared country girl at all, my dear, because only I would venture out in flip-flops that got stuck every two minutes," she laughs.
A New Beginning in Spain
The family's journey began to unfold in 2025. In September of that year, Chelsea posted her first video introducing the estate and explaining their migration to Spain. "We arrived here thanks to an investor visa or Golden Visa as some call it. In our case, it was through the purchase of this property, bought by my uncle."
Her uncle, who has lived in London for over 20 years, purchased the estate to bring the family together. The choice of a rural estate over an urban residence was intentional: "My family has always been country folk. Places like this fill our souls with happiness," she explained.
In Cuba, besides their town home, they maintained a farm that, according to Chelsea, they still own.
Chelsea's father has transformed the estate into a thriving garden, planting sugar cane experimentally, along with melons, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and onions. The family also raises peacocks, which Chelsea tries to film from above as they refuse to come down from the roof.
Chelsea's content resonates with a wide Cuban diaspora audience who see cultural traits in her lifestyle: using plenty of water for cleaning, farming, and raising animals.
In her latest video, she poses a direct question to her followers: "If you had the chance to choose between country or city, where would you live? Let me know in the comments below."
Today, Spain is home to approximately 287,490 Cubans, having welcomed over 35,200 new Cuban immigrants in 2025 alone, according to National Statistics Institute data released this January.
Understanding the Cuban Diaspora in Spain
Why did Chelsea and her family move to Spain?
Chelsea and her family emigrated to Spain using an investor visa, also known as a Golden Visa, which they obtained through the purchase of a rural estate, facilitated by her uncle.
What activities does Chelsea share in her videos?
Chelsea shares various aspects of rural life, including cleaning using traditional Cuban methods, farming, animal husbandry, and the natural beauty surrounding her estate.
How does Chelsea's lifestyle resonate with other Cubans?
Her lifestyle connects with the Cuban diaspora as it embodies familiar cultural practices such as cleaning with abundant water, farming, and raising animals, which are reminiscent of Cuban rural traditions.
What is the significance of the Cuban population in Spain?
Spain hosts a significant Cuban population, with around 287,490 Cubans living there. In 2025, over 35,200 new Cuban immigrants arrived in Spain, highlighting the country's role as a major destination for the Cuban diaspora.