Cycling holidays in Cuba

Met at Havana airport for transfer to Havana homestay accommodation. Free evening.

Bike fitting followed by panoramic sightseeing of  Havana including Miramar, Revolution Square, Vedado passing by the Hotel Nacional de Cuba and the Capitolio building in central Havana. Continue down El Prado boulevard next to the Museum of the Revolution and on to the Plaza de Armas square. From here we continue on foot visiting the four most important colonial squares in Old Havana. Lunch in the area. After lunch, we cycle back to our hotel at a leisurely pace along the seafront malecon promenade.

Today we leave Havana and start riding once we are outside the main city limits.  The route takes us into the El Rosario biosphere reserve and the luscious vegetation of the region. On arrival we have lunch and then time to relax, or do the  tree top zip ride, swim in the San Juan river rock pools or explore the resident artists community.  Check into homestay accommodation. Evening free.

Today we drive to Soroa, home to Cuba’s best known wine, and where there is also a small orchid garden.  Onto the bikes and cycle on the old carriageway from Havana to Pinar del Rio, through fertile farmland and small rural communities until we reach San Diego de los Banos, a pretty town with attractive colonial architecture and civic squares. From here we drive to Pinar del Rio for the night and our local hotel for a well deserved rest.

Leaving from Pinar del Rio, today we will be cycling along small country roads  and visiting a local tobacco farm where the owner will explain the tobacco growing process.  We then continue to a lakeside cattle ranch which has a family run restaurant where we have lunch.  Continue by bike or on the bus to the very picturesque Vinales valley where we are staying tonight in a local homestay.

We head from Viñales towards the coast along rural roads to spend the day on the idyllic island of Cayo Jutias.  Enjoy the rest of the day swimming in the crystal clear sea, snorkelling or relaxing on the 3km long white sandy beach. Lunch provided on the island. Return transfer by minibus to Viñales and our homestays.

Today we will be driving in the group bus for up to 6 hours, with plenty of stops on the way and snacks provided.  Arrive Santa Clara and check-in to our homestay accommodation.

Visit the Che Guevara mausoleum and then depart for Trinidad via the Topes de Collantes national park. Possible stop en route for a freshwater swim on one of the trails, then arrive into the UNESCO world heritage city of Trinidad.  Dinner at homestay and evening free to explore the historic city centre and its numerous live music venues and bars.

Playa Ancon is a beautiful beach on the coast close to Trinidad, and this morning we will take a route through the salt flats to the sea and cycle along the small main road to have a relaxing morning of swimming and snorkelling.  We cycle back to Trinidad by midday and spend the afternoon exploring local street markets, churches and other sites of interest.

Following the picturesque and undulating coastal road, we leave Trinidad and follow the route north until we reach the botanical gardens on the outskirts of Cienfuegos. Time to walk around, have lunch and explore, then continue by bus to Cienfuegos city itself.  Time to look at the key sites of the city before checking into our homestay accommodation for the night.

Today we will start with a transfer to Navarra in the interior area behind Cienfuegos. Cycling from here we will be riding through the famous Cienaga de Zapata, an extensive marshland area famous for its migrating birdlife and recognised by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve. We stop at the Bay of Pigs with time to visit the museum telling the story of the foiled attempt by the CIA to overthrow Fidel Castro in 1961. Continue cycling to Caleta Blanca for lunch and then transfer to Playa Larga where we will spend the night in a local homestay.

We begin today with a transfer to Jaguey Grande and the main road leading across the island to Matanzas. We will be riding through orange and lemon plantations until we arrive at Pedro Betancourt, a small town named after a revolutionary major-general in the Cuban war of independence) where we will have lunch at Finca Coincidencia. This is a charming organic farm and the owner will be hosting our visit and will show us around.  After lunch we continue to Matanzas, home of danzon (Cuba’s national dance) and Afro-Cuban rumba rhythms and also the birthplace of many Cuban writers and poets. Overnight homestay accommodation in the city.

The most challenging part of todays cycle is the climb out of Matanzas, but once we turn off at Ceiba Mocha we have cleared this part of the route and are back onto smaller roads. We ride up the Picadura valley and have stops for fresh fruit and to admire the wonderful views, before arriving at Jibacoa for lunch on the beach. Transfer by bus into Havana to arrive in time to check into our homestay accommodation and a night out on the town.

Free day to explore this fascinating and cosmopolitan city.

Free morning until group transfer to Havana airport for return flight.

You will be met at Havana airport for a private transfer to your Havana homestay where you will be welcomed by friendly Cuban hosts. Rest of day free.

You will be met by our local tour guide and then have your bike fitting, followed by a guided panoramic tour around Havana.  We head off for Vedado and Miramar, two well known areas of the city.  We will have a stop at Revolution Square, with the impressive central statue of Jose Marti, and then continue to Colon Cemetery, the largest in Latin America. From here we cycle to the formerly affluent 1950s Miramar district, home to some of Havana’s most striking 20th century architecture.  We will continue to Plaza de  las Armas  to make a stop for lunch and then have a relaxed guided walking tour with a  local English speaking guide around Old Havana. Rest of day free.

We will be leaving Havana today and heading west to the El Rosario biosphere reserve where a well known reforestation project took place and where there is the eco-community of Las Terrazas.  Once we leave Havana there is surprisingly little traffic, and we will be cycling along the backroads of this region – watch out for potholes on the road! Picnic lunch en route. The lush scenery only increases in beauty as we approach the biosphere reserve where you will be able to have a well deserved swim in the rock pools of the San Juan river.  Transfer to Soroa and homestay accommodation for the night.

We will have an early start today to go birdwatching in the famous Cienaga de Zapata natural park with a local specialist guide. Return to homestay for breakfast and then set off along the coastline, with wonderful views to the Escambray mountains, to colonial Trinidad.  Cobbled streets, brightly painted colonial houses, hardly any traffic and a charming atmosphere, this is where we will spend the night in a local homestay. Dinner at the accommodation with free time to explore this UNESCO world heritage city by night.

After breakfast in Viñales, we head off in a northerly direction with a stop at  Cueva de los Portales where Che Guevara established his headquarters during the Cuban Missile Crisis in the 60s. A packed lunch is provided today and we will stop in the Parque Nacional La Güira before continuing through the Sierra del Rosario mountain range to our destination, Las Terrazas, a biosphere reserve. Las Terrazas is an eco-community founded in the late 60s and is dedicated to reforestation and ecotourism.  There is a small man-made lake here, rock pools in the River San Juan for bathing and some beautiful hiking trails as well as a zip ride over the treetops. It also has an artists community with opportunities to get to know local artisans and members of the community. We check into the Hotel La Moka, an ecological hotel that was built to complement the surrounding landscape and will be here for the next 2 nights.

After breakfast, we will transfer to our starting point for todays cycle. We will ride along a 10km section of a mountain ridge, surrounded by pine and eucalyptus forests before descending to Santa Clara. This is undoubtedly the most spectacular scenery we will see, riding through the Topes de Collantes  national park.  Descending to the market town of Manicaragua, we will stop for a picnic lunch, then either continue by bike or transfer to Santa Clara. We will have time on arrival to visit the Che Guevara mausoleum before checking into our hotel for the night.  Free evening to explore Santa Clara and find a local place for dinner.

After breakfast today we will transfer back to Havana, arriving in time for lunch.  This afternoon we have free time for shopping or exploring and then a 2 hour tour of the capital in a vintage American classic car, ending at El Floridita bar in Old Havana (one of Hemingway’s favourite haunts).  Tonight we have dinner in Old Havana within walking distance of our homestay accommodation.

After breakfast, free time until your private transfer to Havana airport for your return flight home. End of adventure!

Yes, we can!  Bikes are included in the cost of the tours.

Our bikes are Trek 4300 or Specialised Hardrock Sport models, both with front fork suspension, shimano parts and 21 gears. Bikes have semi slick tyres fitted and we have 13”, 16”,18”, 19.5” & 21” frames. We will require your height in advance so that we can assign the correct bike size. No helmets are available for rental so it is essential that you bring your  own and also a water bottle. We recommend that you always wear a helmet when riding.

The coolest and driest time of year in Cuba is from mid October to late March, so anytime in these months would be ideal. However, not everyone can take holidays in those months which is why we have scheduled group trips all year round.

Our support vehicle and driver will be with you all the way so if you get too tired at any point along the route, you can simply jump into the minibus. Our local tour leader will continue cycling with the others in the group and will meet up with you at the end of the days ride.