Cycling Cuba

Fly to Havana, Cuba’s lively capital. Founded by the Spanish in the 16th century, it is now a soulful mix of colonial architecture, street troubadours and classic cars. It is a busy, bustling, energetic place and one of the finest colonial cities in the Americas with narrow streets, spacious plazas and glorious architecture. There is an air of faded grandeur about it with paint peeling off buildings. Meet your tour leader and fellow passengers today at the start accommodation.

Accommodation: Casas particulares

Welcome to Havana, the lively capital of Cuba. Founded by the Spanish in the 16th century, it is now a soulful mix of colonial architecture, street troubadours and classic cars. It is a busy, bustling, energetic place and one of the finest colonial cities in the Americas with narrow streets, spacious plazas and glorious architecture. There is an air of faded grandeur about it with paint peeling off buildings. Meet your tour leader and fellow passengers today at the start accommodation.

Accommodation: Casas particulares

We have our bike fitting this morning before a warm-up ride through residential and modern Havana. Today we are joined by members of the Cuban Masters Road Cycling Club, veteran Cuban cyclists who regularly compete in races in their respective age groups, for an insight into competitive cycling in Cuba. We cycle through various city districts, stopping in the Old Town for a coffee or fruit juice at a locally run cafe in a typical urban residential community.

From here, we depart by bus and drive eastwards to begin our tour of the island. On the way towards Santa Clara, we stop to eat our picnic lunch before continuing to visit the Che Guevara memorial site. The pretty town of Remedios is our final stop today. Enjoy a group dinner tonight at a paladar (a traditional family-run restaurant).

Today’s driving time is approximately four hours.

Accommodation: Casas particulares

We take a short transfer to just outside the town of Caibarién after breakfast, where we start cycling towards Mayajigua. Along the way, we stop for refreshments at the home of a Cuban family, where we can learn about life in rural Cuba. The cycling route today is mostly flat as we head eastwards along a section of the country’s ‘northern circuit’. Despite the ride not being too challenging today, we may encounter a headwind when cycling in this direction. After lunch, we transfer to Camagüey, checking into our town centre accommodation.

Today’s driving is approximately four hours.

Accommodation: Casas particulares

We depart our accommodation this morning by bus, driving to Puerto Padre in Las Tunas province. Starting from the coastal malecon road, cycle eastwards out of town on undulating roads. Along the way, we meet a Cuban family who welcome us into their home for refreshments. We carry on riding from Uñas to Aguas Claras, experiencing some climbs. Today’s destination is the coastal fishing town of Gibara, where we stay at a centrally located accommodation. Dining at a private paladar, we have an array of seafood specialities. The town is also the unassuming destination for an annual film festival, so this evening we are joined by a local resident involved in running the event.

Today’s driving time is approximately 2hr 30min.

Accommodation: Casas particulares

Take a short transfer after breakfast to the outskirts of Holguín, then cycle towards Birán. Today’s route covers well-surfaced roads with some undulations and several fast downhill sections. Fans of Buena Vista Social Club will appreciate riding along the route that rose to fame in their song Chan Chan. In Birán, we explore the village where Raúl and Fidel Castro were born. A farm visit gives us an insight about the sugarcane industry in Cuba. Afterwards, we board the bus and transfer to Santiago.

Today’s driving is approximately 3hr 30min.

Accommodation: Casas particulares

We have a day out of the saddle today to explore Santiago de Cuba, known as the City of Heroes due to the important role it played in battles for both independence and the revolution. Spend this morning sightseeing, including a visit to the Moncada Barracks, where the opening shots of the revolution were fired on 26 July 1953 when Castro and his men attacked the barracks. We also visit the Santa Ifigenia Cemetery, where Jose Marti and Fidel Castro are buried.

While in Santiago, we visit Serrano Park and join a game of dominoes – probably the most common pastime in Cuba. We also have the chance to learn how to cook a quintessentially Cuban dish with the kitchen staff of a paladar, where we have lunch.

In the early evening, there is the option to join a salsa class to perfect those dance moves before we visit Casa de la Trova, considered the cradle of traditional Cuban music.

Accommodation: Casas particulares

Today we ride through the Sierra Maestra. Heading deeper into the mountains, our route is dominated by Pico Bayamesa – the third tallest peak in Cuba at 5,675ft (1,730m) above sea level. This is an area of stunning natural beauty that is rarely visited by tourists. We have a packed lunch during the ride and finish at El Cobre, the most sacred pilgrimage site in Cuba.

After our El Cobre visit, we transfer to our Bayamo accommodation. This city is where the Cuban national anthem was composed in the mid-19th century and is one of the original seven towns founded by the Spanish conquerors. In the afternoon, we enjoy a walking tour of the city with stops at several sites of interest.

Accommodation: Casas particulares

With a long day ahead, we start early, leaving Bayamo by bike. We exit the city passing through agricultural towns and sugarcane plantations on a fast, flat ride westwards towards the coast. En route, we stop in the town of Yara to dive into baseball, the national sport of Cuba. Depending on availability, we may be able to enter the local stadium or speak to locals who often play baseball in the street.

We carry on cycling to Manzanillo, stopping for a packed lunch by the water in a small park at the end of the coastal road. From here, we transfer to our final location for today, Camagüey – the youngest UNESCO-listed site in Cuba. Look out for tinajones – large, earthen jugs found in the squares, churches and gardens that were originally used to store water during drought periods. Upon arrival, a local historian joins us for a tour along the four plazas by bici-taxi, whizzing around in true Cuban style.

Today’s driving is approximately three hours.

Accommodation: Casas particulares

After breakfast, we travel by bus to Banao. Upon arrival, we cycle along a scenic route to the town of Trinidad. On arrival, enjoy a welcome drink at Casa de Alberto & Osmary, our hub for the next two days.

In the afternoon, we explore the town with a local resident, adding a different perspective to the walking tour. Trinidad has been a World Heritage site since 1988 and is one of the best-preserved colonial towns on the island. Exploring it is like stepping back in time, the cobbled streets and horse-drawn transportation whisking you back to the Colonial era. The tour includes a visit to Casa Templo de Santeria de Yemaya, where we learn about Santería, an Afro-Cuban religion. We also have a cocktail-making class today, creating authentic Cuban mojitos in a paladar.

Today’s driving is approximately 3hr 30min.

Accommodation: Casas particulares

On today’s ride we are joined by members of the Trinidad Cycling Club with plenty of time to chat and interact as we all cycle to the fishing village of La Boca, a popular spot with local fishermen going about their daily business. Our ride continues to Playa Ancón, a classic white-sand Caribbean beach, where we have a picnic lunch (weather dependent). For those who wish, there are swimming opportunities before we cycle back to Trinidad. On our return, we visit the workshop used by the Trinidad Cycling Club to learn more about the local cycling culture and how they maintain bikes without easy access to spare parts.

In the afternoon, we join the Santander family for a pottery-making class. Here we learn skills that have been passed down by several generations of this Cuban family before making our own pottery with the guidance of a family member. This evening, we enjoy dinner at a private paladar with live music.

Accommodation: Casas particulares

This morning, we are joined by our new friends from the Trinidad Cycling Club for the first part of our ride on the coastal road. Sandwiched by the mountains and sea, the road clings in sections to the shimmering Caribbean. We stop at Rancho La Vega farm to have fruit juice or coffee.

Today’s route passes small communities and crosses bridges over picturesque bays with some short, sharp hills. The road then undulates through mango groves until it reaches the Botanical Garden of Cienfuegos, where we stop to relax and take a break in the serene, natural environment. Our ride finishes here, just outside the city of Cienfuegos, and we are transferred by bus to our casas.

Accommodation: Casas particulares

This morning, we depart by bus to the village of Navarra, where we start our ride. Today’s route covers a variety of landscapes – this is a day for discovering the rural heart of Cuba as we pass through small communities dedicated to agriculture and charcoal production. We ride through the Zapata Peninsula, the biggest marshland in Cuba, stopping at Playa Girón for a chance to learn about the CIA-backed Bay of Pigs Invasion in 1961.

Afterwards, we continue by bus to Playa Larga. For our evening meal by the beach, we are joined by a local nature expert who talks to us about the natural landscapes and characteristics of the area. We round off the evening with a quintessentially Cuban pastime – rum and a game of dominoes.

Today’s driving is approximately 1hr 30min.

Accommodation: Casas particulares

A short transfer to Jaguey Grande this morning takes us to our starting point. Today we ride alongside citrus plantations at the heart of the island, arriving in time for a country lunch at Finca La Coincidencia, a farm with organic principles in the centre of the Matanzas province. The property is home to a family venture that combines farming, art and sustainability-led agricultural methods, and we take a guided tour around the farm to learn about the produce including mangoes and honey. In the afternoon, we transfer north to the city of Matanzas.

Today’s driving time is approximately two hours.

Accommodation: Casas particulares

For the final ride of our tour, we depart directly from our accommodation in Matanzas, climbing out of the city as we leave and head westwards. On the first section of the route, we may encounter some road traffic. After, we turn towards the town of Ceiba Mocha and begin the climb to the Picadura Valley pass. We soon find ourselves in peaceful and beautiful surroundings where we can enjoy valley views and the occasional small village. One of these is an old traditional sugarcane village, where we stop to learn about the historical importance of the industry in Cuba.

We continue cycling until we reach a lookout point, where we are rewarded with a long stretch of flat and downhill roads that takes us all the way to the Caribbean coastline. Our ride ends at the beach, arriving in time for lunch at our accommodation. Make the most of an all-inclusive pool bar and have a well-earned swim and cool down in the water!

From Playa Jibacoa, we drive back to Havana and get ready for our farewell group dinner at a paladar.

Today’s driving time is approximately 1hr 30min.

Accommodation: Casas particulares

This morning, we see Havana in style – by classic car. Visiting both the old and new areas, we discover the distinct areas of the capital, stopping at points of interest. Feel free to ask why the streets of Cuba are filled with classic American cars manufactured in the 1950s and how the owners manage to maintain them! Afterwards, we have a walking tour of Old Havana – the heart of the capital. The area is often described as a living museum with magnificent monuments, cathedrals and palaces. During our tour, we visit a ration store and food market to gain a deeper understanding of daily life in the capital.

Then it’s time to bid your group and leader a fond farewell as this marks the end of our Cuban two-wheeled adventure.

Arrive London.