Highlights of Cuba by Bicycle + Beach Extension

Our tour starts today in Havana - home to salsa, mojitos, and revolutionary spirit. Cuba's capital is one of the most impressive cities in the Americas, almost frozen in time with crumbling tenement blocks and 1950s American Cadillacs rubbing shoulders with grand colonial buildings and monuments to the revolution. Due to the number of evening flights into Havana, our tour leader will meet you for a welcome meeting after breakfast at 8am on Day 2. Details of timings will be left in the hotel reception, as well as information about anything else you'll need for the day. There are no activities planned today, so you're free to arrive at any time. If you'd like an airport transfer, you'll need to arrive into Havana's Jose Marti International Airport (HAV) which is around a 30-minute drive from the airport. A representative from our local partners in Cuba will meet you at Havana Airport and assist you with the transfer formalities. During our tour, we'll stay in 'casa particulares' (local guesthouses), a type of accommodation that's unique to Cuba. The industry began in the early 1990s when entrepreneurial homeowners would rent out rooms in their home. The side hustle was initially illegal as communist Cuba didn't allow for private enterprises but was legalised in 1997. Today, it's common to find large casas that run as bed and breakfasts, however, the majority - particularly in Havana - are still a couple of rooms in the owner's house. This gives you a truly unique, local experience as no two casas are the same - you'll have ensuite bathrooms, air-conditioning, and a delicious breakfast across the board but that's where the similarity ends. We choose to use these casas particulares as they give a truly authentic Cuban experience, an alternative to standard hotels, and a new perspective on local life. Whilst some casas still have live-in owners (giving you a great opportunity to interact with locals), others are entirely independent. In Trinidad, your casa might offer some outdoor space, however, in Havana, many are in communist-style apartment blocks. Your airport transfer will take you to a 'reception' casa in Havana (Hostal Saxo Habana: Ave 3ra, #56 entre E y F, Vedado, La Habana, Cuba), where you'll be met by the host and shown to your room in one of the other nearby casas. We use different casas for each group and all are located in the Vedado area of Havana. You'll find several restaurants and bars within walking distance and Old Havana is just a short taxi ride away. Check in is anytime after 4pm.

This morning, we'll depart Havana and drive for three hours to the Zapata Peninsula and the Bay of Pigs - the infamous site of a failed US-backed invasion by Cuban exiles in 1961. There, we'll enjoy a relatively easy warm-up ride along the flat roads, following the Caribbean coast from Boca de Guama to Cueva de los Peces - a flooded tectonic fault (or cenote) with resident tropical fish, where you can enjoy a refreshing dip. Afterwards, there'll be time for an optional visit to the museum dedicated to the failed invasion before we resume our journey by road, travelling on to the colonial city of Cienfuegos. We'll have the chance to take in some of the city's 19th-century architecture on a short walking tour of the centre, before continuing by bus (a 45-minute journey) to our hotel at Yaguanabo beach. Our total cycling distance today is approximately 28 kilometres/17.4 miles along flat terrain.

Continuing south-east this morning, we'll cycle along the Caribbean coast to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed town of Trinidad, one of the best preserved colonial towns in the country. Founded in 1514, Trinidad was a haven for pirates and slavers before the arrival of the French in the early years of the 19th century. Today, it remains one of Cuba's cultural gems. This afternoon, we'll have a walking tour of the town, taking in the quaint setting of the central square and the cathedral. Then, later on, we'll enjoy a cocktail making class making Cuba's most famous cocktails - mojitos and daiquiris. For the next two nights, we'll enjoy local hospitality staying in local casas particulares. Our total cycling distance today is approximately 30 kilometres/18.6 miles with a total accumulated ascent of 150 metres/492 feet.

We'll have a chance to enjoy Cuba's beautiful Caribbean coastline today. Options include a day relaxing on the beach, or perhaps a trip out onto the azure waters on a catamaran. For those still wanting to stretch their legs, we also have the option to cycle out to the Ancon Peninsula (30 kilometres/18.6 miles return). Alternatively, you can relax on the white sands of nearby Playa Ancon, or return to wander through Trinidad's colonial streets. Our total cycling distance today is approximately 30 kilometres/18.6 miles (this is an optional and unescorted ride).

Today's cycle ride through the scenic Valle de los Ingenios (Valley of the Sugar Mills), with its ruined mills and infamous slave watchtower, is possibly the most rewarding (and longest) of the trip. By the mid-19th century, the valley was responsible for a third of all Cuba's sugar production, before the wars of independence saw the mills destroyed. We'll cycle to the watchtower of Manaca Iznaga, before continuing through the valley. Re-joining our bus, we'll drive a short distance to the colonial town of Sancti Spiritus where we'll stop to pay a short visit to the old town, before returning to our casas in Trinidad by bus. Today's ride is a moderate grade that encounters some ascents and descents throughout the day. You'll have the option to hop onto the support bus if you'd prefer. Our total cycling distance today is approximately 60 kilometres/37.3 miles with a total accumulated ascent of 500 metres/1,641 feet.

Just a few miles behind Trinidad looms the Sierra Escambray, one of the three main mountain chains in Cuba. It has peaks up to 1,100 metres/3,609 feet, an incredible abundance of tropical and semi-tropical vegetation on its slopes, and some of the best Cuban coffee is also produced here. Climbing up into the Sierra on the road from Trinidad is an experience, with slopes as steep as 20% (don't worry, we do this bit by bus!). However, those keen to take on a challenge (the most challenging ride in Cuba to be exact) might want to leave in the early hours of the day to give it a go before being picked up by the group later. We'll start cycling on the highest sections of the road with some ascent still to go, near Topes de Collantes, a village and mountain retreat built in the early 1950s. From the village, we'll have a scenic downhill through the jungle. Before leaving the mountains, we can stop at a local coffee farmer's home to enjoy a meal (not included) and see the process of coffee tasting and, of course, try it, too. We'll then head north, passing through the village of Jibacoa, before finally reaching Manicaragua where we'll finish our final ride. We'll then take a short bus ride to our hotel on the outskirts of Santa Clara. The town of Santa Clara is less popular than other Cuban cities and so has an authentic, provincial feel. It played a vital role in the revolution, as the place Che Guevara won the decisive battle which would lead to the fall of Havana in December 1958. There are plenty of monuments to Guevara and the revolution to visit and, depending on the time, we'll do so either today or tomorrow morning. The 'Tren Blindado' gives us insight into the battle to take Batista's armoured train. The most remarkable site is the Che Guevara monument and mausoleum together with a museum dedicated to the life of the Cuban revolutionary. The first 10 kilometres/6.2 miles of today's ride is generally ascending and, while not steep, there is one section with a couple of kilometres of ascent. For those not up to the challenge, you can hop on the bus to avoid this section. The rest of the ride is generally descending but with some undulations later. Our total cycling distance today is approximately 35 kilometres/21.8 miles with a total accumulated ascent of 450 metres/1,476 feet.

There is no cycling planned today and, depending on our activities yesterday, we'll either drive straight off after breakfast or visit the remaining places of interest. The Che Guevara Monument is the final resting place of one of the world's most iconic figures and one of the country's most emotive shrines to its revolutionary heritage. Continuing to Havana (a three-hour drive), we'll spend this afternoon wandering through the heart of the old capital, exploring the neo-classical architecture of the Vieja District and taking in the baroque grandeur of the 18th-century Catedral de San Cristobal de la Habana among other fine buildings. No cycling today.

Today we'll say goodbye to the members of our group not continuing to the beach before travelling to Playa Jibacoa. Leaving Havana in the afternoon, we'll arrive at our hotel in time for check-in - the journey takes around one hour. We'll spend the next two nights at the four-star Memories Jibacoa Hotel. Whether you'd like to lie in the sun or take a dip in the ocean; your time at Jibacoa can be as active or as relaxing as you feel. If you fancy stretching your legs, the town is backed by a limestone ridge, with excellent cliff-top views and some easy paths for you to walk on. Please note, not all group members will join the beach extension and you might not be travelling with other customers.

Today we'll have a full day of leisure on the beach. Our hotel is all-inclusive, which means you're at leisure to enjoy everything the beach and hotel have to offer. The area is blessed with a coral reef located just a few metres from the shore, and the hotel provides snorkelling gear and kayaks for you to explore the turquoise waters and reefs. Nestled between the leafy mountains and golden sands, the hotel is beautifully situated with a tempting pool and lush green hills with easy-to-follow trails for keen hikers, offering spectacular views over the ocean.

Our trip ends in Playa Jibacoa this morning after breakfast. There are no activities planned today, so you're free to depart at any time. If you'd like an airport transfer, you'll need to depart from Havana's Jose Marti International Airport (HAV) which is around a 90-minute drive from the hotel. Depending on your flight time, you might need to check out of the hotel before your airport transfer but you'll still be able to make use of the hotel's services until your departure and luggage storage is available.