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Day 1:
Start Havana
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
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Day 2:
Cycle through Havana; transfer to Remedios via Santa Clara
We have our bike fitting this morning before we set off on 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 small 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 see the Che Guevara memorial site. The pretty town of Remedios is our final stop today. Upon arrival, we visit a workshop where they prepare for Las Parrandas de Remedios, a lively Christmas festival in which people from the local community participate. Tonight, we enjoy a group dinner at a paladar (a traditional family-run restaurant).
Today’s driving time is approximately four hours.
Accommodation: Casas particulares
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Day 3:
Cycle to Mayajigua; transfer to Camaguey
After breakfast, we take a short transfer to just outside the town of Caibarien, where we start cycling towards Mayajigua. Along the way, we stop for coffee at the home of a Cuban family, where we can find out 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, there is the likelihood of encountering a headwind when cycling in this direction. After lunch, we transfer to Camaguey, where we check into our town centre accommodation. A local historian joins us for dinner this evening to discuss the history of Camaguey, the third-biggest city in Cuba.
Today’s driving is approximately four hours.
Accommodation: Casas particulares
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Day 4:
Transfer to Puerto Padre; partial coastal ride to Gibara
We depart our accommodation this morning by bus, driving to Puerto Padre in Las Tunas province. Starting from the coastal malecon road, we cycle out of town heading eastwards on undulating roads. We are greeted by a Cuban family in the town of Delicias, who welcome us into their home and offer fresh fruit and coffee. 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. In the evening, we take a short walk before dinner to meet local fishermen and learn about their way of life in this remote coastal town. 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
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Day 5:
Transfer to Holguin; cycle to Biran; transfer to Santiago
After breakfast, we take a short transfer to the outskirts of Holguin before jumping on our bikes and starting to cycle towards Biran. 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 Biran, we explore the village where Raul 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. This evening, we take part in a salsa class with Cuban dance partners, where each member of the group will have their own dance partner to assist in teaching salsa moves!
Today’s driving is approximately 3hr 30min.
Accommodation: Casas particulares
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Day 6:
Explore Santiago: city tour and cocktail-making class
Santiago de Cuba is known as the City of Heroes due to the important role it played in the battles for both the independence and the revolution. The morning is spent 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 also have lunch. This evening, we visit a paladar for dinner and visit Casa de la Trova, which is considered to be the cradle of traditional Cuban music.
Accommodation: Casas particulares
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Day 7:
Ride from Santiago de Cuba to Palma Soriano via El Cobre; transfer to Bayamo
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. We visit the most emblematic church in Cuba where a local expert takes us on a short tour.
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 ‘villas’ founded by the Spanish conquerors. In the afternoon, we enjoy a guided walking tour of the city with stops at several sites to gain insider knowledge from Bayamo residents. We visit a paladar for dinner.
Accommodation: Casas particulares
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Day 8:
Cycle to Manzanillo; transfer to Camaguey
With a long day ahead, we start early today, leaving Bayamo by bike. We exit the city passing through agricultural towns and sugarcane plantations on a fast, flat ride cycling westwards towards the coast. En route, we stop in the town of Yara to dive into baseball, the national sport of Cuba. We visit the stadium and our guide explains the importance of the sport here. 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, Camaguey – 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, we have 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
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Day 9:
Transfer to Banao; cycle to Trinidad
After breakfast, we travel by bus to Banao. Upon arrival, the group starts cycling along a scenic route to the town of Trinidad. On our journey, we stop to visit a group of women from the local community, who are keeping regional traditions alive by teaching textile-making handicrafts to younger generations. When we arrive in Trinidad, we 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 Unesco 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 Santeria, 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
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Day 10:
Cycle to Playa Ancón; afternoon pottery-making class
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 fisherman 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 a local collective of musicians performing interpretations of classic Cuban trova songs.
Accommodation: Casas particulares
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Day 11:
Cycle the coastal road to Cienfuegos
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; from here, we are transferred by bus to our casas. Tonight, we enjoy a Cuban-themed evening of Cuban music, delicious roast pork, rum and dominoes prepared by our fabulous host Lily.
Accommodation: Casas particulares
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Day 12:
Ride to Playa Larga
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. This region of the Zapata Peninsula is a national park and swamp, providing a habitat for some of the most important bird species in Cuba. Afterwards, we continue by bus to Playa Larga. For our evening meal, we are joined by a local nature expert who talks to us about the natural landscapes and characteristics of the area.
Today’s driving is approximately 1hr 30min.
Accommodation: Casas particulares
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Day 13:
Cycle to farm for lunch: transfer to Matanzas
This morning, a short transfer to Jaguey Grande 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 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 ecofriendly agricultural methods. In the afternoon, we transfer north to the city of Matanzas where we visit a pharmaceutical museum and talk to a local expert to learn how Matanzas was well known for its innovative treatments and the legacy that exists today.
Today’s driving time is approximately two hours.
Accommodation: Casas particulares
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Day 14:
Cycle to Playa Jibacoa; transfer to Havana
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 carry on 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 in time for a city tour in classic cars. Visiting both the old and new areas, we discover the distinct neighbourhoods of the capital, stopping at points of interest. Feel free to ask questions about 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 head back to our accommodation to get ready for our farewell group dinner at a paladar in Havana.
Today’s driving time is approximately 1hr 30min.
Accommodation: Casas particulares
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Day 15:
Sightseeing in Havana; visit bike workshop; end
This morning, we have a walking tour of Old Havana – the heart of the capital. The area is often described as a living museum with marvellous monuments, cathedrals and palaces. During our tour, we visit a ration store, food market and artisan market for a chance to buy some souvenirs. We finish this tour by visiting the Velo Cuba cycling project, which is run by an inspiring group of Cuban women who rent bikes and promote cycling as a form of transport. During our visit, we find out how they use limited resources to help fix bikes to roadworthy standard and about teaching children of La Habana Vieja how to ride!
Then it’s time to bid your group and leader a fond farewell as this marks the end of our Cuban two-wheeled adventure.
