Cuba Bike Tour: Bicycling to Havana
9 Day Cuba Bike Tour
Tour Information
When travel restrictions first loosened in 2017, we joined the tens of thousands of other American tourists flocking to Cuba and filled our first bike tour to this island nation. Borders have opened again since the pandemic but the tourists have not yet returned. There has never been a better time to join this Support for the Cuban People bicycle tour across central Cuba. When we’re not cycling, we are visiting small farms, meeting young entrepreneurs, and learning how to salsa from the locals. Viva la Cuba!
Moderate
Rolling and flat terrain on paved roads. Moderate cycling level.
8 nights lodging, 8 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 6 dinners, van support, rental hybrid bicycle, guided walking tours of Trinidad and Havana, visits to Bay of Pigs Museum, Finca Vigia, and other cultural activities, and trained bilingual guides.
Hybrid bicycle is included in the tour price. E-bikes are not available.
Accommodations are subject to change.
Hotel Barcelona Remedios
Hotel Don Florencio
Casa Particulare/ Osmary y Alberto
Casa Particulare/Hostal Enrique
Fly into Santa Clara, Cuba (SNU) and out of Havana, Cuba (HAV).
"The trip was just the right balance of activities - biking, cultural immersion, recreation, learning opportunities, etc."
"The traffic on the country roads was light, and the drivers were respectful of bicyclists. I had heard that the food in Cuba was not good. WRONG. There was plenty of food and lots of variety. BTW - the mojitos and piña coladas were great!"
Cuba: Cycling to Havana Bike Tour Itinerary
DAY 1: We will meet you at the Santa Clara airport in the afternoon and take you to a hotel in Remedios, one of Cuba’s oldest cities. Founded by Spanish colonists, it’s steeped in history and full of beautifully painted multi-colored buildings. We’ll meet our guides, have an orientation and our first dinner together in the evening. 0 miles.
DAY 2: After a short shuttle in the morning to get out of town, we'll start our bike ride on quiet roads through fields of sugar cane. We’ll stop for lunch along the way and then finish up in the quaint town of Sancti Spiritus. You’ll have time before dinner to walk across the landmark arched bridge, Puente Yayabo. It casts a gorgeous reflection in the river below and seems more fitting for a small village in the English countryside than in the center of Cuba. 27 miles ±1420’.
DAY 3: Today’s rolling ride takes us to the colonial town of Trinidad. Along the way, we’ll stop at the 18th century Manaca Iznaga estate. You can climb the tower for a stunning view of the valley surrounding us. We’ll have lunch there and learn about the sugar trade that used to dominate this part of the island.
We’ll finish our ride in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Trinidad and have time before dinner for a walking tour on its cobbled streets. Our group will be staying in several charming casas particulares for the next two nights. These family-run homestays are a wonderful way to learn about the Cuban culture in a friendly and personal way. 34 miles ±1506'.
DAY 4: Today’s ride will take us to the beautiful beach at Playa Ancon. The serene water is a gorgeous shade of aquamarine, and the sand is lined with chairs shaded by thatch umbrellas. On our way there, we’ll visit with some fishermen and learn about their lives. The day is a fascinating glimpse into the contrasts of life in Cuba. 9 miles ±419’.
DAY 5: We stay on the southern coast today as we head to the city of Cienfuegos, known as the Pearl of the South and is another UNESCO World Heritage Site. We’ll pass several estuaries where we should see some of the hundreds of different species of birds that call Cuba home. One-fourth of them are found nowhere else in the world.
After lunch, if time permits, we will shuttle to the Cienfuegos Botanical Gardens for a tour with a local specialist. The gardens have a stunning collection of more than 1400 species of trees and plants from around the world. Dinner is on your own tonight. Afterwards, be sure to take a selfie beside the charming statue of the 1950s Cuban singer Benny More on the pedestrian mall in Cienfuegos. 25 miles ±1037’.
DAY 6: After a short morning shuttle out of the city, we’ll start bicycling on flat roads past rice paddies to Playa Girón. From there, it’s a short shuttle to Playa Larga and the landing for the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961. You’ll have time to learn all about it in the excellent small museum. You’ll also have the chance to snorkel at one of the largest offshore reefs in the Caribbean before we call it a day. 27 miles ±462.
DAY 7: There is no cycling today as we head to Havana. Along the way, we’ll stop at Finca Vigia, where Ernest Hemmingway lived and wrote the novels For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea. Translated as Lookout Farm, the home is now a museum and has many of Hemmingway’s original furnishings and personal effects.
We’ll arrive in the city in time for a guided walking tour of Old Havana, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tonight after dinner we should have a chance to take in some live Cuban music and learn how it has influenced music all over the world. 0 miles.
DAY 8: We’ll continue our exploration of the city by heading to the Plaza de la Revolución, the large central square where Fidel Castro addressed thousands of Cubans. Depending upon events happening in the city, we may also visit the art neighborhood of Fusterlandia, the 16th century Morro Castle guarding the Havana harbor, or the National Museum of Fine Arts. We’ll celebrate our week at a last dinner together. 0 miles.
DAY 9: We'll say our good-byes and you can take a taxi to the airport at your leisure. Adios! 0 miles.
Due to the limit of resources and cross-contamination, gluten-free diets cannot be guaranteed. Vegetarian and vegan eaters will need to be flexible or bring their own sources of protein. Contact us for more details.