Cuba: Bicycling to Havana

Cuba Bike Tour Itinerary

DAY 1: We will meet you at the Santa Clara airport in the afternoon and take you to a nearby hotel. If there's time, you should check out the Che Guevara Mausoleum national monument where the revolutionary is honored and his remains are buried. We’ll meet our guides, have an orientation and our first dinner together in the evening. 0 miles.

DAY 2: After breakfast and a bike fitting, we’ll set out for Remedios, one of Cuba’s oldest cities. Founded by Spanish colonists, it’s steeped in history and full of beautifully painted multi-colored buildings. The historic Church of San Juan Bautista is beautiful and in the central square. 27 miles ±717’.

DAY 3: After a short shuttle in the morning, 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 4: 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 5: Today’s loop 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 6: 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. 17 miles ±1037’.

DAY 7: 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 8: 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 Havana in time for a guided walking tour of this magical place. We’ll head to the Plaza de la Revolución, the large central square where Fidel Castro would address thousands of Cubans. Tonight after dinner will be your last chance to take in some live Cuban music and learn how it has influenced music all over the world. 0 miles.

DAY 9: We’ll say our good-byes and you can take a taxi to the airport at your leisure. However, if you’d like to stay another day to explore Havana further, we’d love to have you. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the old city is an easy one to spend days exploring. Depending upon events happening in the city, we may visit the art neighborhood of Fusterlandia, the 16^th century Morro Castle guarding the Havana harbor, or the National Museum of Fine Arts. Let us know if you’re interested. Adiós! 0 miles.