2024 Tour Schedule (Archive)

The trip starts in the provincial city of Santa Clara, served by American Airlines (as of March 2023 the only US carrier). Arrive on a late afternoon flight and transfer to our tour hotel. Dinner and an orientation.

Accommodation: Hotel America or similar
Meals included: Dinner

We ride east towards Remedios, passing through several small towns as we ride on one of the few roads passing through the countryside. Sugar cane fields line the roads on parts of our ride, and horse carts clamber along with bikes and tractors.
After a picnic lunch and a few more miles, we arrive in Remedios, an intimate colonial town that radiates tranquility, offers alluring insight into Cuba’s history without the traffic. Many sights can be found around Plaza Major, such as the Iglesia Mayor of San Juan Bautistia, Cuba’s oldest church where 13 golden alters decorate the space inside this ochre-colored Baroque church. A short walk across the square are the sparkling white walls of Iglesia del Buen Viaje, also stunning in its own right.

• Elevation: +600/-1500 ft.
• Distance: 20 Miles
• Time: 2-3 hours with stops

Accomodation : Hotel Barcelona or similar
Meals Included : Lunch, Dinner

Today’s ride is a lovely meander through fields and small farming towns. We pass through Yaguajay and some other pueblos, on smooth roads with moderate hills. In the distance are the mountains of Caguanes National Park. Well off the tourist path, we stop for a picnic lunch and rest our legs in a small town plaza where we are likely to strike up conversations with friendly locals.

Our bike ride concludes in the quaint town of Sancti Spíritus that was founded in 1514 by Diego Velázquez. One of the original seven Spanish settlements of Cuba, the town has a relaxed vibe. It’s easy to explore the compact city center and we visit the small Museum of the Guayabera, Cuba’s traditional shirt with a local guide who explains the history and significance of this formal attire.

We walk across the Puente Yayabo, an elegant quadruple-arched bridge and take a look upon the Teatro Principal, Cuba’s oldest theater. After freshening up at the hotel we enjoy dinner at a local Paladar and those who want can likely discover some music in the town.

• Elevation: + 2019 / - 1864 ft.
• Distance: 45 Miles
• Time: 5-6 hours with stops
• Map & GPS PDF Profile

Accommodations:Hotel Rijo, Don Florencia or Hotel Plaza
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We start early to enjoy the morning air and begin a beautiful ride leaving town to the south. We start out on flat terrain and then begin a long, gradual ascent through mountainous farmland, looking out towards the verdant Escambray Mountains in the distance. This is one of our more challenging rides, but with a nice tail wind, it goes well as we head towards the crossroads town of Banao. There’s time to relax and bit, mingle with the locals and enjoy some ice cream.
The ride now is more down than up as spectacular views ease our way until we reach the 18th century Manaca Iznaga estate just northeast of Trinidad. This former plantation has a storied history and has now become a restaurant. After lunch we climb up the 130’ tower that was once used to survey the slaves and today is the perfect viewing platform for the stunning scenery of the area.
We transfer by bus for the last few miles into Trinidad and check into our Casas Particulares for the night. After everyone is settled it’s time to explore Trinidad, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of 16th century beauty. Cobblestone streets and Spanish colonial mansions frame lovely plazas.
Dinner is a feast and those with energy will appreciate one of Cuba’s best outdoor music venues at the Casa de La Musica on the steps of the town. Sway to the beats of salsa and saunter back to your Casa for the rest of the night.

• Elevation: + 1251 / - 1387 ft
• Distance: 34.9 Miles
• Time: 5 hours with stops
• Map & GPS PDF Profile
• Map & GPS Online Profile

Accommodations: Casas Particulares
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

There’s no riding today so we can explore Trinidad and rest our legs. In the morning we take a walk along a small river that passes through a forest where we can learn about the local ecosystem as well as local farm crops. Our hike ends at a waterfall and swimming hole where we cool off before starting back.

We return to Trinidad town for lunch followed by an afternoon visit to a local artist’s studio to learn about the art scene in Cuba and how the government supports the arts.
By mid-afternoon you’re free to explore on your own, choosing between any of several museums, shopping or simply relaxing with a book. For those who want, we have a dance lesson to learn the steps of salsa, followed by dinner.

Accommodations: Casa Particulares
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast we take a short bus ride, unload our bikes and ride on the road that parallels the sea. The road has gentle ups and downs, with steep mountains to the north and the sparkling blue Caribbean to the south. We stop on our ride at a beach for a rest and optional swim. Then it’s on to lunch followed by a transfer into the city of Cienfuegos.
Cienfuegos is knows as the “Pearl of the South” and every Cuban will tell you how they dream of visiting. It’s full of history, settled in the 1850’s by French people from Bordeaux and Louisiana, invited by the Spanish Crown. The city’s center is another designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites including the Prado lined with mansions and the city square. An informative walking tour showcases the late 19th century Teatro Tomas Terry which seats 900. A highlight is a private performance by the Cienfuegos Choir, an internationally renowned choir that travels to competitions throughout the world.
We dine at a local paladar located near the “Prado” or central boulevard, which has a lovely raised central walkway with trees and benches and is one of the city’s central social points. Those with energy may enjoy an evening walk along the malecon which comes alive after 9 pm with the city’s youth.

• Elevation: + 851 / - 987 ft.
• Distance: 24.4 Miles (optional +15.5 miles +565/ -411 ft.)
• Time: 3.5 hours with stops
• Map & GPS Online Profile

Accomodation : Cienfuegos Casa Particular
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

A short distance outside of Cienfuegos, our ride begins in the small town of Yaguaramas on a tranquil two-lane country road passing through agricultural lands. This pastoral road has fields on either side and we may see oxen pulling plows, rice drying on roads and perhaps people working in the fields. By late morning we arrive in Playa Giron on the shores of the Bay of Pigs. Giron was a French pirate, and the bay is the site of the famous U.S.-orchestrated but failed invasion in 1961.

After a feast at a local Paladar we make a short visit to the Museum of the Bay of Pigs for an informative interchange with a museum guide. Then it’s a short drive or optional ride to a colorful snorkeling place here in the Zapata National Park. Cuba is home to the healthiest reef system in the Caribbean and our snorkel time allows us to learn to learn more about the important scientific collaboration between Cuba and the US relative to reef and marine health.
A short drive takes us to the beachside town of Playa Larga to check into our Casa Particular for the evening. Before dinner we meet with a staff member of the National Park Service for an enlightening discussion to learn about the challenges facing the Park, various conservation projects and more.

Dinner is traditional Cuban food, served with care by our local hosts.

• Elevation: + 414 / - 506 ft.
• Distance 35.2 Miles
• Time: 4-5 hours with stops
• Map & GPS Online Profile

Accommodation: Casas Particulares
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

In the morning we depart tranquil Playa Larga and drive towards Havana. On the outskirts of the city we stop for a visit to Finca Vigia, Ernest Hemmingway’s home from about 1940 to 1959 where he lived and found inspiration for his book “The Old Man and the Sea.” He led a rather controversial lifestyle and today his house and grounds are a museum where you can look through the windows to see the rooms where he lived and worked. His boat the Pilar is also on display with its own storied history.

We continue into the vibrant metropolis of Havana. We take an introductory walking tour of old Havana where Spanish colonial architecture gleams in beauty. Old Havana
has streets barely wide enough for cars and hums with life. There are ornate historical buildings of various architectural styles ranging from the 16th to 20th century. We visit the four plazas of old Havana and then continue to check into our hotel for the evening.

Accommodations: Hotel Presidente or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we explore some of the highlights of Havana beyond the old colonial part of the city with a full day of discovery and learning. In the morning we will head west to Jaimanitas, to see the colorful neighborhood of Fusterlandia. Jose Fuster says some of his inspiration came from Picasso and he has taken art from his gallery to the streets to create a magical world that mixes art and architecture. We return east through the mansion-and-embassy-laden streets of Miramar and on to Centro Havana for a visit to the Museum of Fine Arts in central Havana (Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana) where we focus on Cuban art featuring a broad spectrum of styles and subjects. After lunch we may stop at Hemingway's favorite bar for Daiquiris, La Floridita, and then take a stroll along the Prada where street artists display their paintings and other works. Finally, a stroll on the seafront malecon tops the afternoon, as this is one of Havana's central gathering places for folks of all ages.

Late in the day, we start our final night out on the town with a winsome drive in classic cars that haven’t lost their 1950's glamour. With wind blowing in our hair it's easy to imagine the years when hundreds of Americans flew to Cuba for a weekend of partying. We share a final dinner together and reflect on all we've learned.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today, it’s Adios Cuba!

Transfer to the airport on your own* based on your flight time.
*Taxis to the airport are approximately $25-30 for up to 3 people with luggage.

Meals Included: Breakfast

The listed activities and itinerary above may undergo some changes as they are contingent upon factors such as the availability of guest speakers, weather, and transportation. In such cases, we always attempt to substitute similar activities that maintain our tour’s focus of Support for the Cuban People encounters and further your Cuban experience.