CYCLE TOUR
Cuba Select Travel provides cycle tours of Cuba for groups with a choice of
renting cycles in Cuba or bringing your own cycles. Accommodation, some meals,
transfers, cycle guide, cycle mechanic and road maps provided.
CUBA FOOTNOTES – click here for practical trip-planning
information
SAMPLE CYCLE TOURS – click here for itinerary ideas
around Cuba
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Bike through the Viñales Valley past sweet-smelling tobacco fields (Paul
Morrison)
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Cuban Revolutions
Lizzie Matthews finds her rhythm while cycling round western
Cuba
This article first appeared in Wanderlust issue 72 (June/July 2005)
Rhythm. They say you’ve either got it or you ain’t. Well, Cuba has got it in
shed loads – a perpetual Latin pulse that courses through each and every one of
its citizens like a genetic metronome. Everything they do, no matter how
mundane, looks like a series of carefully choreographed steps – women with
brooms shimmy across their verandas, men with trays of Mojito’s ooze their way
effortlessly through crowded bars, toddlers wiggle with more panache than any
tourist. And when you see them actually dancing to music, it’s a hypnotic
display of fluid twists and grinds that leaves you with a flush in your cheek
and a crushing sense of inadequacy.
After just one day in Cuba, it became disturbingly clear to me that if I was to
survive my trip, I was going to have to cultivate some semblance of rhythm. Not
only to get me through the salsa sessions that beckoned each night, but also to
help me on my way across the hills and dips of the north-west of the island.
You see, I was on a bicycle – and cycling, I soon learned, is also all about
rhythm.
Having left the decaying splendor and pastel haze of Havana, I headed out on a
bus with my small group of fellow cyclists, past Fidel-plastered billboards and
hills prickled with royal palms, towards the village of Soroa.
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"A perpetual latin pulse course through every Cuban like a genetic metronome" (Paul
Morrison)
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Before long the conversation turned towards our respective cycling resumés, a
daunting ten minutes during which I realised that I was in the company of
several mountain bike enthusiasts, a couple of serious tour-bikers (including
one who’d done Lands End to John O’ Groats “without once getting off to push”)
and an über-fit marathon runner.
But, as always on small group trips, for each member who is at their physical
peak, there are those who are happy to stick to a more sedate pace – chatting
to locals, taking in the scenery – and who have no qualms about jumping on the
support bus during particularly scary uphill bits.
I was quite firmly one of the latter and I was sure there would be others.
Outside our hotel the next morning we were officially introduced to our bikes,
a sparkling row of brand new machines, each with 24 gears, bouncy suspension
and not-so-cushy saddles. Despite the assurances of Jirshari (our ever-patient
Venezuelan tour leader) that this was “not to be a race”, I was still concerned
that I was woefully out of my depth.
I shifted uneasily in my padded Lycra shorts (my only concession to
‘professional’ cycling garb) as I watched Anna and Matthew attach their own
well-used, bottom-moulded saddles, brought all the way from England, to their
bikes. Rob had gone one further by bringing along his own pedals. In a pathetic
attempt to fit in, I ceremoniously attached my new water bottle to my cycle,
did a few conspicuous stretching exercises and tried not to wobble as we set
off on the road out of Soroa.
We started cycling through a flawless landscape of green – forest-clad, rolling
hills swathed in thin wisps of errant cloud. Dewy creepers hung down limply
from the branches, glinting in the early light, and twittering birds sat
gossiping on the telephone wires as we pedaled by. For the most part, the road
was deserted – passing traffic that morning amounted to a resigned-looking
donkey and his cart of palm leaves, several ambling locals and the occasional
tiny dog trotting along the sandy verge. To my surprise, I found the pace quite
comfortable – I was keeping up with the front-runners, I’d mastered drinking
from my water bottle while still cycling and I’d held a conversation with
Roberto (our smooth Cuban guide) without gasping for breath.
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Cycling through Cuban villages is a great way to meet the locals (Lizzie
Matthews)
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Then we hit our first major hill. One by one the pros sailed past me, pounding
up the slope with the same steady pulse that we had stuck to on the flat, brows
barely breaking sweat. I, on the other hand, was rapidly working down through
my 24 gears, leg muscles struggling to force the pedals round another
revolution.
Before long I had reached the lowest gear possible and my legs were a desperate
blur of activity, pumping up and down like pistons. And yet I was hardly moving
– I was expending every ounce of energy I had but creeping up the slope at the
speed of a Stannah Stairlift. So I got off and walked and, thank God, others
joined me – we pushed our bikes to the top in an exhausted but united front.
From there it was a heaven-sent whiz down leafy slopes to the eco-settlement of
Las Terrazas, a smart cluster of whitewashed buildings overlooking the lake of
San Juan. Built in 1971 as a reforestation project, Las Terrazas is a community
of 2,000, all committed to the conservation of their surroundings, now a UNESCO
Biosphere Reserve.
It’s a tranquil utopia with its own school, cinema, nearby waterfalls and one
of the best vegetarian restaurants I have ever visited. Perhaps it was the joy
of being offered something to eat that wasn’t fried chicken or fried pork, or
maybe we were just dangerously hungry after a long morning’s cycling, but two
hours later we were still polishing off endless bowls of fresh hummus, sweet
potato soup, organic vegetable pancakes and just-squeezed fruit juices mixed
with a dollop of local honey and a cheeky slug of rum.
Slumped in a post-prandial heap, we were then offered the horrifying option of
cycling all the way back to Soroa, which four brave – and possibly insane –
members of the group accepted. The remaining ten of us climbed on the bus and
fell contentedly asleep.
The next day we were cycling along the Cuban equivalent of the M4, the
Autopista, which runs between Havana and Pinar del Río. All I could hear was
the whirring of our bicycle spokes and the crunch of the road as we pedaled
along an almost-empty stretch of dual carriageway, where pedestrians
outnumbered vehicles and dogs slept on the warm tarmac.
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The face of Cuba's national here graces a bevy of souvenirs (Paul Morrison)
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Occasionally, a wheezing Buick that wouldn’t have passed its MOT 20 years ago
chugged past in the fast lane, enveloping us in a cloud of fumes and cigar
smoke. The serious shortage of fuel and spare parts in Cuba means that the
scant number of cars on the roads are predominantly American classics from the
50s – rumbling, rusting works of art that have been kept going by the sheer
ingenuity and bloody-mindedness of their owners.
Jim, an artist in his 60s whose fitness put mine to shame, was in his element.
Every time the fug cleared from another passing car he would turn round
excitedly to me and holler: “1953 Plymouth!” or “Chevy!… 1956!… Isn’t she
beautiful?” Later, I found him hovering round a parked red Buick, gazing
through the chrome window frames and running his hands lovingly over the patchy
paintwork and silver mascot.
Apart from the short section of Autopista on that second day, we stuck to
Cuba’s back roads – surprisingly well-surfaced lanes that wound through pasture
and woodland, past oxen-ploughed fields and energetic villages, where children
waved and people stopped to stare at the brightly coloured haze of Lycra
pedaling through.
Houses in rural Cuba are generally simple, one-storey affairs of wood paneling
and corrugated roofs, fronted by a small veranda on which inevitably sat two
painted rocking chairs and a plant pot. Without exception they were immaculate
and well cared for, with swept paths and sunny gardens filled with poinsettias
and avocado trees. It seemed a far cry from the grey skies, tenement blocks and
ashen faces that I had somehow always associated with communism, but I was
under no illusion that Cuban life was not a struggle.
“It’s not an easy existence out here,” said Jirshari as we cycled up to a
farmer’s house to buy fruit, “but I’ve never come across a more dignified and
hospitable people.” True to form, we were soon sitting on the farmer’s front
lawn sucking our way through a sack of sweet oranges and being ushered into the
cool house by his proud wife.
As we headed further west across the island, a new scent in the air heralded
our arrival on the fringes of tobacco country. Every so often we’d pass a field
of fresh green leaves and the heady smell would waft across the road.
Pictures of head honcho Fidel Castro adorn billboards everywhere (Paul Morrison)
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Fellow cyclist Sam, who’d quit smoking only five weeks earlier, was in a state
of reverie, breathing deeply and drinking in the seductive whiff of nicotine.
Two hours later he was drawing on a six-inch cigar – which, apparently, did not
affect his non-smoker status (“you don’t inhale”) – eyes closed serenely and
arms clamped round Heriberto, the twinkly-eyed torcedor (cigar-roller) who had
made it for him in a dim back-room in San Diego de los Baños. The sweet smell
grew ever stronger as we continued on our journey to the limestone outcrops and
tobacco plantations of the Viñales valley.
My cycling style was improving every day but any sense of rhythm left me when
we met the slightest of inclines. Cubans on decrepit bikes with no gears, no
brakes and sometimes no saddles, would regularly whiz past me, grinning at my
flushed face and piston-legs. One wrinkled man even offered to give me a push.
“Today is easily the toughest day,” announced Jishari with an ominous uphill
hand gesture. “But Rafael is always there for those who need him.” Rafael was
our life-support – a charming bus-driver with the same figure, temperament and
love of dancing as Baloo from The Jungle Book. He accompanied us everywhere,
following at a distance to pick up the limp bodies of exhausted cyclists, or
driving ahead to prepare platters of icy watermelon. That day he was worth his
substantial weight in gold.
Between the hills we stopped off at Cueva de los Portales, a teardrop-shaped
cave hidden in the forest that was Che Guevara’s HQ during the Missile Crisis.
After years of adorning the walls of every student bedroom, it’s hard not to
romanticise the figure of Che, but Roberto spoke about him with such passion
and reverence that when we saw the iron bed that Che had slept on, tucked under
a fold of the rock, it was hard not to feel a pang of emotion. For 32 days he
stayed here with 200 of his men, keeping their spirits high despite knowing
that they were on the verge of military conflict.
It was late afternoon when we entered the Viñales valley and the light was
casting veiled shadows across the landscape. The distinctive limestone hills,
or mogotes, that rise almost vertically from the ground looked soft as
pincushions with their downy palm-forest blankets and halos of evening sun. On
the flat valley floor, large squares of fertile red soil erupted with
flourishing tobacco and maize, and we started to spot neat patches of verdant
kitchen gardens next to the houses.
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Forest-clad mogotes (limestone hills) loom on Cuba's horizons (Lizzie Matthews)
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Unsurprisingly, we ate well that night, rejecting the hotel’s bland menu for a
trip to a Paladar, a family-owned ‘restaurant’ – one of the small concessions
to private enterprise that Fidel allows. In the black pitch of night, two young
men waving a piece of strip lighting led us across a field where horses and
goats peered at us from the gloom.
At the farmhouse a long table was laid out with pretty crockery, glasses and
napkins, and we watched eagerly as plate after plate of pan-fried fish, soft
hunks of lobster, floury sweet potatoes and succulent tomatoes were laid out in
front of us. It was an unforgettable meal and as the beer flowed we became
steadily more raucous to the apparent delight of the farmer and his wife. We
stumbled back to Viñales town in a singing, torch lit procession and ended up
dancing salsa in a cave.
Back on the bikes the next morning, Viñales seemed an entirely different place
to the quiet, darkened streets of the night before. The main avenue of pine
trees and colonnaded houses was thronging with asthmatic trucks, old men on
horseback wearing straw Stetsons and women selling trays of sweet, gooey cake.
Salsa was blaring out from loudspeakers set up in the main square (the only
time I heard music that wasn’t live), cocky schoolboys in matching
mustard-coloured trousers strutted across the plaza and young girls practiced
their dance routines in perfect unison.
We headed out of town towards a classic hilltop viewpoint. For some reason I
knew I was going to make this one without getting off to push – maybe my legs
were finally getting stronger, perhaps by some strange osmosis I had absorbed
some of Cuba’s essential rhythm – but I found a beat in my head, stood up on my
pedals and heaved my way up the twisting road, thigh muscles screaming for
mercy.
Facing the final stretch, a group of local hombres noticed my valiant efforts
and started clapping a beat and shouting words of encouragement. I felt like
Paula Radcliffe heading down The Mall – someone really should have found a
ribbon for me to cycle through with tears streaming and arms held high in
triumph, but I’d probably have fallen off. Instead, I acknowledged my
supporters with an embarrassed smile and, to a chorus of cheers, pedaled the
last few yards to receive my prize.
I looked out over the raw beauty of the valley, the mogotes rising from the
red-and-green chequered fields like prehistoric monsters. Far below, a car
wound its way through the countryside, a trail of blue rising poetically from
its exhaust. I looked back at the weaving road I had just climbed with a smile.
This time the descent would be even sweeter.
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Cuba Footnotes
VITAL STATISTICS
Capital: Havana
Population: About 11 million
Language: Spanish
Time: GMT-5 (March-late Oct GMT-4)
International dialing code: +53
Visas: Tourist cards are required by most nationalities. They
cover stays of up to 30 days and are issued by the Cuban Embassy and travel
agents.
Money: The official national currency for travellers is Cuban
Convertible Pesos (CUC’s). If you change 100 Euros you will receive approx. 106
CUC’s, if you change 100 GBP£ you will receive approx. 158 CUC’s (these rates
can fluctuate). Confusingly, CUC’s are often referred to as ‘dollars’. US
dollars themselves were banned in November 2004 and are not accepted anywhere.
The other currency used locally by Cubans is the Peso Cubano (CUP’s). 25 CUP’s
t equals 1 CUC; you must check carefully when receiving change from your CUC’s
that you are not given CUP’s.
WHEN TO GO The dry season is November to April, but
temperatures can drop to 15°C in January and February. The wet season runs from
May to October, with temperatures soaring between June and early September.
Hurricane season runs from June to November.
GETTING THERE UK Flights -
Virgin Atlantic has two flights weekly (Thursdays & Sundays) from London
Gatwick direct to Havana. Cubana has two flights weekly (Wednesday &
Saturday) from London Gatwick to via Holguin to Havana. Iberia and Air France
both offer flights most days from London Heathrow to Havana via Madrid and
Paris respectively. European Flights -
Iberia, Air France, Air Europa, KLM/Martinair are some of the main scheduled
services that have regular flights to Havana.
GETTING AROUND Cuba Select Travel operates group cycling tours
in collaboration with European tour operators which head out west from Havana
to Viñales and east to the area around Cienfuegos, Trinidad, Santa Clara and
Santiago de Cuba. The tours include accommodation, flights, some meals, bikes,
guides and support bus. (Details of the European tour operators are available
on request).
If you wish to organise a group from your cycling club or a group of friends
Cuba Select Travel can put together a tailor-made itinerary and price for you.
To explore Cuba by bicycle independently, you will need to plan your route
well, and be able to cope with basic repairs. Lonely Planet’s Cycling Cuba is a
very useful resource.
ACCOMMODATION There are a range of hotels from 2/3* budget
accommodation to 5* luxury accommodation in the main cities and beach resorts.
The provincial towns have limited accommodation and usually only 3* hotels.
Cuba Select Travel can book all hotels in Cuba for you.
THINGS TO SEE & DO There are many places of interest
throughout Cuba and a diversity of activities to do. Cuba Select Travel can
tailor-make an itinerary according to your interests and budget.
Cuba's roads are often blissfully free of traffic (Lizzie Matthews)
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Havana Buy a map and wander around historic Habana
Vieja (the Old Town), a UNESCO Heritage Site with some amazing examples of
colonial architecture. Dive into a cigar factory to see the torcedores at work
(the Partagás factory offers a good guided tour) or walk the length of the
sea-splattered Malecón.
Viñales Go horse riding through the beautiful Viñales
valley. Horses and guides can be found in Viñales town. There are plenty of
caves throughout the valley – one of the best is the cave system of Santo
Tomás, the second-largest cave in Latin America.
FOOD & DRINK Cuisine outside of the better hotels can be
decidedly uninteresting with fried chicken, rice and beans playing the starring
role. Hotel restaurants can be pricy – for the best value, head to some of the
State restaurants where you can enjoy some typical Cuban and international
cuisine, or a Paladar (private family run restaurants) which offers fresh,
home-cooked dishes. Try La Casa de Don Tomás in Viñales (+796 300) for a good
restaurant meal, and visit the eco-restaurant El Romero in Las Terrazas if you
are craving fresh fruit and vegetables. In Havana, Paladar La Guarida (+264
4940) has great food and atmosphere, or try Hostal Doña Carmela (+863 6048) for
a good meal in a pretty outdoor oasis.
A bottle of rum can cost 6-12 CUC’s from the shops, more at nightclubs or
restaurants. Bottle of beer 1-2 CUC’s. Cup of coffee 1-2 CUC’s. Small bottle of
mineral water 60 cents – 1 CUC.
HEALTH & SAFETY Drink lots of bottled water to avoid
dehydration while you’re cycling. A bicycle helmet, gloves and padded shorts
are recommended. Best to also bring any medicines that you require as not
everything is always available in Cuba. Likewise, medical insurance is
recommended.
FURTHER READING
Cycling Cuba (Lonely Planet, 2002)
Cuba (Lonely Planet, 2004)
Cuba (Rough Guides, 2003)
Time Out: Havana & the Best of Cuba (Penguin, 2004)
Our Man in Havana (Vintage Classics, 2001) Graham Greene’s classic about a spy
in pre-Castro Cuba.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Cuban Embassies and Cuban Tourists Boards can be contacted many European
countries.
NOTE: these footnotes were produced for Wanderlust issue 72
(June/July 2005). Check all details for the latest information.
Sample Cycle Tours
Below are two examples of 8 day cycling tours. Tours lasting 15 days or more
can also be arranged.
CYCLE TOUR OF WESTERN CUBA FROM HAVANA 8 DAYS
Day 1
Arrival at Havana airport, group airport transfer. Accommodation at Palacio
O'Farrill in the heart of historic Old Havana.
No Meals
Day 2
Early breakfast at the hotel we visit Old Havana, declared a World Heritage
Site by UNESCO in 1982. City tour by bike, then lunch at Meson de la Flota
Restaurant. Free time for handicraft shopping in the market before returning to
the hotel. This evening we'll dine at Havana's most elegant restaurant, Cafe
del Oriente followed by a Cuban Mojito at the Bodeguita del Medio, one of
Hemingway's favourite watering holes.
BB, LB, DB (25km / 15.5mi)
Day 3
Breakfast at the hotel, depart by coach then cycle inland to the Sierra del
Rosario Biosphere Reserve. Our ride ends at Soroa Hotel, where we have lunch at
the entrance to the waterfall before check-in. Free afternoon to explore the
facility, orchid gardens, massage services, hiking or horseback riding. Dinner
at the hotel.
BB, LB, DB (45km / 28mi)
Day 4
Breakfast at Soroa, then a short coach transfer to the village of San Diego de
los Banos, where challenge riders can add 10 km/6.2 mi of climbing on today’s
ride. For moderate cyclists, we’ll drive to the highest point of La Guira Park
and begin at Los Pinos. Beautiful landscapes dot our route to Viñales, declared
a Natural National Monument. Lunch in Cueva de los Cimarrones before checking
into La Ermita, Los Jazmines or Rancho San Vicente. Dinner at the hotel. We
recommend a trip into the village to check out the local musicians.
BB, LB, DB (55km / 34.2mi)
Day 5
Breakfast at the hotel and cycle through the valley bordering the Sierra del
Infierno to Pons. Continue 8 km on a dirt road to Pan de Azucar visiting a
peasant family to see how a rural Cuban family lives. This province is noted
for growing the best tobacco in the world. Return by coach to Viñales area for
lunch at Rancho San Vicente. After lunch, try out the mud masks, mineral baths
or massage service or visit the great natural botanical garden. Dinner in the
village of Viñales at Don Tomas.
BB, LB, DB (32km / 19.9mi)
Day 6
Breakfast at the hotel and depart by bike to Cayo Levisa on the north coast of
Pinar del Rio. Lunch, snorkeling and free time at the white sand beach. Return
by coach to Viñales for dinner.
BB, LB, DB (55km / 34.2mi)
Day 7
Breakfast and short cycle to Pinar del Rio, provincial capital. Return by coach
to Havana. Lunch at El Aljibe restaurant and free afternoon. Accommodation in
at hotel in Old Havana. Farewell dinner hosted by your rep tonight at La
Guarida, a private restaurant in Central Havana.
BB, LB, DB (30km / 18.6mi)
Day 8
Breakfast and group airport transfer* to Jose Marti Airport, Havana.
BB
Meals:
B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner
BB=Breakfast w/beverage, LB=Lunch w/beverage, DB=Dinner w/beverage
What is Included?
Meals as per itinerary. We occasionally leave a meal or two open when options
are greatest. We also use a number of "all inclusive" properties where all your
meals, drinks and many recreation options are included. All scheduled meals
come with one national brand drink.
Also included are hotel and restaurant gratuities, one group airport transfer
per tour, support coach, guide service, bicycle rental, and accommodations.
What is NOT Included?
International Flights. Gratuities for tour staff. Additional beverages. Travel,
medical and cancellation insurance, Cuba Airport Departure Tax. Tourist Visa
Card. Options purchased locally such as scuba diving, horseback riding, museum
fees, theatre and items of a personal nature etc.
CYCLE TOUR OF CENTRAL CUBA FROM VARADERO 8 DAYS
Day 1
Arrival at Varadero airport and group airport transfer* by coach to Santa Clara
City (2 hours). Accommodation in Los Caneyes hotel, featuring aboriginal bamboo
construction. If time permits, we'll tour the city including Vidal Park, La
Caridad provincial library and more. We'll also visit the Ché Guevara Memorial,
housing his tomb and museum. Dinner at the hotel.
DB
Day 2
Breakfast at Los Caneyes and departure by bicycle passing sugar cane
plantations, banana trees and tobacco fields on the way to Remedios, a National
Monument, before arriving in Caibarien village on the north coast. Continue by
coach along a causeway (50 km / 31 mi) constructed to connect a series of
mangrove islands. Lunch at beautiful Cayo Las Brujas beach and swim in the
ocean. Return to Santa Clara. Dinner at the hotel.
BB, LB, DB (55 km / 34.2 mi)
Day 3
Early departure to the Escambray Mountains past lush countryside and a small
natural waterfall to the summit. At the top, visit the former hospital
transformed into a hotel/health spa, 780 m (2559 ft) above sea level. Boxed
lunch after a hike to a waterfall before transfer to Trinidad. Stay at Las
Cuevas hotel overlooking the city, a short walk to Trinidad, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site. Dinner included at the hotel.
BB, LB, DB (50 km / 31.1 mi)
Day 4
Breakfast at the hotel before our ride across the Valle de los Ingenios (Valley
of the Sugar Mills) to the 44 m (144.4 ft) Manaca Iznaga tower. Then we're off
on an adventure over a dirt road through sugar cane fields and arrive back in
Trinidad. Lunch at a local Paladar and dinner at the hotel.
BB, LB, DB (46 km / 28.6 mi)
Day 5
After breakfast we advance 30 km (18.6 mi) west of Trinidad to begin riding
along flat coastline to Cienfuegos city. Lunch in the city at Palacio del
Valle, a beautiful mansion at the end of the broad walk. Accommodation and
dinner at Hotel La Union.
BB, LB, DB (55 km / 34.2 mi)
Day 6
An early breakfast is followed by an inland ride. Transfer by coach southwest to
Montemar Natural Park and Caleta Buena, a natural breakwater with great
snorkeling and diving, rife with tropical fish swimming in plain view. We have
an all inclusive afternoon here - lunch and free drinks. We highly recommend
the optional purchase of snorkeling or diving packages available on site. Late
afternoon transfer to Cuba's capital, Havana. Accommodation at hotel in the
heart of Old Havana. Dinner at La Guarida, a private restaurant.
BB, LB, DB (50 km / 31.1 mi)
Day 7
After breakfast, ride past Miramar's foreign embassies and restored mansions.
Cycle to the exclusive neighborhood of Cubanacán before a lunch of typical
Cuban fare at El Aljibe. Ride through Almendares Park with immense trees
providing shade along the way. Visit the Columbus Cemetery, pass Revolution
Square, the Grand Theatre, and finish up by walking Obispo Street to Arms
Square. Optional handicraft shopping in the market. Farewell dinner at Havana's
most elegant restaurant, Café del Oriente.
BB, LB, DB (50 km / 31.1 mi)
Day 8
Breakfast. Group airport transfer* to Varadero for return flight.
BB, LB
Meals:
B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner
BB=Breakfast w/beverage, LB=Lunch w/beverage, DB=Dinner w/beverage
BAI=Breakfast All Inclusive, LAI=Lunch All Inclusive, DAI=Dinner All Inclusive
What is Included?
Meals as per itinerary. We occasionally leave a meal or two open when options
are greatest. We also use a number of "all inclusive" properties where all your
meals, drinks and many recreation options are included. All scheduled meals
come with one national brand drink.
Also included are hotel and restaurant gratuities, one group airport transfer
per tour, support coach, guide service, high quality bicycle rental, and
accommodations.
What is NOT Included?
International flights. Gratuities for tour staff. Additional beverages. Travel,
medical and cancellation insurance. Cuba Airport Departure Tax. Tourist Visa
Card. Options purchased locally such as scuba diving, horseback riding, museum
fees, theatre and items of a personal nature etc.
HOTEL PINAES DE MAYARI, HOLGUIN, CUBA
“Cycling from Guardalavaca to Baracoa in the east of Cuba, we left the tarmac of
the coast road and headed inland up a narrow dirt track. The sign cautioning us
about the “dangerous climb” did little to prepare us for the 25km of grinding
we needed to do to reach Pinares de Mayarí (+53 24 53308) – an implausible
collection of Swiss-style chalets nestling in an incongruous mix of conifers
and palm trees. The area has some great hiking but the expansive view from the
terrace is reason enough to make the journey. However, do phone ahead – they
get few visitors and often close if they have no bookings. It is over 100km to
the next nearest hotel and, on a bike that is not much of a Plan B.” (Written
by Tom Blakey and appeared in Wanderlust)
