• Arrival transfers from airport in private air-conditioned vehicle if required.
• Transfer of luggage throughout but not hotel porterage.
• Bike Hire: Trek hybrid 8.3 DS bikes with front fork suspension.
• Accommodation: 3 nights in casas particulares, 1 night in hotel
• Meals: all breakfasts, 4 lunches. Lunches will be in restaurants or picnics depending on the day.
• Entrance to Las Terrazas Biosphere, visits to Las Terrazas community and tobacco farm in Viñales, salsa lesson in Viñales.
• Staff: Local English-speaking Cuban guide/mechanic throughout, and driver. Professional mechanic for bike fitting on Day 2. For groups of 8 pax or more, the mechanic will accompany group throughout.
• Transport: all bus transfers in private air-conditioned bus.
• Support: 100% vehicle support during rides.
• Local snacks and 3 litres drinking water per person per cycling day. Bring your own refillable bottle, and preferably an additional bottle with built-in water filter.

• Flights to and from Cuba.
• Travel / medical insurance (compulsory to provide proof of cover for entry into Cuba).
• Personal expenses (drinks, laundry, phone calls etc).
• Vaccinations.
• Visas (Tourist Cards).
• Cycling Helmet (compulsory) and water bottle.
• Tips for guide, driver and local staff.
  We recommend that each participant contributes a minimum of CUC 25 – CUC 30 to be shared between the local staff.

• Group Size 4 – 18 people of mixed nationalities and cycling ability. Minimum age 16 years (accompanied by an adult).
• Mostly on paved, quiet rural roads, with some potholes. Hot and humid conditions, especially during summer months.
• A moderate level of fitness is required.

Throughout the tour we stay in a range of accommodation typical to any trip to Cuba, with a mixture of hotels and private accommodation (Casas particulares). It’s fair to say that the standard of Cuban accommodation is not always comparable to that which you would expect in other countries owing to years of isolation, under-investment in the country’s infrastructure and effect of the US trade Embargo. Anyone travelling to the island should be prepared to rough it a bit at times! Décor tends to be a little dated, there might be the occasional power cut, and you may find that your water pressure isn’t all it could be. Fortunately, it’s warm enough most days that the lack of hot water is not a major problem!

Hotel La Moka in the Las Terrazas Biosphere is a 3 star hotel with en suite bathrooms and air conditioning. The accommodation in Havana and Viñales will be in Casas Particulares; most people love the opportunity this gives to stay in a relatively normal Cuban home and see how Cubans live. These homes are simple compared to ours but the welcome is warm and rooms clean. All the casas also have air conditioning and en suite bathrooms. You’ll be spoilt at breakfast in the mornings.

Cuba doesn’t have the same variety of international cuisine we might be used to although in recent years lots of privately run restaurants (paladars) have opened (particularly in Havana) offering a wider choice and better quality food than the government run establishments. Think soul food – rice, black beans, slow roast pork and chicken, fresh fish, lobster and plenty of
tropical fruit.   

For those with special dietary requirements, be prepared for a very limited menu while you are in Cuba. There are very few vegetarians and vegans in Cuba so there are sometimes misperceptions as to what you can eat. Vegetarians often bring snacks and spreads to liven up their meals.

It can also be difficult to find a decent sandwich in Cuba so please don’t give your guide a hard time if he recommends a proper sit-down meal for lunch! Cubans generally eat two full meals a day and don’t have many places that cater for snack lunches yet, so the sandwiches tend to be pretty basic. Some people bring snacks such as protein bars from home, but this is not strictly necessary as we provide local snacks such as fresh fruit and peanuts on all our rides. 

Cuba is the land of the Mojito, Daiquiri and Cuba Libre. You’ll find that plenty of rum-based drinks all over the country with prices ranging from 2-6 CUC for most cocktails. But beware, they don’t use measuring glasses, so they might be stronger than the ones you have tried at home!

All our guides at Cubania are Cuban nationals who are registered with and trained by Cuba’s Ministry of Tourism. They come from all kinds of different personal and professional backgrounds. They’ve been teachers, I.T. professionals, bakers, vets, army officers and even underwear salesmen! What they have in common is that they are all highly educated graduates who are passionate about guiding and proud of their beautiful country. They all speak excellent English and receive annual training in First Aid.

We are especially proud of the training that we have given our bike guides. We are the first travel company in Cuba to take cycling safety seriously and all our bike guides have received Bike Leader certification from British Cycling. Their staff travel to Cuba annually to deliver the training exclusively to our guides. These high standards have been maintained for more than a decade meaning that we are recognised as the most experienced and well-respected cycling company on the island.

For larger groups (over 8 people), a bike mechanic will cycle with the group throughout the itinerary fixing punctures and small mechanical issues on the spot and supporting the lead guide in managing differences in pace between group members.