This morning we start by getting acquainted with our bikes before setting off on a panoramic tour of Havana. We’ll visit the well-to-do 1950s Miramar district, home to some of Havana’s most striking 20th century architecture. Keep an eye out for the imposing Russian embassy and the elegant neoclassical homes, many of which are now embassies. We’ll then cycle through Parque Metropolitano de la Habana and Nuevo Vedado, before stopping at Plaza de la Revolución, the hub of Revolutionary Cuba. From here we wheel through cultural and vibrant Vedado towards the famous Hotel Nacional, which has offered shelter to many a celebrity over the years, including Winston Churchill and members of the Mafia. Now we whizz through bustling Centro Habana to the famous Capitolio building, a mirror-image of Washington’s Capitol Building. With the Capitolio behind us we veer left down the regal Prado promenade, a favourite with street artists and skateboarders alike before ending the cycling portion of our tour in Plaza de las Armas. From here we continue on foot to discover Old Havana’s four beautifully renovated colonial plazas and stop for lunch in a local restaurant. After lunch we transfer to Playa Larga, a small rural town situated on the Bay of Pigs. Tonight we’ll be staying in Cuba’s equivalent of bed and breakfast accommodation (casa particular) and will be dining locally.

We get up early to go bird watching in the Ciénaga de Zapata natural park accompanied by a local guide. The area is famous for endemic and migrating birds and is the natural habitat for the Cuban pygmy owl and the zunzuncito (bee hummingbird), the world’s smallest bird. You may also catch a glimpse of the tocororo, Cuban’s national bird with its colourful red, white and blue plumage. We return to our accommodation for breakfast then set off cycling along coastline of the Zapata Peninsula. The road clings to the Bay of Pigs, giving us views of the emerald Caribbean Sea. A stop at Playa Girón gives us the chance to learn about the failed CIA backed invasion of Cuba in April 1961. From here we have a short ride to lunch and a swim in the natural sea pool at Caleta Buena. After lunch we continue by bus to Cienfuegos and check into our accommodation for the night. We have dinner this evening in a local paladar.

We set off in the morning along an undulating coastal road followed by some short, sharp, hills through beautiful pasture lands. After approximately 20 km we stop to enjoy stunning views of the Escambray mountains across a valley of sugar cane. The road then sweeps up and over gentle hills until we stop for lunch at La Vega farm restaurant.  From here the road clings to the Caribbean all the way to Trinidad.  You can either cycle the 30 km or transfer by bus to your accommodation for the night. 

Trinidad is probably Cuba’s most famous provincial town and rightly so. It’s a picture-perfect colonial town with cobbled streets, pastel painted colonial homes and very little traffic in the centre – other than horse drawn carts and the occasional vintage car. Walking around the town is like stepping back in time!

You’ll enjoy tasty home cooked food in your casa this evening before you head out to explore this charming World Heritage Site by night.  In the evenings Trinidad welcomes visitors with live music and local bars where you can enjoy a rum cocktail or practise your salsa steps.

Today is a free day and you can enjoy a number of activities at your leisure such as horse riding, salsa classes, a trip on a catamaran out to one of the keys or trekking in the nearby mountains. Trinidad’s small scale makes it easy to explore and the many cafes, museums, handicrafts markets and shops are perfect for browsing and whiling away an afternoon.   Ancon beach, 12kms away, is a classic Caribbean beach and well worth visiting either by bike or by taxi.   

Your guide will organise an optional 30 km round trip ride today leaving Trinidad and heading to Ancon Beach via the small fishing village of La Boca.  We recommend you take a picnic lunch so that you can spend the afternoon at the white sand Ancon beach.

This evening is free for you to explore Trinidad’s many paladars and bars at your leisure.

After transferring to our start point, we begin with an exciting 10 km section over a mountainous ridge through pine and eucalyptus forests before beginning the descent to Santa Clara. Today is the most spectacular day of the trip in terms of scenery as we cycle through the Topes de Collantes national park. Palm trees and other tropical plants slowly replace pine forests as we descend to the valley floor between impressive mountains before reaching the market town of Manicaragua, where we stop for a picnic lunch. From here we either continue by bike or transfer to Santa Clara by bus, arriving in time to visit Che’s Mausoleum before checking into our hotel for the night. Tonight you’re free to explore the city centre of Santa Clara at your leisure and dine at a restaurant or paladar of your choice.

This morning we transfer by bus back to Havana, arriving in time for lunch.  In the afternoon we’ll have time for shopping or further sightseeing before we check into our accommodation for the night.  In the late afternoon we enjoy a 2-hour tour of the capital in vintage American classic cars, ending at the El Floridita bar in the Old Town. This was one of Hemingway’s favourite haunts where the daiquiri claims to have been invented.  Tonight we go out for our final dinner in the Old Town within walking distance of our accommodation.

This is the final morning of your stay in Cuba with time in the morning to relax, do some final exploring of Old Havana or some last minute souvenir shopping before we depart for the airport in time for check in 3 hours prior to departure.