Cycling Cuba

Anyone out there in thorntree land have any experience with bicycling in Cuba? I'm thinking about late October, into mid November. I'm trying to decide on what type of bike to bring. Are the roads mostly gravel and rough or is it mostly tarmac? I imagine secondary roads into villages might be rough. I'm interested in exploring Cuba's music scene also as I bicycle.

My questions are: is that an OK time as far as rain goes?
What type of bike to use? How are the roads?
Is three weeks decent enough time for a visit?
Suggestions on Cuba's music scene locales?
Snorkeling beaches?

Thanks a lot
Ecoej

Zillions of people, including many who post regularly to this branch, are experienced at bicycling in Cuba. Late October to mid November can be just a tad iffy in terms of hurricane (they have occurred in that time period), but I wouldn't worry too much about that, since at most the wind and rain would keep you off the bike for a couple of day.

Three weeks is a good time frame for one end of the island or the other. If you're flying into Havana or Varadero, you can easily get all the way to the western tip of the island, through or not through the Rosario mountains as you please, and then down to the Bay of Pigs and Trinidad, through the Escambray Mountains or not, as you please. And from Trinidad, either return to wherever you flew into by Viazul bus, or bike back via a different route from the one you came in on. Playa Larga and Playa Giron, on the Bay of Pigs, are both good for snorkeling. And of course, there's no shortage of music in Havana and Trinidad.

If you fly into the eastern end of the island (Holguin or Santiago) most of the routes there will take you through the Sierra Maestre and Sierra Cristal/Baracoa Mountains. Although you can loop the whole eastern end in two weeks, three weeks would be better, as it would allow you time to do the music scene in Santiago and some snorkeling off Guardalavaca or Don Lino, beaches no more than half a day's ride north of Holguin.

Any kind of bike will do. My partner and I cycled the coast of Cuba, I on a new mountain bike, he on a ten-year-old road bike, generally on good pavement but occasionally on some rough back roads. Both bikes were just fine. The most important issues are (1) good Kevlar linings for your tires, because there's a lot on Cuban roads, urban and rural, that can puncture a tire; (2) the bike itself be should in good condition because you'll find next to nothing by way of replacement parts for anything that goes wrong. (3) whatever tools or spare parts you think you might need, take them along, because you won't find much in Cuba. Ditto power bars and powdered energy drinks.

There aren't many roads in Cuba I didn't enjoy cycling, apart from the autopista and Carretera Central down the middle of the country. It is hot, boring, has precious little scenery and, especially on the Carretera Central part, heavy with diesel-belching trucks. I suggest you take a look at BICYCLING CUBA and Lonely Planet's CYCLING CUBA. The latter is out of print, but available used, on-line and in many libraries. Both guides are long out of date in terms of lodging along the routes, currency, etc. But they're still good for general route info, as most of the routes listed in either book are little changed from what they were when the books were researched more than a decade ago. BICYCLING CUBA has some good pictures of various highways, while CYCLING CUBA includes altitude graphs for routes that involve mountainous terrain. There are also several websites that include useful info about routes taken by those riders.

Awesome info, I really appreciate it. I will have to read up on the two sides to see which one to ride.
Swimming and snorkeling are priorities also. And the bike, figuring out which is optimum for this trip and future tours. Thanks again.
Ecoej

Because of what airlines charge to transport a bike to/from Cuba, lots of cyclists take a decent-quality used bike and then when we're ready to go, gift it to some Cuban family which has no wheels of any kind. I must say again that it really doesn't matter whether you take a road bike or a mountain bike. My husband's old 10-speed served him just as well as my more expensive mountain bike. I have met people cycling in Cuba on tandems and with pull-alongs holding a small child. One of the authors of BICYCLING CUBA road a recumbent bike.So really, it's whatever you're comfortable on. Most of the places you're likely to ride will be decently paved, at least at the western end of the island. Some of the best rides at the eastern end, along the coast, are not, due to damage by hurricanes and such. For info about beaching/snorkeling, you might also want to take a look at CUBA'S BEST BEACHES, which not only describes about 30 of the best beaches and what's available at each of them by way of lodging and such, but also provides info on how to get to them by bicycle.

Sounds like going to Cuba cycling in November may be hard to get the visa....bummer!!!!!
Where else to cycle for three weeks, with pleasant conditions???

Hi there, I have a travel agency in Toronto. We specialize in all things Cuba, from golf and cigar culture packages to bicycle tours. We can arrange everything for you if you plan to go solo or you may join a group. Message me for more info please

you can go on a tourist visa, i know from Toronto for passengers taking their own bicycles, most charter flights charge about $40.00 CAD each way.... contact me, I can arrange all you need, whether solo or in a group... for groups we have support and supply van that follows the bikes with their belongings, spare parts, water etc

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