CUBA CROSSOVER Cycling Tour

Welcome to Cuba! Your plane will land at the Jose Marti International airport in Havana. You can book your transfer from the airport to the comfortable Hotel Habana with us or you can arrange for your own transportation separately.

Services: Hotel in Havana, 5* standard + transfer.

Sightseeing tips:

• El Capitolio | Plaza de la Catedral | Malecón
• Castillo del Morro | Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes | Plaza Vieja
• Gran Teatro de La Habana | Museo de la Revolución | El Floridita

At 8:30 am after breakfast, meet your guide and start exploring Old Havana on foot. Visit the Malecón and other interesting sights. After lunch in a restaurant, visit the community project Callejón de Hamel, designed by the artist Salvador González. Return to the hotel and evening at leisure.

Services: Hotel in Havana, 5* standard (breakfast + lunch)

Restaurant & bar tips:

• El Floridita and La Bodeguita del Medio (bars) | Paladar La Guarida | Doña Eutimia.

This morning you will go to the spectacular city of Viñales by bus. Today, we will make our way to Viñales Valley, a haven for serious eco-travel enthusiasts. On our journey, we will discover tobacco plantations, crop fields and exclusive flora/fauna of unequalled beauty. Once we arrive, we will prepare the bicycles for our first bike tour and then continue our trip, driving on narrow roads where we can admire the uniqueness of the surrounding landscape.

After lunch and an approximately 20-km.-long tour, we will arrive at our hotel, located in a picturesque mogote (hummock) valley of unsurpassed eco-tour ambience. You will stop and enjoy a quick rest before we start and exciting bicycle tour of the city. At the end of the tour you will have lunch at a typical Cuban restaurant before checking into your hotel. This casa particular is nestled in the verdant Viñales Valley, surrounded by fragrant plantations and the unique Mogote rock formations!

Cycling distance: approx. 20 km

Services: Hotel in Viñales, 2* standard (breakfast, lunch and dinner)

Worth knowing:

• Limestone cliffs | cigars & plantations | UNESCO World Heritage Site

Today you will ride your bike to Cayo Jutias through the Viñales Valley. The day's cycling route takes you through Cuba’s world-famous tobacco plantations. You will stop for lunch in the peaceful coastal town of Cayo Jutias. After time spent exploring or relaxing on the sandy beaches you will return to the city of Viñales for another relaxing evening at the same accommodation.

Cycling distance: approx. 55 km

Services: Hotel in Viñales, 2* standard (breakfast, lunch and dinner)

Scenery:

• White sand | turquoise water | coral reefs | kayaking | nature trails

In the morning, ready for new vacation adventures, we will get back on our bicycles and follow a little path, which leads us through beautiful, eco-based landscapes and to communities developed after the revolution. It is a must to stop at fincas (estates), where some of the best tobacco in the world is produced. You will go on another enjoyable bikeride through the vibrant Vinales Valley. On the way, we will stop for a hearty lunch! This region has a thrilling history and is still Cuba's principle tobacco growing region, where the infamous Cuban cigars have their beginnings. This will be your final night in Vinales.

Cycling distance: approx. 50 km

Services: Hotel in Viñales, 2* standard (breakfast, lunch and dinner)

Restaurant tips:

• Paladar Don Tomás | El Olivo | Finca Agroecológica El Paraiso

After breakfast you must say goodbye to verdant Vinales. After a restorative breakfast you will cycle south, towards Cienfuegos. On the way, you will stop in the quaint rural town of Guama where you will start a boat tour of the Laguna del Tesoro, “Treasure Lake”. Here you can explore a reconstructed Taino village and a crocodile farm. Lunch in a local restaurant (not included). In the afternoon, discover the revolutionary city of Cienfuegos by bike. The ornate, neoclassical architecture in this town is mesmerizing. Spend the night beachside, at the Hotel Jagua or similar.

Cycling distance: approx. 10 km

Services: Hotel in Cienfuegos, 4* standard (breakfast)

Restaurant tips:

• Paladar Aché | Paladar Villa

This morning you will leave sunny Cienfuegos and head for the spirited city of Trinidad. Your cycling route will take you through the magnificent Sierra del Escambray mountains, the second largest mountain range in the country. After your ride through the scenic Cuban landscape you can spend the evening at your leisure. On the way to Trinidad today, we will cycle at the foot of the mountains of Sierra del Escambray. There are several inclinations to be easily handled by every cyclist. You will be rewarded with stunning views of fantastic eco-friendly vegetation. After the day’s tour, we can admire the beauty of the buildings surrounding Plaza Mayor in Trinidad. Later, we will check in at our hotel, where you can spend the evening at your own leisure, either seeking more vacation-related adventures or relaxing through your Cuba holiday tour. Tonight you will stay at a casa particular. Evening at leisure in Trinidad, with the option of visiting the discotheque "Casa de la Trova" or "Las Cuevas".

Cycling distance: approx. 25 km

Services: Casa Particular in Trinidad (breakfast)

Sightseeing tips:

• Plaza Mayor | Museo Romántico | Valle de los Ingenios.

During a walk through Trinidad, we will hear many interesting stories about the “Golden Age” of the sugar boom and its benefits to the city. Spend the rest of the day as you wish, into eco-tourism or digging out more vacation adventures. It is worthwhile taking a coco or bici taxi to Playa Ancón, where you can relax, swim or go snorkeling. You will once again stay at a casa particular.

Services: Casa Particular in Trinidad.

Restaurant tips:

• Restaurante Sol Ananda | Restaurante Vista Gourmet | Restaurante San José | Restaurante La Ceiba

We want you to have a chance to explore on your own so there are no activities planned for today. We highly recommend an excursion to the "Valle de los Ingenios", a 50 meter tall tower which was used to oversee slaves in the fields during the colonial period. Now it is the perfect spot from which to view the scenic sugarcane plantations. The fertile plateau, with its surrounding hills of Sierra del Escambray, owes its name to the sugar mills built in the early 19th century. There is a small railway leading to Manaca Iznaga, originally used to watch over the slaves working in the sugarcane fields. You will also be able to notice the social structures built during the boom of the sugar industry. Tonight you will stay at a casa particular.

Cycling distance: approx. 40 km

Services: Casa Particular in Trinidad.

Worth knowing:

• UNESCO World Heritage Site | Sugar cane & slavery | Music & culture | Nature and beaches

Today you will go on a scenic drive, through a picturesque mountain area, to the charming city of Santa Clara. We will stop at the Topes de Collantes National Park for a rest. Continue through the breathtaking surroundings to your final destination. Today’s final destination is Santa Clara. But first, our tour (around 30 km.) takes us through a charming, eco-friendly mountain landscape with pine woods, eucalyptus fields and broad-leaf trees. The cycling paths are a bit stony and steep at times but manageable by everyone. We take a break in the town of Topes de Collantes - 800 m. above sea level, renowned for its extra clean air and its sanatorium. In the afternoon, as part of your Cuba vacation package, the tour continues to Santa Clara through fascinating landscapes.

Cycling distance: approx. 30 km

Services: Hotel in Santa Clara, 3* standard (dinner)

Restaurant tips:

• Restaurante La Aldaba | Paladar El Alba | El Sol | Casa del Gobernador

Ride to Havana via Matanzas, covering around 45 km by bike and the rest by car. Explore Cuba's capital and visit museums, palaces and colonial squares.

Cycling distance: approx. 45 km

Services: Hotel in Havana, 5* standard (breakfast)

Museum tips:

• Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes | Museo de la Revolución | Museo Hemingway

Use the morning to do some last minute exploration of Havana and pick up souvenirs if you haven’t gotten around to it yet. We are sad to see you go but hope that you will come back to Cuba soon! We can drive you to the airport or you can arrange a transfer on your own.

Services: Breakfast

Tips for departure:

• Arrive at the airport early | check-in | return the rental car | have important documents ready
• Do your last shopping & souvenir shopping | spend your last currency | security checks