Cycle the Backroads of Cuba

Catch your first glimpse of Hemingway’s much-loved Havana as your host meets you at the airport and transfers you to the heart of the Old Town - La Habana Vieja. Settle into your casa particular and go for a stroll around the colourful streets. In the evening you'll meet your guide and the rest of the group and head out to a nearby paladar for your first Cuban feast of the trip.

Head to the outskirts of Havana to start your first ride on Cuban roads. Pedal towards the Sierra de Rosario, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and home to the Las Terrazas community. In 1971, farmers in the area were living in poverty and isolation, so Las Terrazas was formed for the farmers to instead participate in reforestation. Nowadays it is a self-sufficient community surrounded by spectacular landscapes. You’ll enjoy a traditional lunch in a community-run restaurant before riding Las Terrazas’ famous zip line (optional) for an adrenaline-fuelled panorama over the lush biosphere. Later cycle down hill to the San Juan River, check into your stilted hut and wash off the day’s cycling with swims in the river before tucking into dinner at Cuba’s first vegetarian restaurant.

Wake up to birdsong and cycle to Hotel Moka for breakfast before today's ride to San Diego de los Baños. Descend out of the Las Terrazas Biosphere Reserve and down to the valley, keeping the Sierra del Rosario mountain range to your right and the open plains that extend to Cuba’s south coast lowlands to your left. Today’s mostly flat cycling route takes you through the rural villages and agricultural communities of Artemisa and Pinar del Rio provinces, with plenty of interaction with Cubans and colourful street scenes along the way. Spend the evening in San Diego, a former spa town and now a quiet community that very few travellers visit.

Today you’ll head to the Caribbean coast on a spectacular ride from San Diego through picturesque scenery all the way to the fishing village of Puerto Esperanza on Cuba's north coast. This ride begins with a lovely wild section at the beginning through Parque La Guira before passing Cueva de los Portales, Che Guevara's hideout during the infamous Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, winding onwards to the town of La Palma. The north coast is a quiet area, almost entirely unvisited by tourists, with the main activities being fishing, agriculture and tobacco production. As with other parts of Cuba, in Puerto Esperanza you'll have the feeling that you have stepped back in time. After checking into your next casa particular you'll meet up with the town's community cultural project, La Camorra, for a session of traditional Creole music.

Fuel up on breakfast at your casa particular before leaving Puerto Esperanza, turning off the main road and onto another backroad - expect lots of potholes and very little tarmac! Your efforts on the backroads are rewarded with a stunning 11 km coastal stretch into Cayo Jutias - a white sand beach that has yet to be discovered by most travellers. Enjoy lunch on the beach and some downtime in the afternoon to relax and go for a swim or snorkel in the Caribbean Sea. Later in the afternoon, you’ll hop in the support vehicle for a lift to your next stop; Viñales.

Spend today exploring the spectacular scenery of Viñales Valley by bike. Pull up at the Mural de la Prehistoria - a colourful mural painted on a stone hillside, and then head down farm tracks to explore the countryside further. The valley is a World Heritage Site, famed for its unique farming practices which have enhanced and protected the unusual Jurassic landscape. Visit a tobacco farm and learn about one of Cuba’s most famous exports - cigars - and take in some fruit farms for good measure. Later, head to Cueva del Indio with its underground river. The rest of the afternoon is free to explore Viñales town at your own pace.

Fuel up on brekkie at Yoan and Yareli's casa before you bid them farewell and head off for a final ride in Viñales Valley. You’ll pedal north with views of the Viñales mountains and sheer ‘mogotes’ on either side of the road. Stop for a visit to the Los Portales cave where Che Guevara was based during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. After a picnic lunch you'll continue by bus to Havana and check back into your casa particular from the first night of the trip. The last night of any Cuban adventure means one thing: dinner and cocktails in a local paladar before heading out to find some music!

One last bit of adventuring to do on a walk through Havana's captivating Old Town – depending on your flight departure time – before transferring you back to Havana Airport in time for your onward flight.