Cuba Bike Tour of Havana and its Beaches, March 11-17, 2026

Cuba Bike Tour of Havana and its Beaches

March 11-17, 2026

This is a supported bike tour of the coast around Havana.  We will stay at private casas (BnBs), and eat at casas, roadside snack bars and restaurants along the route.  Support will include Lee Orphan as tour leader and organizer, Karel Pupo a Professional Cuban Tour Guide to explain Cuban culture along the way and manage logistics, and Joanis Canizares as a bike mechanic. Our crew has decades of Cuban bike tour experience.

We will visit Havana, Jibacoa, Matanzas, Guanabo, and Playa Baracoa as we cycle, often with a view of the ocean.

This ride is open to anyone.  Fights to Havana are available up to a dozen times per day from virtually all countries, including the USA, Canada, and Europe.  Food, accommodations, and taxis remain readily available, despite what you may have heard, but we can expect a few challenges along the way, and may make route modifications as necessary.

Ride distances are not long, so we will have time to enjoy the scenery, swim and smell the flowers.  You will be responsible for carrying your own gear, which will only need to be 2 changes of clothes, some essential personal items, and bike gear.  We will not have a tour bus or sag wagon.

I just finished leading a fantastic 15-day bike tour of western Cuba and things went very well.  I’ve been here for 2 months and for foreigners with US Dollars little has changed.  Yes things are not good for the average Cuban, and this tour is intended to help in a small way.

Duration: 6 days, 5 nights, with the option to spend more time in Havana before or after

Dates: March 11 to 17, 2026

Days of Cycling: 5

Distances: Daily 35-80km/22-50miles, total 315km/200miles, no sag

Minimum/maximum group size: 3-10 riders

Terrain:  Generally good roads, and rolling hills.  Surfaces can be potholed so 28mm plus tires are recommended

Best Bike:  Hybrid, gravel or touring.  You will need panniers, or a backpack to carry your gear.  Bicycle Breeze will supply rental bikes daily costs are: $15 hybrid, $20 touring, $30 gravel (other options possible, plus small fees for bags etc.  Options available at www.bicyclebreeze.net  You can also bring your own bike.

Cost:  I am organizing this to support my Cuban friends who want to work, and the Cuban economy in general which is largely dependent on tourism.  To keep things simple and inexpensive, there is a fee to cover Cuban staff of $1,600 US that we will need to split among the riders.  So, if we have 3 riders that would be $533/pp and less if we get more riders.  Riders will pay their own accommodations  (sharing a room may be possible most nights) and meal costs along the way in cash.  In addition to airfare, I expect the ground costs to be between $700 – 1,000US/person, depending on the number or riders, rental choice and whether rooms are shared or not.  There is a non-refundable deposit of $200US to register for the tour.

Flights: There are about a dozen flights daily from Florida to Havana despite the current situation, so a hop from home to Florida, then on to Havana is easy.  Flights from anywhere in North America to Havana will be about $500US/$700CDN.  European flight options are also readily available.

Contact me:

Please email me at leeorphan4@gmail.com for more information.

You can also contact me on WhatsApp using my name Lee Orphan.

Our Route Itinerary:

Day 1 – Arrive in Havana

It is a short taxi ride from the airport costing about $40-60 per vehicle, ideally we will get most people on the same flight to Havana.  We will  all stay in the same area in Vedado, Havana, within a few blocks of each other.

Cycling – 0 km/miles, bike fitting time

Accommodation – Casa near Cafe Rueda Vedado district,, Havana, cost about $30-40/room

Meals – many local restaurants costing about $5 breakfast/$10 lunch/$15 dinner plus drinks

Day 2 – Cycle Havana to Jibacoa

We will cycle the Malecon to a ferry which will transport us across Havana Harbour to Casa Blanca.  We will visit the Christ of Havana Statue, then ride on to Jibacoa, a quiet area surrounded by low hills and with a perfect white sand beach.

Cycling –  70 km/44 miles

Accommodation – Casas (Villa Idioma, Casa Matilda) cost about $30-40/room, or Memories Jibacoa costing about $70 all-inclusive.

Meals – restaurants costing about $5 breakfast/$10 lunch/$15 dinner plus drinks

Day 3 – Cycle Jibacoa to Matanzas

We will cycle along the highway until we reach a peaceful back road that follows the sea to the City of Matanzas (aka the City of Bridges).  In Matanzas, we can do a guided walking tour, visit art galleries, and hang out along the resto-bars along the river.

Cycling –  70 km/44 miles

Accommodation – Matanzas casas cost about $30-40/room.

Meals – restaurants costing about $5 breakfast/$10 lunch/$15 dinner plus drinks

Day 4 – Matanzas to Guanabo

We will retrace our ride heading back towards Havana, and staying in the truly Cuban beach town called Guanabo that few foreign tourist visit, which is a shame because its an amazing beach with dozens of resto/bars, shops and casas. 

Cycling –  80 km/50 miles

Accommodation – Guanabo casas cost about $30-40/room.

Meals – restaurants costing about $5 breakfast/$10 lunch/$15 dinner plus drinks

Day 5 – Guanabo to Playa Baracoa

We will ride west, taking the ciclo-bus to get through the Havana Harbour tunnel (its fun), then through Havana along the seaside to another Cuban beach town called Playa Baracoa.

Cycling –  60 km/38 miles

Accommodation – Playa Baracoa casas cost about $30-40/room.

Meals – restaurants costing about $5 breakfast/$10 lunch/$15 dinner plus drinks

Day 6  – Playa Baracoa to Havana

We will have a short ride back to Havana, where you can either fly home or stay on for a few days.  If you chose to stay, we can do a city tour in the afternoon, or you can have free time.

Cycling –  35 km/22 miles

Accommodation – Casa near Cafe Rueda Vedado district,, Havana, cost about $30-40/room

Meals – restaurants costing about $5 breakfast/$10 lunch/$15 dinner plus drinks

Additional Days Option – Havana

I’m happy to organize day trips on foot to local museums (Centro Fidel – a spectacular multimedia museum, Museum of Decorative Arts, Havana Club Museum, etc.) the old city (Havana Vieja), Hemingway’s home a bike ride away, etc.

Accommodation – Casas cost about $30-40/room.

Meals – restaurants costing about $5 breakfast/$10 lunch/$15 dinner plus drinks

Museums are very inexpensive; the cost varies from a dollar to a few dollars per visit.