Celia Sánchez Cuba Bike Tour Beth and I have done this tour twice before - first in 2010 and again in 2015. The route covers my favourite part of Cuba with its quiet rural roads and spectacular scenery and vistas as we circle the Sierra Maestra mountain range.  Cleverly, we cycle around the mountains along the edge, so there are no really big climbs.  We take advantage of the tour bus and jeeps to explore the highest mountain range in Cuba. We are returning in February 2024 to lead another tour group - see the link at the bottom of the blog for details on how to join us. Starting in the City of Holguin, we make a clockwise loop around the mountains ending 15 days later in Guardalavaca. Celia Sánchez Bike Tour Route This tour is named after Celia Sánchez, the heroine of the Cuban revolution.  Celia grew up in the Sierra Maestra and worked alongside her father at his medical practice in Pilon. She became involved in planning the revolution working alongside a well-organized...

Cuban roads are variable, from smooth as a dream asphalt in many cases, to worn/aged asphalt, and sometimes down to pot holes and gravel (kinda like where I live in Canada with all the winter frost).   Riding in Cuba is far nicer than North America with its busy roads and drivers rushing around oblivious to the experience of riding a bike.   Most Cubans spend a lot of time getting around on foot, or cycling to work and have empathy developed by that shared experience.   People often ask me if it’s safe to cycle in Cuba – to which I unreservedly say it’s the safest place to ride bike that I’ve been.  I would put Mallorca Spain a close second but that’s a different type of vacation with its $5 cups of coffee. In Cuba, you will want to be prepared for cars to pass you with a little toot from the horn.   They do this as a courtesy so you know they are passing. In small towns, bikes may be a large percentage of the traffic.   Expect to see cyclists weaving a...

The past year has been a tough time for planning bike tours - to say the least!  COVID-19 has wiped out travel plans for most people around the world. I'm still hopeful that with vaccines getting distributed we can get out and enjoy cycling in Cuba next winter for the 2021-22 season. With that in mind, I'm teaming up with the  #1  bike touring company in Cuba, with 20 years of experience operating tours in Cuba, and a home base in Havana. The tour operator  Bicycle Breeze  (formerly CanbiCuba) lets you "pencil” yourself in for the tour, and will not seek your final confirmation until it is determined that the tour can proceed safely. I'm leading and profiling two tours for the winter 2022 season 1.      Eastern Cuba Tour – Celia Sanchez “The Heroine of the Revolution”            January 8 - 22, 2022 Ride through some of the most beautiful and historic areas of Cuba. Beginning in Holguin, and circling the Sie...