Fat Mary
For this cycling tour our destination is María la Gorda, located at the extreme west of Cuba.
Tour Leader
Cost
Extra USD $375. Should you register looking to share with an another and we are not able to find an acceptable companion, you will need to pay the Single Supplement charge.
USD $3050.
Tour Details
- Destination: Western Cuba.
- Duration: 15 days.
- Arrives: 01/31/2026
- Departs: 02/14/2026
- Days of cycling: 10
- Usual daily distances: 36 km/22 miles to 90 km/56 miles.
- Terrain: Quiet back roads for the most part, a little city cycling, and there are hills and rolling countryside. The road surfaces can be quite rough in some areas. We recommend using wider tires (over 28 mm) to navigate comfortably. Opting for a hybrid bike or a gravel bike would be your best bet for this tour.
- Best Bike to Use: Hybrid, gravel, or touring.
- Support vehicle: 100% (option to ride the bus anytime)
- Tour staff: 1 tour leader, 1 culture guide, 1 driver, 1 mechanic.
On this route you will cycle the quiet back roads from Matanzas to Havana and beyond, all the way to the western tip of Cuba at María la Gorda/Fat Mary (the tour’s namesake). In Havana, we will pause for a few days to explore the treasures of the capital city, including the old town known as Havana Vieja, and we will witness the traditional “closing of the city” ceremony.
Beyond the northern coastal route, we cycle through the western province of Pinar del Rio and the Valle Viñales. Western Cuba’s roads will take you past lush green tobacco fields, alongside turquoise beaches, through the Viñales Valley surrounded by unique limestone formations, and onward to islands, beaches, and coral reefs.
Besides cycling, this tour includes visits to the famous Bellamar Caves, interesting pueblos and ancient coffee plantation ruins, classic car rides, an orchid garden, tobacco farm and hikes through the countryside.
Our accommodations range from all-inclusive beach resorts to traditional colonial hotels. This ride covers some gentle roads in the Sierra del Rosario biosphere, and incredible experiences cycling through the spectacular Valle Viñales.
The trade winds traditionally blow from the east, providing our tour with a gentle tailwind (part of the reason why this ride is so popular). After we reach María la Gorda we will be able to snorkel or dive and experience glowing sunsets before taking our air-conditioned tour bus to Varadero for our final two days on a pristine white sand beach.
While Cuba’s beauty is undeniable, so too are the challenges its people face. Through our travels, we aim not only to revel in the splendour of this island nation but also to support its youth in pursuing their cycling dreams, potentially opening doors to international competition – a rare opportunity for many Cubans. Help us to help them.
TOUR GALLERY
DAY BY DAY SCHEDULE
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Day 1 – Arrival and Transfer to Matanzas
You can arrive in Cuba to either Varadero or Havana airports and transfer to the Hotel E Velasco in Matanzas. You will have time to set up your bike with the support of our mechanic.
If flying into Havana, plan on arriving at least a day earlier. The bus will leave Havana in the morning and transport you to Hotel E Velasco (approximately 2 hours to the east).
Our evening meal at the hotel will give us an opportunity to chat and introduce ourselves. Matanzas is known as the city of bridges with a beautiful pedestrian mall lined with restaurants and art galleries along the Rio San Juan. It forms a great start point for this adventure.
– Cycling: 0 km.
– Accommodation: Hotel E Velasco.
– Meals Included: dinner.
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Day 2 – Matanzas to Jibacoa
On your first day of cycling, with the wind at your back, we ride about 45 km/28 miles to the beautiful white-sand beach at Jibacoa. Before leaving Matanzas, we will tour the Bellamar Caves (Cuevas de Bellamar), with stunning stalactites and stalagmites, crystals, and an underground stream.
Our cycling route takes us on a quiet back road out of Matanzas, to the Valle Yumuri and along the “Via Blanca”. On the way, we will cross the Puente de Bacunayagua, Cuba’s highest bridge at 110 metres above the valley below, and enjoy a stunning lookout, before arriving at our all-inclusive beach hotel in Jibacoa.
– Cycling: 45 km/28 miles (+353m), a few rolling hills.
– Accommodation: Memories Jibacoa.
– Meals Included: breakfast/lunch/dinner.
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Day 3 – Jibacoa to Havana
Today, we ride 63 km/40 miles along the ocean on the Via Blanca to Havana passing the Havana Club Rum Factory along the way. We will stop at the Havana Velodrome and meet youth cyclists and their coach. You can demonstrate your ‘support for the Cuban people’ by bringing donations for this youth club which will be gratefully received.
We will stop for a panoramic view of Havana at the statue known as the Christ of Havana before crossing the bay to enter Havana. In the afternoon we will tour the San Jose artisan’s market packed with souvenirs and artwork for sale. Later we will dine in Havana Centro, before watching the evening ceremony the “Re-enactment of the Closing of the City” marked by a cannon shot.
– Cycling: 63 km/40 miles (+345m) largely flat, Walking: 3 km/2 miles.
– Accommodation: Casas particulares (Cuban B&B)
– Meals Included: breakfast/dinner.
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Day 4 – Walking Tour of Havana
Today is the day to explore Havana. We will take the bus to the bottom of the Paseo del Prado, a long tree-lined boulevard that leads into the center of Old Havana and its main squares and monuments. Our tour guide will describe the history and culture of Havana as we explore this charming city that was awarded UNESCO status in 1982.
We will have lunch in a quaint part of the old city near one of Cuba’s most famous churches. Be ready with your cameras for a thrilling drive in vintage American cars through parts of Havana that you may have heard about like the University of Havana where Fidel Castro studied, Chinatown, the National Theater, the well-known hotels frequented by American mobsters before the Revolution, the long and impressive Malecón seaside boulevard and esplanade for which Havana is famous and more.
– Cycling: 0 km, Walking: 6 km/4 miles.
– Accommodation: Casas particulares (Cuban B&B)
– Meals Included: breakfast/lunch/dinner.
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Day 5 – Havana to Soroa
Our tour bus will drive us out of Havana to the town of Alquizar to meet a youth cycling club and leave our donations of cycling equipment to support the club. We will ride our bikes alongside the club members through Artemisa and onto Soroa in the foothills of the Sierra Rosario.
On the way, we will lunch at an old coffee plantation ruin, built by the wealthy Haitian French around 1800. These pioneers were instrumental in establishing Cuba’s commercial coffee production industry.
Our hotel is in a peaceful location surrounded by hills with a pool for cooling off after our bike ride.
– Cycling: 58 km/36 miles (+409 m)
– Accommodation: Hotel Horizontes Villa Soroa.
– Meals Included: breakfast/dinner.
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Day 6 – Soroa to Las Terrazas Loop
Today we will ride a short but hilly route to Las Terrazas, the first and most developed Biosphere Reserve and Eco-friendly community in the Sierra del Rosario mountain range. Upon arrival, we will enjoy a walking tour along the El Contento Trail.
In the afternoon, you can choose to complete the circular route making a total distance of 50 km/30 miles, or take the bus back to our hotel
– Cycling: 18-50 km/11-30 miles (+614 m), Walking 5 km/3 miles.
– Accommodation: Hotel Horizontes Villa Soroa.
– Meals Included: breakfast/dinner.
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Day 7 – Soroa to San Diego de los Baños
After breakfast, we visit the spectacular Soroa orchid garden just beside the hotel in Soroa. This orchid garden contains an immense collection of 18,000 orchids from all over the world, maintained in the unique micro-climate of Soroa.
Our bike ride takes us to San Diego de los Baños located just west of the Sierra de los Rosario, in the foothills of the Sierra de los Organos. San Diego de los Baños was made famous for its hot mineral springs believed to have medicinal properties, along the Caiguanabo River. For a small fee, you can have a hot spring treatment.
– Cycling: 57 km/36 miles (+362 m)
– Accommodation: Hotel Mirador de San Diego, in San Diego los Baños.
– Meals Included: breakfast/dinner.
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Day 8 – San Diego de los Baños to Viñales
In the morning, we will cycle a quiet but hilly route of 15 km/10 miles to the Cueva de los Portales for a tour of the caves where Che Guevara established his headquarters during the Cuban Missile Crisis. We will have lunch and then ride a few kilometres to the home of local yet internationally renowned artist Miguel Antonio Remedios and stay for a fabulous cup of espresso.
The afternoon ride is 50km/30 miles to the Town of Viñales. The Viñales Valley was declared a national monument in 1978, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. The Viñales area is known for its dramatic formations known as mogotes towering over the landscape. The mogotes – large, rounded mountains – are all that’s left of a limestone plateau that existed here 160 million years ago. It is also a centre for traditional agriculture, crafts and music.
– Cycling: 65 km/40 miles (+941 m)
– Accommodation: Casas Particulares (Cuban B&B)
– Meals Included: breakfast/dinner.
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Day 9 – Viñales to Cayo Jutías
Today, we ride through the Valle Viñales to Pons, over the ridge to Santa Lucia, and out to Cayo Jutías, a wonderful beach area. There are some amazing vistas from the saddle on this day, including the Viñales magotes, and the pine forests heading to the beach.
We will enjoy lunch on the beach and swim or relax at the white sand paradise. Later we return to Viñales on the tour bus. Our dinner will be at an eco-farm, where we will have a farm-to-fork dinner on the hill at the farm’s wonderful Paraiso restaurant and watch the sunset over the mountains.
– Cycling: 62 km/39 miles (+447m)
– Accommodation: Casas Particulares (Cuban B&B)
– Meals Included: breakfast/lunch/dinner.
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Day 10 – Viñales to Pinar del Río
Wake up in the Valle Viñales and enjoy breakfast at your casa surrounded by the Sierra Órganos mountain range. We will do a walking tour of the surrounding farmland in the morning viewing tobacco and vegetable crops while coming up close to the base of a few magotes.
We will take our tour bus up to a restaurant with a spectacular view where we will have lunch. Our bike ride is an easy one taking us to the historic Town of Pinar del Río.
– Cycling: 28 km/18 miles (+239m), Walking: 4 km/2.5 miles.
– Accommodation: Hotel Vueltabajo.
– Meals Included: breakfast/dinner.
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Day 11 – Pinar del Río to María la Gorda (Fat Mary)
Today we cycle a very flat ride beginning in the historic city of Pinar del Río, riding through fertile farm land dominated by tobacco fields and ending at a world famous María la Gorda (Fat Mary) snorkeling/dive centre at the western tip of Cuba, remote and beautiful, even exotic.
The final 14 km is a smooth road adjacent to the sea shaded by sea grape trees. The views along the road are spectacular.
– Cycling: morning 78 km/49 miles (+437 m), afternoon 14 km/9 miles (+40 m)
– Accommodation: Hotel María la Gorda.
– Meals Included: breakfast/dinner.
Map Morning Ride: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/8414559
Map Afternoon Ride: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/8414638
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Day 12 – María la Gorda (Fat Mary) Beach Day
We will enjoy the day swimming and hanging out at María la Gorda. Previous tour riders have recommended we add a day here, so we have done just that.
There is a beautiful coral reef to snorkel at just offshore, and there is an option to take a dive boat out a few kilometres along the shore to dive or snorkel. At the end of the day, we will have dinner and watch the sunset over the ocean.
– Cycling: Optional bike ride along the coast visiting small beaches 40 km/25 miles (+50 m)
– Accommodation: Hotel María la Gorda.
– Meals Included: breakfast/lunch/dinner.
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Day 13 – Bus Ride from María la Gorda back to Varadero
You have spent the last 12 days on a journey to the western tip of Cuba. Today, taking advantage of our luxury tour bus, we will fight the headwind back to Varadero in Matanzas Province, near where we began our journey.
Along the way, we will take a coffee break in Hotel Pinar del Río and lunch at the Havana Golf Course. Upon reaching our all-inclusive hotel, we will enjoy a walk to stretch our legs before dinner.
– Cycling: 0 km.
– Accommodation: Hotel Los Cactus.
– Meals Included: breakfast/dinner.
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Day 14 – Varadero Beaches
Our all-inclusive hotel in Varadero will provide a picturesque beachscape base for our last few days in Cuba.
We will cycle the Varadero Peninsula from tip to tip, then say good-bye to our bikes and hit the beach for one last time. You will have lots of free time to spend at this tourist hot spot, with some of Cuba’s best beaches. There is a significant cave (Cueva de Ambrosio) to visit along the bike route with Indigenous drawings on the walls.
On our last night together we will have an amazing farewell dinner at the Xanadu Mansion.
– Cycling: 36 km/23 miles (+127m)
– Accommodation: Hotel Los Cactus.
– Meals Included: breakfast/lunch/dinner.
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Day 15 – Departure Day
Sadly, today is departure day and the bus will take us to the Varadero airport or to Havana. We hope you have enjoyed the ride, our country, its wonderful people, and that you will return for more cycling with the Bicycle Breeze tour team.
– Cycling: 0 km.
– Accommodation: Hotel Los Cactus.
– Meals Included: breakfast.
Cycle Rental
Bicycle Breeze has bike rentals at great prices. For this bicycle tour in cuba you will need either a hybrid or a gravel bike. All will work. Should you prefer to bring your own that is fine with us, you will get the same mechanical assistance as the renters.
Check your travel company for costs of shipping your bike. Depending on your country of embarkation you may be better to rent. Renting has other positive aspects. Your bike will not get lost in transit. It is far easier to travel without a bike box and spare bikes are on the bus for renters. The negative side is that this is not your favourite ride.
Customize This Tour
With a group of 10 or more riders, Bicycle Breeze can offer the ability to customize a tour to suit your needs. Contact us to start planning your next great adventure.