Guantanamo Mango
This Cuba bicycle tour circles the Cuban province of Guantanamo.
Tour Leader
Cost
N/A. 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.
N/A.
Tour Details
- Destination: Cuba, Eastern Cuba, Holguin.
- Duration: 15 days.
- Arrives: 01/27/2024
- Departs: 02/10/2024
- Days of cycling: 12
- Usual daily distances: 25 km to 105 km (with flexible options).
- Terrain: Mostly paved rolling or flat roads, some easy ridding dirt roads, some rough roads.
- Support vehicle: 100%
- Tour staff: 1 tour leader, 1 culture guide, 1 driver, 1 mechanic.
This Cuba bicycle tour is called Guantánamo Mango. Ride through the coastal lowlands and scenic mountains of eastern Cuba in the historic old province of Oriente, the birthplace of Cuba’s revolution and earlier wars of independence and where Fidel Castro was born and raised.
Beginning in Holguin, a city of leafy parks and plazas, the ride will head east into the world-renowned biosphere around Baracoa, Cuba’s oldest city, famous for its chocolate, unique cuisine and large, beautiful bay. The tour will linger at a wonderful beach, take in the city and enjoy a short boat ride up the unspoiled Toa river to a riverside restaurant for lunch.
Following a climb into the majestic mountains, the tour will follow up the coastal road to the Eastern most part of Cuba and a small settlement called Punta Maisí. The Faro (lamp) Maisí consists of the lighthouse and the small hotel beside it. The scenic coast highway to the city of Guantánamo and will include a stay in. Going on to Santiago, Cuba’s liveliest and most Caribbean city, the tour will linger for three days to explore the sights and absorb the rhythms of the city known as the Cradle of the Cuban Revolution. From Santiago the tour will head past El Cobre, the home of Cuba’s patron saint, la Virgen de la Caridad, before heading into the picturesque hill country making up Cuba’s back of beyond.
After visiting Birán, the homestead of the Castro family and Fidel’s birthplace, two days will be spent even farther from civilization at a charming rustic hotel in a cool pine forest in the Cristal Mountains, with the second day dedicated to riding to Cuba’s highest waterfall. From this high mountain retreat the tour will descend to the beautiful rolling green hills that lead to Guardalavaca and its white sand beaches for two days of relaxation before heading home.
TOUR GALLERY
DAY BY DAY SCHEDULE
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1
January 27th.
You will arrive in Holguin and transfer to the Hotel Mirador de Mayabe, known for its spectacular views of Holguin. You will have time to set up your own bike, or meet our mechanic and set up your rental bike to fit you. Our evening meal at the hotel will give us an opportunity to chat and introduce ourselves.
– Cycling: 0 km
– Accommodation: Hotel MIrador de Mayabe
– Meals Included: dinner
2
January 28th.
After breakfast, we will take the bus to the village of Cueto and then ride 50 km on easy terrain to the game reserve at Cayo Saetía. This game reserve is home to many species of exotic animals and is set on 42 square kilometres at the entrance to Nipe Bay. Our hotel on the game reserve is a nice and quiet hotel that few tourists find.
– Cycling: 57 km (+363 m)
– Accommodation: Hotel Villa Cayo Saetía
– Meals Included: breakfast, dinner
3
January 29th.
Ride from Cayo Saetía to our destination hotel situated on a small bay with a sandy beach and rocky outcrops forming a wall of peaceful seclusion. The ride is on a good road with rolling hills. Along the way, we will stop in Sagua de Tánamo for lunch, and then hop on the bus at Moa to drive the last 47 km to our hotel. Our hotel at Maguana has a breathtaking view of the ocean and provides a great place for a post-ride drink and relaxation.
– Cycling: 87 km (+1,078 m) rolling terrain
– Accommodation: Hotel Villa Maguana
– Meals Included: breakfast, dinner
4
January 30th.
Today we have options. You can take on a challenging ride through Baracoa then up the famous La Farola climb to the lookout at Alto de Cortilla. La Farola is a viaduct connecting the City of Baracoa with the rest of Cuba crossing the mountain massif of Sagua-Baracoa. Alternatively you can enjoy a quiet nature walk along the beach and the roads of Maguana. After the bike ride or the beach walk, we will have lunch with Coach Hidalgo and his youth bike club in Baracoa.
– Cycling: 63 km (+1,105 m), or Walking: 4 km
– Accommodation: Hotel Villa Maguana
– Meals Included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Route:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42569766
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34453069
5
January 31th.
Our day begins with a scenic ride along a quiet 21k gravel road to the Hotel Rio Miel on the Malecon in the City of Baracoa. This city is the oldest in Cuba and is therefore known as the First City. It is nestled within a mountain range and before 1965 was only accessible by boat. We will take a boat ride on the River Toa and have lunch at Rancho Toa on the Banks of the river close to a hamlet called Paso Toa. In the afternoon, we will explore the narrow cobbled streets of Baracoa, a city steeped in history.
– Cycling: 21 km (+195 m)
– Accommodation: Hotel Rex
– Meals Included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32372818
6
February 1st.
Today we will head to the easternmost point of Cuba. Our bike ride from Baracoa will take us across the Sierra del Purial mountains to the Maisí-Caleta Ecological Reserve. At Maisí there is a lighthouse known as La Concha that is 30 metres high, reached by 144 wooden stairs. From the lighthouse, the lights of Haiti (56 km away) can be seen on clear nights.
– Cycling: 64 km (+766 m)
– Accommodation: Hotel Punta de Maisí.
– Meals Included: breakfast, dinner
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32372860
7
February 2nd.
We have a truly beautiful bike ride today along the southern coast of Cuba as we ride between Imías and Tortuguilla before heading inland to Guantánamo. If fortune favours us, we will have lunch beside the Caribbean Sea and a swim midway through our ride. The City of Guantánamo is of course famous for being close to the controversial US naval base on Guantánamo Bay. We will stay overnight 15 kilometres north of this base and across the road from the Plaza de la Revolución Mariana Grajales.
– Cycling: 86 Km (+650 m)
– Accommodation: Hotel Guantánamo
– Meals included: breakfast, dinner
8
February 3rd.
Today we leave Guantánamo behind and ride an easy route to Santiago de Cuba, the second-largest city on the island. We will cycle past the Reserva de Biosfera Baconao and there is an option for some people to add a few hilly kilometres by riding through the Parque Nacional de Gran Piedra. It’s also possible as always to hop on the tour bus anytime to take a break.
– Cycling: 80 km (+621 m)
– Accommodation: Hotel Rex
– Meals Included: breakfast, dinner
9
February 4th.
Today we will explore Cuba’s second-largest city, beginning with a relaxing tour of Santiago de Cuba by bus. We will visit the Santa Ifigênia cemetery, the resting place of many notable Cubans, including Jose Martá and Fidel Castro. We will enjoy lunch in a restaurant in the city. A walking tour in the afternoon will take in famous city squares, cathedrals, and the rooftop bar at the Hotel Casa Grande with an exceptional view of the city.
– Cycling: 0 km (bus and walking tour of the city), Walking: 4 km
– Accommodation: Hotel Rex
– Meals Included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
10
February 5th.
Challenge yourself to ride to top of Gran Piedra the hardest climb in Cuba.
For those who do not climb like mountain goats, you can opt out of the climb and just take the tour bus to Siboney Beach to enjoy a swim and lunch on the beach under a tent. The fresh fish is amazing. There is also a museum to visit near Siboney (Granjita Siboney) from where Fidel launched the failed July 26, 1953 assault on the Moncada barracks. The view from the observation point at the top of Gran Piedra is spectacular and worth the ride. There is a restaurant for a snack and a drink before descending to the beach at Siboney to meet up with the tour bus.
– Cycling: 44 Km (+1,490m), or beach day
– Accommodation: Hotel Rex.
– Meals included: breakfast, dinner.
11
February 6th.
We will take the bus to visit the most significant church in Cuba, the Basilica Nuestra Señora de la Caridad at El Cobre. After a visit to the church, we ride our bikes to the Town of Palma de Soriano for lunch. A town with a view of the Sierra Maestra mountain range. After lunch we will continue toward the Cristal Mountains stopping at the Town of Mella to board the bus for a ride up into the pine forests where we will spend the next two nights in quiet seclusion in simple log cabins surrounded by nature.
– Cycling: 50 Km (+577 m)
– Accommodation: Hotel Villa Pinares de Mayarí
– Meals included: breakfast, dinner
12
February 7th.
Enjoy a hike and lunch at the highest waterfall in Cuba, Salto del Guayabo nestled in the pine forests of Mensura National Park. We will have a short bike ride of 15 kilometres each way between our hotel and the waterfall. Be sure to pack your swimsuits to soak in pools along the stream that feeds the waterfall and provides a panoramic view of the mountain range.
– Cycling: 30 km on a gravel road (+320 m), and a hike of 3 km
– Accommodation: Hotel Villa Pinares de Mayarí.
– Meals Included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
13
February 8th.
We leave the Cristal Mountains behind and visit the museum at Fidel’s birthplace near Biran. Next, a short bus ride takes us to the Village of Cueto for lunch at a paladar. Finally, we ride a maximum of 82 kilometres to our all-inclusive hotel on the white sands of Guardalavaca. Guardalavaca is one of the most popular tourist resort areas in Cuba and will give us a nice relaxing time after our bike tour of Eastern Cuba.
– Cycling: 82 km (+612 m)
– Accommodation: Hotel Brisas Guardalavaca
– Meals Included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
14
February 9th.
From our all-inclusive hotel in Guardalavaca, we will ride 30 km to Bariay and see a monument where Christopher Columbus first landed at Cuba. We will also visit a re-creation of an indigenous Taíno village representing pre-colonial Cuba. The Taíno inhabited Cuba before Columbus arrived. After that, lots of time to spend on the white sand beaches of the hotel.
– Cycling: 25 Km (+259m)
– Accommodation: Hotel Brisas Guardalavaca
– Meals included: all meals
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35162698?privacy_code=2mdxBaTa0gonf4u1
15
February 10th.
Sadly, today is departure day and the bus will take us to the airport for the flight back home. 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 Briasa Guardalavaca
– Meals Included: breakfast
Cycle Rental
Bicycle Breeze has bike rentals at great prices. For this Cuba bicycle tour 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.
Beth and I are returning for our second time around the Guantanamo Route of eastern Cuba. I love the quiet rural roads and the beautiful beaches and accommodations. We have added a trip to Cape Maisí which will be new to us with its views to the Windward Passage. Check out our video link on the tour page for a preview.
Beth and I are excited about returning to co-lead this beautiful ride around Eastern Cuba with its quiet roads and beautiful scenery. Feel free to contact me at lee@bicyclebreeze.net if you have any questions or want a pdf brochure.
Beth and I have a good group formed up for this tour. We would love to add a few more riders to increase our positive impact on supporting Cuba while we enjoy the warm sunshine and keep fit this winter.
This is the second Bicycle Breeze Cuba tour I did and I expect I will do yet another. The first time I was a solo traveller and knew nobody. I felt well cared for and was provided with so much good information to make my trip an enjoyable one. I was thrilled with the cycling friends I made and I continue to enjoy these friendships. So on this second round, I brought two friends from home and was delighted to meet up with other new and old friends from the Bicycle Breeze tours. I love seeing and experiencing Cuba on a bike, learning history, meeting local people, hearing the music/dancing, staying at beautiful hidden beaches and mountain cabins, and getting home feeling fit and strong. Everyone was so friendly and supportive, sharing with each other as needed, and making this a really enjoyable holiday. Thank you!