Trans Cuba “Ciclo Temba Version”
Tour Leader
Cost
USD $3325. 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 $2995.
Tour Details
- Destination: Cuba, Trans Cuba.
- Duration: 16 days.
- Arrives: 11/23/2024
- Departs: 12/082024
- Days of cycling: 14
- Usual daily distances: 30 km to 100 km (with flexible options).
- Terrain: There are hills and rolling countryside on this tour so a reasonable basic level of fitness is recommended.
- Support vehicle: 100%
- Tour staff: 1 tour leader, 1 driver, 1 mechanic, 1 cultural guide.
Ciclo Temba (Middle-Aged/Old Cyclist) is a great way to do a fully supported end-to-end Cuba bike ride in the company of like-minded riders. This tour takes its own sweet time and deliberately skips the longer stretches of the “Full Monty” Trans Cuba Sportive event to allow time to savour the varied and often spectacular Cuban countryside. With daily rides ranging from 40km to a maximum of 100km, the availability of the support bus means that riders have the option of riding all or part of the distance planned for any given day.
Given the length of the ride and the relatively good quality of the roads, a road bike is required. Skipping some of the longer stretches of the Trans Cuba Sportive will leave time for a visit to Santiago, the lively and beautiful port city known as the Cradle of the Cuban Revolution as well as to nearby Cobre, the home of Cuba’s patron saint, La Virgen de la Caridad. This ride will allow for dallying a little more in these and other Cuban cities and towns and to experience Cuba in way that escapes most visitors. The youth cycling club in Las Tunas, for example, will host us for a traditional Cuban Barbecue and we will be able to meet ordinary Cubans in smaller towns all along the way to the far west of this fascinating and largely unspoiled island.
See it all: Holguín, the city of leafy parks and plazas; Baracoa, where Columbus first made landfall in 1492; Guantánamo and Caimanera, overlooking the United States Guantánamo Bay Naval Base; Santiago, Cuba’s most Caribbean city; Bayamo, where Cuba’s first war of independence from Spain was launched; Las Tunas, a city of artists and public sculptures; Camagüey, whose confusing city streets were deliberately laid out to foil invading pirates; Trinidad, a living museum of colonial architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage site; Cienfuegos, a stunning seaside city known as the “Pearl of the South”; Pinar Del Rio, a centre of tobacco growing and cigar production; María La Gorda, a diver’s paradise in a secluded location on a great beach near impressive mangroves; and, Havana, Cuba’s imposing capital city and the home of the spectacular Malecon, a broad seaside esplanade running for 8 kilometres from Old Havana past some of Havana’s most iconic buildings and monuments.
This ride is a photographer’s dream. It begins in the very east, ends in the far west and, in between, provides an un-paralleled opportunity to ride through an incredible variety of landscapes, micro-climates, protected biospheres and large and small urban environments and to meet everyday Cubans where they live.
TOUR GALLERY
DAY BY DAY SCHEDULE
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1
November 23rd.
Cyclists arrive on Holguin airport and are picked up by the tour bus and brought to the hotel where the bikes will be assembled. Free time will be available to explore the city.
– Cycling: optional city tour by bike.
– Accommodation: Hotel Mirador de Mayabe.
– Meals Included: Dinner.
2
November 24th.
After breakfast, the bus will take everyone to Baracoa, a drive of approximately 4 hours.
– Cycling: optional city tour by bike.
– Accommodation: Hotel El Castillo
– Meals Included: Breakfast / Dinner.
3
November 25th.
The riding begins on the coastal road, a flat scenic ride through desert-like areas with mountains on the right and the Caribbean Sea on the left. Accommodations will be in a hotel in the Guantánamo City. Great mojitos.
– Cycling: Max 100 km.
– Accommodation: Hotel Guantanamo.
– Meals Included: Breakfast / Dinner.
4
November 26th.
The bus will take riders to a point close to Santiago for a short morning ride into the city followed by lunch and a tour of the city by bus. Santiago is a vibrant city and there is lots to see and do: visit The San Juan Hill, and the Santa Ifigenia cemetery where Fidel Castro’s ashes are interred, the oldest building in Cuba, the famous Casa de la Trova, the impressive central square, narrow streets and omnipresent music.
– Cycling: 40km.
– Accommodation: Hotel LAS AMERICAS.
– Meals Included: Lunch/Dinner/breakfast.
5
November 27th.
The journey begins with a visit to El Cobre, the site of Cuba’s famous Basilica de Nuestra Señora del Cobre.
– Cycling: Max 100 km.
– Accommodation: Hotel Sierra Maestra.
– Meals Included: Breakfast / Dinner.
6
November 28th
The ride will head for Las Tunas, the home of the first youth cycling team sponsored by Bicycle Breeze. Some of the riders will meet us on the road and guide us to the hotel. In the evening, we will be the guests of this club and they will host us with a fine Cuban BBQ.
HERE WE WILL LEAVE PART OF OUR DONATIONS.
– Cycling: 77 km.
– Accommodation: Hotel Las Tunas.
– Meals Included: Breakfast/Dinner BBQ.
7
November 29th.
Today we transfer by bus from Las Tunas all the way across a long stretch of the Carretera Central to Sancti Spiritus, the site of Cuba’s oldest church, with a lunch stop and city walk in Camaguey whose old town is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
– Walking: 3 km.
– Accommodation: Hotel Rancho Hatuey.
– Meals Included: Breakfast / Dinner.
8
November 30th.
Riding the rolling hills down the “Valley of the Sugar Mills” or “Valle de los Ingenios”, will take us to the southern coast and the historic city of Trinidad, another UNESCO World Heritage site. There will be a lunch stop at the Manaca -Iznaga, a former plantation with an imposing tower that provides a wonderful view of the countryside.
– Cycling: Max 82 km.
– Accommodation: B&B in Trinidad city.
– Meals Included: Breakfast / Dinner.
9
December 1st.
The ride will follow the scenic coastal road from Trinidad to the French-inspired city of Cienfuegos. Nothing is too difficult on this route.
– Cycling: Maximum 85 km.
– Accommodation: Hotel Rancho Luna.
– Meals Included: all-in.
10
December 2nd.
After breakfast, there will be a city walk in the centre of Cienfuegos followed by lunch at Palacio Valle and a visit to the Botanical Garden. Also an afternoon ride to the Bay of Pigs.
– Cycling: Maximum 100 km.
– Accommodation: B&B in Playa Giron.
– Meals Included: Lunch/Breakfast / Dinner.
11
December 3rd.
A small town 35 kilometers southwest of Havana, San Antonio de Los Baños typifies “Old Cuba”. This sleepy little town is a picturesque and laid-back place with lots to offer to the avid camera buff.
– Cycling: Maximum 100 km.
– Accommodation: Hotel Las Yagrumas.
– Meals Included: Breakfast / Dinner.
12
December4th.
From one sleepy little town to another, the ride will proceed to San Diego de Los Baños via Alquizar to meet a children cycling club and leave our donations. This is a spa town located at the foot of the Sierra Rosario mountain range. An evening stroll in town will provide an opportunity to meet the people who live in this small city.
– Cycling: Maximum 95 km.
– Accommodation: Hotel Mirador de San Diego.
– Meals Included: Breakfast / Dinner.
13
December 5th.
The ride will head for La Cueva de Los Portales, a spectacular series of caves used by Che Guevara as a headquarters during the 1962 missile crisis. Up over the “Americano” hill – it has a masculine name, but is a bitch of a climb – then to La Palma and to the very beautiful Valle Viñales before heading to the city of Pinar Del Rio.
– Cycling: Maximum 90 km.
– Accommodation: Hotel Vueltabajo.
– Meals Included: Breakfast / Dinner.
14
December 6th.
It is 147 km from the city outskirts to the Hotel Maria La Gorda on the coast. This is a very flat route and over the last 12 days riders will have gained strength and fitness. Most will be astonished at how they have improved and the ride to lunch at Sandino will seem almost too easy.
– Cycling: Maximum 100 km.
– Accommodation: Hotel María La Gorda.
– Meals Included: Breakfast / Dinner.
15
December 7th.
After breakfast and a morning dip in the Gulf of Mexico, the bus will bring everyone back to Havana after stopping in Pinar del Rio for lunch and a bathroom break. Saturday night will bring everyone together to reminisce about the ride, solidify friendships and enjoy a final meal to formally end the tour.
– Cycling: 0.
– Accommodation: B&B in Havana.
– Meals Included: Breakfast / Dinner.
16
December 8th.
This last day is the time of parting with the hope that everyone had a good ride and is going home happy and in good health. Bicycle Breeze endeavors to provide a positive ride experience and a full opportunity to experience Cuba in all its aspects. We love our country and realize it is not perfect. Cuba is in transition and we really hope to see you back in the not too distant future.
Hasta Pronto.
– Depart today.
– Accommodation: Your own home tonight.
– Meals Included: breakfast.
Cycle Rental
Bicycle Breeze has bike rentals at great prices. For this tour you will need a gravel, road or hybrid bike. 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.