recently participated in the Fat Mary Bike Tour, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience such an amazing adventure. From start to finish, the tour was extremely well organized and thoughtfully planned.

Our tour leader, Lee, provided extensive information before we even arrived, making sure we were fully prepared and brought everything we needed for the trip. His organization and attention to detail are truly impressive—he has running these tours down to a fine art. Throughout the tour he was encouraging, supportive, and always ready with helpful advice, whether it was about cycling or tips for being a traveler in Cuba.

One of our other guides, Karel, added so much depth to the experience by sharing fascinating history about Cuba and the regions we traveled through. His insights made each stop along the way even more meaningful and helped us appreciate the culture and history behind the beautiful landscapes.

We had the chance to see so many incredible sights along the route. The beaches were absolutely stunning, and riding through such scenic areas made every mile memorable.

A special mention also goes to Yoanis, our bike mechanic. Watching him repair a bike quickly on the side of the road was amazing. Not only is he incredibly skilled, but he is also a strong cyclist who was always willing to ride alongside and help whenever someone needed assistance.

While some of the hills can be physically challenging, the tour is designed to be accessible. There is always the option to hop on the support bus if you need a break, and e-bikes are also available to rent, making it possible for riders of different abilities to fully enjoy the experience.

Overall, this tour was an unforgettable experience filled with great people, breathtaking scenery, and outstanding support from the entire team. I’m already looking forward to next year’s Capitol City Tour!

I did the 2026 Fat Mary Tour with two friends and it was a wonderful, enriching experience. Not only did we get to see the beautiful countryside and towns of Cuba, but we learned so much history and saw amazing sites, like the orchid garden in Soroa and beautiful beaches and historical landmarks in Havana and along our route. I have a whole new appreciation for Cuba and its people. They were so warm and welcoming. It was also a physical and mental challenge and I feel a sense of accomplishment in having competed this tour. If you like adventure this is for you!

We did the Fat Mary 2026 Tour with Lee Orphan and his fabulous crew. This was our second tour with Lee as leader. We had so much fun on the first (Guantanamo 2024), that we didn’t hesitate to do another. Lee has the organization of his tours down to a fine art. He is encouraging and supportive towards all riders and can provide plenty of helpful advice whether it’s regarding riding or being a Cuban tourist. The Viñales Valley is part of the Fat Mary Tour and is a must see. There were many cultural aspects of the tour such as visiting the homes of artists and having lunch on a countryside farm. We had fun all day, every day. Can’t wait to go again.

I highly recommend the Fat Mary adventure! This is largely in part to the planning and teamwork of Lee and Karel! They were always available for questions, suggestions or to help with a side quest like dropping off medical gifts at a local clinic. They were very adaptable, good communicators and shared solutions in rapidly changing political situations. I learned so much about Cuba and had an amazing time! Thanks to the whole team!

The Fat Mary Tour (Feb 2026) with Lee was absolutely amazing!!! It was educational, definitely challenging and most importantly FUN! I really enjoyed the variety in our accommodations and learning more about Cuba and the wonderful Cuban people. Lee, Karel, Youani and Rey are an unbeatable combination!!!!!

This was truly a wonderful adventure. It was educational, challenging and a good excuse to exercise in warm weather. The south coast road is now one of my top 10 all time rides. Lee Orphans organizational and leadership abilities and extensive experience from previous Cuba tours helped meet the daily surprises and challenges faced in the less traveled eastern parts of the country. Kudos to the unacknowledged co-tour leader, Beth. Her infectious, youthful, bubbly enthusiasm, adventurous spirit, helpful suggestions, friendliness, charm and exceptional tip handling were greatly appreciated. Her genuine interest in getting to know everyone led a diverse group of comrades to come together as a team. LOVE to do this again.

Cycling Cuba has been on our bucket list for years and when friends recommended this tour company at a New Years party we made a spur of the moment decision to go – and are glad that we did. Lee Orphan our tour guide, sent pre-tour info on what to bring, suggestions regarding money, maps that were very helpful. Along with his wife Beth, they were open, honest and generous with there time and experiences with the Cuban way of life, making us feel comfortable and appreciative of a country very different from our own. One of the initiatives they organized was donations for youth cycling groups – bike parts as well as bicycles were donated by participants.

The 3 Cuban tour staff were outstanding as well. Always helpful, smiling and going beyond what expectations I had.

Our whole experience was appreciated… I

Feel as if I have lived my dream! BB provides this unusual opportunity at reasonable prices allowing people like us to experience your country while doing what we love … bicycling!

Many thanks to both of you!

I did the Fat Mary Tour with Lee and Beth in 2023 and had a blast. The scenery was beautiful and the amount of riding was perfect. The bus followed us, so those who got tired or too hot could escape to air conditioned comfort. The bike I rented from Bicycle Breeze was great. Some of the information in advance was a little confusing; especially the part about money. But once I was there, I learned that this is part of being in Cuba. As a solo traveller I was a bit nervous going to Cuba for the first time. Everyone on the tour was friendly, easy going and welcoming. I enjoyed the company of our Cuban guides and the various people I met. The various accomodations were ecletic – ranging from all inclusive resort to Casas (B&Bs) to hotels to one night in a bunk house. One nigt in the bunk house was enoguh, but I still enjoyed it because the location was beautiful and the people were so nice. Some of the resorts had loud music, which I could have skipped. But they did have more food choices. My favorite places were the Casas and hotels.

Some cautions: In Cuba, there can be limited food choices, so this could be difficult for vegans, vegetarians and pescaterians. Sometimes the food choice was one choice…for several meals in a row! You do need to be able to go with the flow and accept that plans may change. It’s hot in Cuba, so drink lots of water before you get thirsty. I forget to do this one morning and felt wasted by noon. But an expresso, three glasses of mango juice and lunch …. I was good go.

Would I go back? Yes!!! Next winter I’ll do a different tour with them.

Doing the Cayo tour in February 2023 was the first time my wife and I travelled to Cuba. It won’t be the last. Peter and team have set up a very impressive opportunity to experience the great weather the Caribbean is famous for, receive daily exposure to a country steeped in culture AND get into great shape along the way. Tour guide, mechanic (who also acted as a “sweeper” by riding at the back of the tour each day to ensure everyone was doing well) and bus driver were excellent. We always felt safe and tour leader Lee made sure the trip was very organized. Hybrid bikes we rented from Peter were surprisingly good. Daily bike rides varied in intensity and scape. This tour is best enjoyed by someone who is already in reasonable shape, with some experience biking longer distances. My wife and I also benefitted by spending two extra days in Old Town Habana once the tour concluded. Thanks Ana for coordinating the hotel booking.

Gracias Pedro. Espero volver en 2024!

Beth. Lee, Peter, Ana, and our Cuban guides all made everything perfectly straightforward for people visiting from North America.

This was a good tour that combined sightseeing in big cities and a few beach visits. We enjoyed a variety of casas, hotels, and all-inclusive accommodations. I really enjoyed moving around and meeting different people.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Cayo y Seis Ciudades 2023 Tour. The riding was great, the weather was hot and the beer and mojitos were cold. Tour highlights included a visit to the Che Guevera mausoleum in Santa Clara, the beaches of Santa Maria, the music in Trinidad, John Lennon park in Havana, the nature hike in Hanabanilla Lake and the Bay of Pigs Museum. Our Cuban guide was very knowledgeable and informative and our mechanic always available. Last but not least, kudos to those with whom we could not be without, our Canadian tour leader, Lee, and the driver of the biggest bus in Cuba.

I just want to follow up and tell you what a great tour we had. This was maybe the best tour I have been on for many reasons:

The 3 support people, Karel, Joyany, and Reinier (spelling}, were outstanding. Besides being experts in their roles, they were all very personable, helpful and mixed with the group well. Karel went out of his way and did a lot of extras like leading walking tours of the different towns we stayed in. I think the clients really appreciated their support and reflected it in the tips.

The accommodations were also outstanding especially for Cuban standards or at least from some of my previous tours.  

Building in a couple of rest days at Hanabanilla and Cayo Santa Maria was a good idea. They were welcome stops and ideal locations for a rest day. The hiking option at Hanabanilla was well participated. Unfortunately the weather turned bad on the off day at Cayo Santa Maria and we couldn’t swim because of high winds and rough surf. Most of us got in the water the afternoon we arrived so it wasn’t all lost. But people still made good use of the resort.

I heard lots of comments from the group about the variety of activities provided in the tour. They appreciated the museums, the walking tours, hiking, riding in the old cars, etc. It wasn’t all biking.

I don’t know if it was the average age of the group, the heat, the lack of being able to train because of winter, or starting late in the day but 35 miles seemed about the most people were up to riding. Karel was quite flexible on re arranging the itinerary to accommodate the group and ordering box lunches.

I think the way we met with the bicycle teams and handed out the parts was a fun piece for the group. It gave them a chance to meet with the kids, ask them questions, and appreciate some of the worn and old equipment they are using.

The diversity and maturity of the clients was a big contributor to the success. I had to go far and wide to recruit people for the tour, some of which were friends of friends, but the spread in ages, geographical and cultural backgrounds, and educational backgrounds all contributed to a good mix of interesting people. All were very open minded and were in Cuba for the experience. There were no complaints.

We could not be more pleased with the professionalism and nimbleness of Bicycle Breeze on our Nov-Dec 2022 Guantanamo – Mango tour. The preparation of the guides, bus, and bicycles was top notch. The tour was challenged by frequently changing itinerary arising from Cuba’s emergence from Covid-19 tourism hiatus effects and Bicycle Breeze adjusted accommodations and schedule with remarkable ease. The tour group was large at 19 customers and everything flowed smoothly. Although somewhat experienced travelers we were unprepared for the shortages of food and staples such as coffee and beer we encountered in Cuba as the economy struggles to emerge from the Covid-19 effects on travel to Cuba. None-the-less Bicycle Breeze and the collaboration among our group of travelers made this a memorable and recommendable trip. Traveling in Cuba is a joy and with minor self preparation can be well accommodated. The Cuban people are a joy to experience and the landscape stunning. We were the only ones on our tour to rent mountain bikes which served us very well on the often rough roads. Caution to future travelers on the issue of making purchases along the way as many establishments were not able to accept any cash and purchases could only be made with pre-paid debit cards acquired at the airport (recommended) or bank (difficult, long lines). We are asked by friends if we would go to Cuba again and our answer is YES and we would gladly use the services of Bicycle Breeze as their associations with Cuban cycling clubs, guide services, lodging providers, and their knowledge and experience is remarkable and made this a great experience.

I’ve done this specific route 3 times over the years, so I can honesty say that the video captures the essence of the tour very well.

Very light automobile traffic and much better roads than expected, are amongst the highlights of riding in Cuba.

The sense of camaraderie one feels on these two week adventures is another huge draw.

Something to consider in the future, when the timing works.