• Meals: Dinner

Following arrival at Cuba’s Jose Marti International Airport (HAV) on the outskirts of Havana, you will be greeted by your Skedaddle guide and transferred to your accommodation in the Miramar district of Cuba’s beautiful capital (transfer time 30 mins approx.).

Transferring to the hotel it will appear as though you’ve been whisked back in time as we jostle with the old Chevys and Cadillacs on our way through the city. Once booked into our hotel we have time to take in our first real taste of Cuba, with a welcoming Cuba Libre or Mojito cocktail.

In the evening we head off to one of the numerous restaurants in the centre for our evening meal. During the meal, we will spend some time getting to know the group and chatting about your time ahead in Cuba in a little more detail. Accommodation – Hotel 4*

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Ascent: 100 Metres Approx.

This morning we start by getting acquainted with our bikes before setting off on a panoramic tour of Havana. We start out in the well-to-do Miramar district, home to the city’s foreign diplomats and some of Havana’s most striking 20th century architecture. It’s worth keeping an eye out for the sprawling and strange Russian embassy. We’ll then cycle through Parque Metropolitano de la Habana and Nuevo Vedado (home to Havana’s middle classes), before stopping at Plaza de la Revolucion, the hub of the Castro regime. After changing out of our cycling clothes it’s time for a snack and some refreshments before boarding our vehicle for the journey to Sancti Spiritus (5-6 hours) an attractive colonial city whose position off the ‘tourist trail’ adds to its charm. Accommodation – Hotel 3*

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Today involves a long transfer as we’ll be driving from Sancti Spiritus to Bayamo. Heading in an easterly direction we pass en-route the cities of Camaguey (which we’ll return to later in the tour) and Las Tunas. Needless to say we break up the journey with snack stops / lunch during the journey.

Elegant and old (predating both Havana and Santiago), Bayamo is known as the Cradle of Cuban Revolution being the city that kick-started Cuban independence. This said it’s an easygoing place that is ‘trapped in time’ and is aptly nicknamed Ciudad de los Coches (City of Horsecarts). A place where nearly half the population use horses for daily travel and where you’re more likely to hear the clip-clop of hooves as opposed to car engines. Bayamo was also a valuable hub in the slave trade, especially with the onset of the sugarcane industry.

Suitably freshened up after our travels we’ll have dinner and then spend a little time exploring this interesting slice of Cuban history. It’s a pleasant and peaceful place with the Plaza de la Revolucion (one of Cuba’s leafiest plazas) its central meeting point. Surrounded by pedestrian-only streets it’s a rare and peaceful spot to meander through. Accommodation – Hotel 3*

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Ascent: 570 Metres Approx.

Post breakfast we transfer (90kms – 1.5hrs) a little further east to the city of Palma Soriano which is located on the banks of the upper Cauto River. Back on our bikes the first part of our ride (around 30kms) leads us to Cuba’s most important religious site – La Virgen de la Caridad (The Virgin of Charity) a miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary in the mining town of El Cobre. It’s claimed the Virgin saved the lives of three sailors from the town when caught at sea in a storm. She has also collected many votive offerings from her grateful worshippers including Ernest Hemingway, who gave her his Nobel Prize for Literature, won after writing The Old Man and the Sea.

We’ve another 20kms to ride today in order to reach Santiago de Cuba our final destination today and where we’ll stay for the evening. Our hotel is situated in the heart of the city and we’ve set aside time to explore this fascinating place.

Situated closer to the Dominican Republic and Haiti than to Havana, Santiago has a frenetic and passionate beauty and leans more to the Caribbean than any other Cuban city. Nearly every Cuban music genre emerged from these dusty, rhythmic streets and no night here would be complete without sampling its heady concoction of music and dance. Accommodation – Hotel 3*

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Ascent: 330 Metres Approx.

Leaving Santiago de Cuba we head west along the stunning southern coastline. After a short transfer by bus to the outskirts of Santiago we start biking, keeping the backdrop of the mountains of the Sierra Maestra to our right and the Caribbean Sea with its beautiful beaches and bays to our left.

We have time to explore our surroundings and combine lunch at Caletón Blanco with a dip in the very tempting blue waters. Our all-inclusive 4* accommodation is set on a hilltop location overlooking the Caribbean Sea at Sierramar. Accommodation – Hotel 4*

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Ascent: 920 Metres Approx.

Today we continue heading west along the coastline towards the coastal town of Marea del Portillo with the route and distance undertaken dependent upon the group. After an initial short transfer on the support bus we cycle along the inviting coastal road with the waves crashing against the shore just a few feet away.

Marea de Portillo lures us from the distance and our 3* all-inclusive hotel, set in a picturesque location, serves as our comfortable stop for today. The cycling distance is higher than usual today and the route is undulating but there’s always the option to hop aboard the support vehicle should you wish. Accommodation – Hotel 3*

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Ascent: 420 Metres Approx.

Riding out from our hotel we head along the coast for a short while before turning inland at the coastal town of Pilon. Our route takes us across the foothills to the Sierra Maestra on our way to the charming provincial town of Niquero, which overlooks the Golfo de Guacanayabo and is where we rest up for the night.

We are now on the edge of the Parque Nautural d‘Embarque del Granma, a fascinating geological area, and the landing point for Castro, Ché and the revolutionaries. A late afternoon excursion will show us some of the park’s highlights before returning to our 2* hotel ready for dinner. Accommodation – Hotel 2*

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 300 Metres Approx.

Departing by bike straight from the hotel we continue our coastal journey towards Calicito and finally Manzanillo where today’s cycling finishes. It’s a big distance today, but with the route pretty flat we’ll soon be eating up the kms.

During the ride you’ll be able to see the Sierra Maestra in the distance. It’s in these dense mountains that the secret jungle base of La Plata is situated and where Castro masterminded the Cuban Revolution.

An afternoon transfer takes us to the peaceful town of Camaguey. Our hotel is close to the main street famous for dancing and Cuban music where you can people watch over cocktails before dancing the night away. Accommodation – Hotel 3*

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Ascent: 355 Metres Approx.

After an early breakfast, we load up the support vehicle and head west towards Banao (2-3hrs / 200kms) where we hop on our bikes once again for the scenic route all the way to Trinidad; one of the jewels of Cuba.

For the next two nights we have a chance to experience real Cuban culture by staying at casa particulares with local families who will welcome you like one of their own. Following dinner there is plenty of time to salsa the night away and sample the tasty local rum in the colonial splendour of downtown Trinidad.

• Meals: Breakfast

Trinidad, with its Spanish architecture, beautifully preserved cobbled streets, tiled roofs and fine palaces, is one of the loveliest cities in Cuba. Little wonder it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

As well as taking time to visit this beautiful city we can also take advantage of the white sandy beaches and clean turquoise water of the local Playa Ancon (Approx. a 30km round trip) before enjoying the colourful and vibrant nightlife. Accommodation Casa Particulares.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Ascent: 515 Metres Approx.

Today we point our wheels north towards the Sierra del Escambray and the Parque Natural Topes de Collantes. We pedal our way along a route surrounded by lush and virtually untouched forest vegetation.

In order to fully enjoy the wonderful flora and fauna we take a good rest for lunch amidst our natural surroundings. There are a few climbs this morning which are followed after lunch by a glorious descent along the rolling road into Manicaragua.

From here we take a short transfer to the historic city of Santa Clara, the place of the climactic battle of the revolution and home to the Ché Guevara mausoleum, which we hope to visit late afternoon if time permits. Accommodation – Hotel 3*

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

A day off the bikes as we transfer west to the small but delightful town of Viñales, full of colourful colonial-era wooden houses.

During the journey (7-8 hrs) there is plenty to see en route; sugar cane crops, sugar mills, the occasional cowboy as well as classic cars and other elements of Cuban life, as we pass through towns and villages.

Along the way we stop for lunch, arriving in Viñales and our accommodation late afternoon. Accommodation Casa Particulares.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 275 Metres Approx.

Following breakfast we ride out from our Casas, where we spend a superb day riding through the imposing mogotes of Viñales (loaf-shaped mountains of limestone), visiting huge caves and cycling dirt roads as we make our way through agricultural lands, palm trees and real working tobacco plantations.

The morning cycling is road based and explores Rancho San Vincente and Mina La Constancia, with the afternoon spent on the dirt roads of Parc National Viñales and Valle de Viñales. This is truly some of Cuba’s finest scenery and a great day’s cycling. Accommodation Casa Particulares.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Ascent: 515 Metres Approx.

Today is our final day of cycling in Cuba. After a short transfer from Viñales we ride out to beautiful Soroa and its famous waterfalls. Next stop is Las Terrazas, an eco-development and a great place to learn about the local environment. It’s here where we also take lunch.

Our ride takes us right through the park along the roller coaster road to the final cycling destination of the Las Terrazas natural rock pools. Time for a swim in the crystal-clear waters while sipping on a rum cocktail. From here we load up the bikes and head into Havana mid-afternoon and enjoy once more the delights it has to offer.

This time around in Havana we’ll be staying in casa particulares in the Vedado district. The evening together would of course not be complete without mojitos and salsa until the early hours of the morning. Accommodation – Casa Particulares.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch

Following an early breakfast we’ll have a walking tour of Old Havana. Described as a living museum with its marvellous monuments, cathedrals and palaces, this is the finest surviving Spanish colonial complex in the Americas.

Preserved by a combination of little war damage, post revolution restoration work and the millions of dollars invested since it was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1982.

We take a leisurely lunch at a Paladar in Old Havana, with the afternoon set-aside for souvenir shopping and to enjoy your final few hours in Havana. Early evening we depart for the airport (transfer time 30 -45 mins approx.)for flight connections arriving back in the UK / Europe the following day.

For those looking to add a little more time in Havana, this can easily be arranged.

This itinerary is a guide to our Cuban Revolutions Tour with the actual events varying depending on the progress of the group. It is important to note that it may be subject to change in relation to road and weather conditions, etc.