Senast uppdaterad: 2011-11-30
Itinerary
Day 1-2
Gathering at our hotel in Havana.You will get a first chance to experience Cuba's atmospheric capital with its old cars, beautiful architecture and easy going way of life. You will only have time to get to know some parts of the city this time, but don't worry, you'll come back.
Havana is an interesting place. Everybody can find "his or her" Havana. You can just sit outside Capitolium and look as the old cars are passing by. Go and talk to the drivers, take a picture, ask them about their cars. Who owned it before, when was the car produced, why do they still use it? When you learn about the history behind the cars, you learn a lot about the last 50 years in Cuba. You can also go for a walk at Malecon and observe the fishermenThis is a place where locals gather in the evenings.During your days in Havana you will be able to follow in the footprints of Hemingway. He went to Cuba and fell in love in the island. One day you will do a Hemingway tour. His first home was room number 511 at the Hotel Ambos Mundos. Hemingway adapted the Cuban lifestyle, he went to La Bodeguita and like all others he wrote on the walls: "Mi mojito en la Bodeguita, Mi daiquirà en el Floridita". It's fascinating to study Cuba through the eyes of Hemingway. He was out chasing German submarines with his boat Pilar, he went to Cojimar where he met the man (Gregorio Fuentes) who inspired him to write "The Old Man and the Sea". One of the days in Havana you can visit the house he bought just outside the city, Finca la VigÃa. If you are interested in history you will have a lot to do in Havanna. For example visit the castle El Castillo de la Real Fuerza (the oldest in America). If you would like to study what happened during the revolution of 1959 go to El Museo de la Revolución. There you can see everything: the clothes, the weapons and the boat Granma, in which Fidel and the other revolutionaries arrived to Cuba. All nights are special in Havana. Why don't spend the first night at Café Paris and enjoy the music. If you are interested in dance, there are a lot of opportunities. Tropicana is world-famous. It's expensive, so check the price before you go. If you like to see more traditional dance you can visit Palenque in Vedado where Conjunto folklorico de Cuba have rumba every Saturday in the afternoon. There are other good place to see rumba - your tourleader will be happy to help you find out.
Day 3-4, Bayamo
Bus to Bayamo. You will travel across Cuba in one day, making short stops at interesting places. Bayamo is a nice little town where you can experience more of Cuba's small town life. It's a well preserved colonial town with beautiful architecture. Bayamo has played an important role in Cuba's history, it was here that the struggle for independence from Spain began, and there are several small museums to visit.
Day 5-8, Sierra Maestra
You hike in Cuba's highest mountain range Sierra Maestra for four days. The mountains are covered in lush tropical forest and there are many endemic spieces. The goal of your trek is to reach the top of Cuba's highest mountain Pico Turquino at 1975 meters.
The excursion is divided on two parts. The first part include the visit of La Comandancia La Plata. This camp, now a museum, was used by Fidel Castro during the combats 1956-58. This part of the trek is a good introduction to appreciate the local nature with exotics plants like Orquidias, Yagruma and Cedro or birds like Tocororo and ColibrÃ.
The second part is the way to Pico Turquino. On the third day you leave the camp and start to climb the peak and return to the same camp later that day. Of course climbing the peak is optional. You may stay in the camp for the day if you prefer to.
Overall you trek about 8-9 km every day and spend the nights in camps which has basic beds and bedding. This is not an easy trek but the nature is amazing and some views are incredible.
Transportation back to Bayamo.
Day 9, Bayamo
One day in Bayamo where you will have time to rest after the trek and prepare yourself to start bicycling.
Day 10, Biking: Bayamo-Manzanillo (68km)
Your first biking day will take you to th port city in of Manzanillo in the Granma Province. The province is named after the famous boat which brought Fidel Castro and 81 other revolutionairs to Cuba in 1956. Before the revolution this province together with four other provinces was named el Oriente.
This ride is easy throughout, either flat or gently rolling all the way, often with views of the Sierra Maestra ahead or to the left. During the first part of the ride, you will cycle through rich cattle country, then you will pass more sugar cane and bananas as you draw nerarer to Manzanillo.
Manzanillo was the site of four battles during the Spanish American War in the late 19th century. Manzanillo is one of those cities you never want to leave. Part of this reason is its people, who are as kind and sincere as those of Pinar del Rio Province, on the other end of the country. Manzanillo's main park is the most beautiful on the island. You'll want to see it up close up, and later feel hurt the moment you have to part. You also want to go for a walk along its splendid seafront. The bell tower of its main church is the best companion when feeling the rapture of the finest of this eastern Cuban city.
Day 11, Biking: Manzanillo-Niquero (72km)
This ride is also easy throughout, level to gently rolling, with no difficult hills. It is also pleasantly scenic, with pretty views of distant mountains during the first half. Along the way you will see many sugar plantations and some farms with tropical fruits, vegetables, cows and sheeps. Media Luna town is a wonderful place to make a stop on the beach. These neighborhoods have a lovely architecture with tree houses and friendly people.
Day 12, Niquero
Niquero is a small fishing town with Caribbean wooden houses. You can just rest and enjoy small town life or why not make excursions in this interesting and absolutely non-touristy part of Cuba. You can visit the spot where Fidel Castro and the other revolutionaries landed with their boat Granma. In the national park (Parque Nacional Desembarcadero del Granma) there is high bush like vegetation and lots of birds and butterflies. There are also several beautiful beaches in the area.
Day 13, Biking: Niquero-Marea de Portillo (69km)
This ride is the most spectacular of the tour but also the most challenging. There is almost no traffic on the beautful south coast. The road climbs over headlands, then drops precipitously to the sea far below. The thrill of working your way up the diffucult hills and then flying back down them is unforgettable. Keep you speed under control!
Along the way you will pass some very small villages with only two or three families. The second part of this route is considered one of the five best scenic drives of Cuba.
In Marea de Portillo we have no choice but to stay in an all-inclusive hotel, which means food is included when you arrive.
Day 14-15, Cienfuegos
You leave Marea de Portillo with a bus for Cienfuegos in central Cuba. On the way you make a stop in Trinidad for a couple of hours. There you'll have dinner and can also make a stroll through the historic city which was spared during the piracy years in the 17th centuary due to its location south of the mountains.
Cienfuegos is one of the must beautiful cities of Cuba. Designed by Frances people the city offers exceptional buildings and friendly locals. You will have the opportunity to bicycle to a community project and also learn about contemporary literature. An interesting excursion could be a ferry ride in the bay or a visit to the Nuclear City, constructed by the Soviet Union during the 70's and 80's. The nuclear central was never up and running but the city still exists and its habitants see themselves as a forgotten community.
Day 16, Biking: Cienfuegos-Santa Clara (40 km)
You start riding you bicycle in the morning and on the way to Santa Clara you make a short stop in Palmira which is famous for its habitants practicing the Afro Cubans religion. You continue by bike to Cruces where we stop bicycling and continue by bus to Santa Clara.
The terrein is mostly flat or rising slightly, never steep enough to present real difficulty. The only real challange is the headwind that can be strong.
Santa Clara is one of the largest and most happening cities in Cuba. Santa Clara is home to Cuba's third largest university and is also the center om the national gay movement. It is not often visit by tourists, but it deserves to be.
One of the most important battles between Batista's troups and and Fidel Castro's revolutionaries took place here in December 1958 and was commanded by Ernesto Che Guevara. In the southeastern reaches of the city you will visit the impressive memorial for Che Guevara with a statue of the revolutionary leader on the top. You can also visit the Parque Vidal square in teh center of town and the impressive botanical garden of the Central University.
Day 17, Santa Clara-Remedios (46km)
You bicycle to the small city of Camajuani, about halfway to Remedios. The road leading to Camajuani is a lot up and down and passes through areas with small farms, diverse vegetation and the hills of the Alturas de Santa Clara.. Here you'll have a longer lunch brake next to a river. After the break you continue to Remedios, mostly going down. You arrive in Remedios late afternoon.
Day 18, Remedios
Remedios is one of the first seven colonial village constructed by Diego Velázquez. The city has a very colonial atmosphere and is famous for its strange but passionate street festivals, Las Parrandas. Remedios is also home to one of the most international celebrated cuban musicians of the last century, Alejandro GarcÃa Caturla, who mix symphonic music with Afrocuban percussions.
While in Remedios you have the option doing a bicycle excurstion to beach in Caibarien, a 20 km roundtrip on a flat road. Caibarien is a fishing city where you also can visit the Agro-industrial museum of Cuba.
Day 19-20, Havana
Back to Havana by bus and you get a second chance to enjoy Cuba's vibrant capital.
Day 21
The tour ends.
