Cuban Highlights Ride

Cycle the Pearl of the Caribbean, experiencing the best bits and discovering a nation forged under unique circumstances

Explore Cuba by bike, the ideal way to immerse yourself in a beautiful island shaped by revolution and resilience. Cycling through lush countryside, vibrant colonial towns and quiet coastal roads, we enjoy countless interactions with the welcoming local people: dancing salsa, riding with cycling club members and cruising through Havana in a classic car. Of course, there’s revolutionary history to discover, the UNESCO-listed towns of Cienfuegos and Trinidad to explore, and the chance to enjoy a fresh mojito at the end of a day’s cycling.

People, Places & Planet

We work hard to create trips that have a positive impact on the people and places we visit and look after the planet we explore. Learn more about our sustainable travel ethos and practice here and find out about the work of the Exodus Travels Foundation here.

Some sustainable travel highlights of this trip include:

People

How this trip helps improve life for local communities.

• Every day of this trip is focused on activities that provide direct income for local people. This is in compliance with the United States’ Support for the Cuban People scheme, which allows legal travel to Cuba for US citizens.
• Local guides keep you well informed about local traditions and cultural-social sensitivities.
• This trip brings income and opportunity to the destination community through the inclusion of locally owned casas particulares, paladares (restaurants), and other enterprises, and by championing locally produced food wherever possible.
• We are joined on several stages of the trip by cyclists from local clubs including the Cuban Masters Road Cycling Club. These interactions allow the local people to improve their English skills (which can widen employment opportunities) while giving visitors an insight into competitive cycling in Cuba.
• Read more about our other initiatives here.

Places

How this trip helps protect and conserve local landscapes and nature.

• By travelling in a small group, we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment.
• We work with our partners on the ground to proactively reduce waste; this includes eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles by providing refills for reusable bottles and encouraging visitors to bring filter water bottles, which can be refilled at public fountains and taps along the way.
• We meet a local nature expert in Playa Larga, who gives precious insight into the natural landscape and wildlife of the Zapata Peninsula.
• With our partners, Rewilding Apennines, we rewild 100 square meters (1,075 sqft) of land per passenger who travels with us.
• Read about our commitment to nature protection and restoration here, including our rewilding commitment for every customer who travels with us.

Planet

How we seek to keep the carbon footprint of this trip low.

• Accommodation and restaurants in the itinerary use locally sourced food which has not been transported long distances.
• Cycling trips like this have very little detrimental impact on the environment and the locals, as it is a quiet, low impact activity requiring comparatively few resources to support.
• Casas particulares are small guesthouses that have a lower carbon footprint than larger hotels.
• Read about our climate action here, including our carbon reduction and compensation commitments.

 Tips for sustainable travel on this trip

• Leave no trace: We do all we can to ensure we leave no rubbish in the wild and beautiful places we visit; we ask that you do the same. If there are no recycling facilities in-country, consider bringing recyclable materials home with you.
• Plastic waste reduction: Please bring a reusable water bottle on this trip, also consider avoiding single-use hotel toiletries, which generate a large amount of plastic waste.

Is this trip for you?

This trip rated Activity Level 2 (Easy & Moderate). For more information on our trip gradings please visit our Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip please do not hesitate to contact us.

• Average daily distance: 25mi (40km)
• Number of days cycling: Six
• Vehicle support: 100 percent
• Terrain and route: 90 percent paved, 10 percent dirt roads; some hills

Understanding Cuba: Cuba’s famously turbulent history and economic stagnation has resulted in daily difficulties: supermarket shelves can be bare, finding a working ATM is often tricky and wifi is unreliable. However, our tour leader helps to unravel the nuances and red tape of island life, allowing you to truly absorb this fascinating destination. We strongly recommend reading the Trip Notes carefully, there’s plenty of information in there that will enhance your experience!

The cycling: The trip is not too strenuous, but a reasonable level of fitness is required. Many of the roads are in good condition but expect potholes and poor road conditions in some sections. The roads are almost always free of heavy traffic, except in the towns. Mountain bikes with hybrid tyres are ideal for this trip and flat bars are preferable, but a good strong tourer will suffice (though make sure you have suitably low gearing).

Staying hydrated: When cycling, please drink lots of water as the heat and humidity can be high (especially June to August). Some may prefer to ride a slightly reduced distance each day to avoid cycling in the middle of the day. If this is the case, our back-up vehicle is available. The rest of the group can continue the itinerary as planned.

Phone signal: Phone networks don’t make or receive calls particularly well in Cuba, and coverage may not be available in many locations. There is 4G but not all phone networks work here, so please check with your service provider before travel. Data roaming from your home network can be incredibly expensive – we recommend switching this off. There are several ways to connect to the internet using a mobile device, but it’s best not to expect a reliable internet connection. Most casas particulares have free wifi which, while much slower than your usual connection, is adequate for keeping in touch with friends and family via WhatsApp or email. If you have time, you could buy a Cuban sim card to access roaming; however, service is slow and it may take a couple of hours to buy and register your sim card.

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.

Vaccinations and Health

Cuba

There are no mandatory vaccination requirements. Recommended vaccinations are: Tetanus, Hepatitis A. We are advised that there is no risk of malaria. Dengue fever is a known risk in places visited. It is a tropical viral disease spread by daytime biting mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available for Dengue, and therefore the best form of prevention is to avoid being bitten. We recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Zika fever is a mosquito‐borne viral disease and a known risk in places visited on this trip. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, we therefore strongly recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

The above information can change at short notice; as we are not qualified to answer all your questions about travel health we recommend that you confirm with your doctor or travel clinic. 

Visa

Cuba

UK, EU, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or Japan passport holders residing in the UK/Ireland 

If you hold a passport from the UK, an EU country, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or Japan AND reside in the UK/Ireland, Exodus includes a green tourist card that you can use to enter Cuba. We will post the tourist card to you approximately three to four weeks before travel. We will send instructions on how to fill it in but please be careful when completing it as any mistakes may result in you having to purchase a new card at a cost of £25 per person. 

Please note, tourist cards supplied by Exodus will not be valid if you are travelling via the USA as you will then be subject to comply with the same regulations as an American citizen. You cannot use a green tourist card purchased outside the USA and will have to buy a pink tourist card sold only in the USA. For this reason, we do not recommend travelling to Cuba via the USA. 

Other passport holders residing in the UK/Ireland 

If you reside in the UK or Ireland but do not hold one of the above passports, please contact your nearest Cuban consulate to check which visa is required – Exodus is unable to provide a tourist card for you. 

Customers residing outside the UK/Ireland 

If you do not reside in the UK or Ireland, you must contact your nearest Cuban consulate to check which visa is required – Exodus is unable to provide a tourist card for you. 

USA passport holders and residents 

Any USA passport holder wishing to travel to Cuba should be fully aware of current legislation before committing to a trip to Cuba. As an American-owned company, Exodus programs to Cuba are fully compliant with the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) general license under the Support for the Cuban People category of travel. 

Travellers from the USA are required to buy a pink tourist card sold only in the US (at a US airport or from a US travel agent). We recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting through. For travellers from the USA, please check: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel.html where you can also find more information about the Support for Cuban People and OFAC requirements. 

You must keep a copy of your itinerary and any correspondence/transactions relating to the trip for a minimum of five years after the trip takes place to comply with OFAC requirements. 

IMPORTANT FOR ALL CUSTOMERS: 

Cuba now requires all passengers to fill in a locator form prior to travel – this form is mandatory. You can access the form here: www.dviajeros.mitrans.gob.cu/inicio Make sure to keep a photo of the QR code generated so you can easily present it on arrival. You can only fill in the D’Viajeros form seven days prior to entry into Cuba. For advice on how to complete it, consult our Help Sheet. 

The Cuban entry immigration is time consuming, and most visitors encounter delays: it may take up to two hours to clear immigration and collect your bags. All tourists visiting Cuba must have travel insurance to cover medical costs. You may be asked to provide proof of your travel insurance policy when you arrive at Havana Airport. Ensure your documents are easily accessible. 

Visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to organise this element of your trip. We recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through. 

Food & Drink

In 2024, seven breakfasts, six lunches and four dinners are included. In 2025, seven breakfasts, six lunches and three dinners are included, allowing the option to try local restaurants on the other evenings.

The paladares are likely to be a highlight of any visit to Cuba – they are one of the few types of private enterprise allowed (although still heavily regulated). Think soul food – rice, black beans, slow-roast pork or chicken, fresh fish, lobster and plenty of tropical fruit. The atmosphere in private paladares and the opportunity to integrate with Cubans will absolutely enhance your stay!

In general, Cuba is not renowned for its culinary excellence (although it is improving) and some ingredients are just not possible to acquire. Food tends to be simple and relatively expensive – in no small part due to the long trade embargo imposed by the US. Dishes are relatively simple, with most mealtimes consisting of meat or fish accompanied by rice and salad or vegetables. Seafood is widely available on the coast, including cheap and abundant lobster! Vegetarians will find that choices are limited, but it’s still possible to eat well. Snacks are not freely available in Cuba so you may wish to bring some with you – particularly energy snacks, as food shops, cafes and restaurants are scarce in many of the rural areas we visit. It can be difficult to find quick lunches on the go as Cubans typically eat two meals a day – we provide packed lunches during the day and there are plenty of water and fruit refreshment stops. While food choice can be basic, on the plus side there is absolutely no shortage of rum! Havana Club, Black Tears, Ron Santiago, Caney… after your visit, you will be an expert.

Drinking water is provided on cycling days – we allow for 100floz (3 litres) per person. On non-cycling days, water is not provided. We ask that you bring a filter water bottle to fill with provided water on cycling days and at public fountains and taps on non-cycling days. This helps to cut down on plastic and the need to buy water.

Weather

The dry season runs from November to April (with December to March being the peak months for traditional tourism). It is very humid between May and October, with heavy rains at times and the possibility of hurricanes. July and August are some of the most popular months to visit but are extremely hot (average 28C/82F) and wet. Cuba has an average of six hours of sunshine per day with a more or less constant humidity of 62 percent. Water temperature is normally 24C-28C (75F-82F).