Coastline, country villages and towns, a mountain biosphere reserve…this self-guided cycling trip with very attainable daily mileage offers a snapshot of life in Cuba. Begin with a ride west from Havana on Cuba’s north shore to the beach/artist community of Banes, visit the country town of Cabañas, and round out your adventure at the rural Las Terrazas sustainable development community in the Sierra del Rosario biosphere reserve. From there you have the option of returning to Havana by bike (no extra cost), or plan to have your bikes picked up at La Moka (included) and continue by taxi to your next destination. WoWCuba can assist with arranging trip extensions.
Self-Guided Bicycle tour FAQ’s
Self-Guided Bicycle Pre-Tour Information

Route | ride ~ kms | Destination | # nights | Lodging Category | |
Havana – Banes beach | 38 | Banes Beach | 1 | private B&B | |
Banes beach – Cabañas | 38 | Cabañas | 1 | private B&B | |
Cabañas – Las Terrazas | 29 | La Moka | 1 | eco lodge | |
Las Terrazas – Havana (optional) | 85 | ||||
Total Distance (km): 105 or 189 |
Route Statistics & Elevation Chart
Distance | 189.162 km | Total Ascent/Descent | 1749 m / 1750 m |
Lowest Point | 0 m (at 8.01 km) | Highest Point | 204 m (at 104.13 km) |
Uphill | 72 km (38.1%) | Downhill | 72.27 km (32.8%) |
Flat | 44.82 km (23.7%) | Height Gain | 204 m |
Steepest Uphill | +17.8% (at 146.43 km) | Steepest Downhill | -12.2% (at 145.80 km) |
Longest Uphill | 1.26 km (at 180.81 km) | Longest Downhill | 1.53 km (at 135.81 km) |
USD per person | ||||||
Group size |
1 pax |
2 pax |
3 pax |
4 pax |
5 pax | 6 pax |
DBL occ | – | $1007.00 | $858.07 | $783.61 | $775.26 | $712.38 |
SGL occ | $1755.52 | $1092.44 | $943.51 | $869.05 | $860.69 | $797.82 |
- Specialized performance hybrid rental bicycle (up to 4 rental days) equipped with handlebar or trunk bag and helmet. If your head is difficult to fit, we recommend traveling with your own helmet. We are happy to switch out our saddles/pedals for your personal equipment upon outfitting.
- 1 Garmin cycling computer per group pre-loaded with programmed routes
- printed route cards with highlighted map, detailed daily itinerary
- 1 spare tube per bike ($5 /tube if you use it, payable at end of rental period)
- 3 nights lodging in venues hand-selected by our local team
- 3 breakfasts
- luggage transfers (with options for bike pickups/equipment exchange on that schedule). *Bike/luggage pickup is included on Day 4 in La Moka. If not returning to Havana by bicycle from La Moka, it’s presumed luggage will directly accompany travelers from that point forward with independent transportation arrangements.
- insider tips for meals and activities
- For CicloCuba’s rental equipment, emergency road repair services* are free when a) notified in advance and b) combinable with scheduled luggage transfer services.
*What if you have a mechanical enroute that you can’t fix yourself? We’re on call outside of luggage transfer schedules for a fee. Or if saving $ is a priority and the luggage transfer is already underway/completed for that ride, then if you can hitch a ride to your next destination, just let us know when you get there and we can arrange to have your CicloCuba bike fixed or replaced first thing the next morning.
- $200 USD/bicycle pre-authorization (security deposit) on primary traveler’s credit card
- local payments for meal services not expressly indicated as included
- gratuities, payable locally
- transport between accommodations and airports/bus stations/CicloCuba
- we recommend you bring your own lock, pump, tire irons & multi-tool for minor repairs.
- Optional bilingual cycling guide services ($100 USD/day excluding guide’s transportation to/from start/end of trip, accommodations &meals)
- Local cell phone SIM card for emergency calls (prepaid phone/message/data credit not included) $3 /day
- Basic rental locks: $1 /day, payable locally
- Emergency road repair services
- Notified in advance and combinable with luggage transfer services:
- Your personal equipment: ∙$10 /hour (roundtrip time) for mechanic (parts not supplied).
- No advance notice &/ not combinable with luggage transfer services:
- CicloCuba equipment: $rate/km based on roundtrip mileage from CicloCuba
∙Your personal equipment: $rate/km based on roundtrip mileage from CicloCuba + $10 /hour (roundtrip time) for mechanic (parts not supplied).
- CicloCuba equipment: $rate/km based on roundtrip mileage from CicloCuba
- Notified in advance and combinable with luggage transfer services:
Total route length | Base Rate* /km | ||
0-99.9 | $1.00 | ||
100-199.9 | $0.75 | ||
200-299.9 | $0.65 | ||
300-499.9 | $0.55 | ||
500+ | $0.50 |
*Base rate excludes transit on any unpaved or poorly-paved roads where the support vehicle cannot maintain 80 km/h i.e. the section of road between La Mulata & Palma Rubia Supplement $1/km (based on return mileage) for rough terrain
Supplement for payment in USD by credit card: $15 administrative fee + 12% banking fees
Itinerary
After bicycle outfitting at CicloCuba either dally around exploring some of Havana’s neighborhoods, or head straight out of town hugging the northern coastline. Today’s cycling route is relatively flat, and usually with tailwinds to accompany the ride. We recommend stopping for lunch at one of our favorite off-the-beaten-path seafood spots, directly on the water in the coastal town of Baracoa. Your destination is Banes Beach, a small seaside artist community. Free afternoon to swim, lounge in a hammock, or just kick back and relax with a good book in some lovely surroundings. We suggest ordering dinner at Berta’s, just a short walk from your lodging, and eating in at your lodging. Or you could also order a taxi back to the town of Baracoa, the choice is yours.
Note: you should bring your luggage with you to CicloCuba today.
Distance (km): 38

Route Statistics & Elevation Chart
Distance | 38.032 km | Total Ascent/Descent | 201 m / 208 m |
Lowest Point | 1 m (at 4.86 km) | Highest Point | 20 m (at 35.64 km) |
Uphill | 12.33 km (32.4%) | Downhill | 12.33 km (32.4%) |
Flat | 13.32 km (35.0%) | Height Gain | 19 m |
Steepest Uphill | +7.8% (at 37.35 km) | Steepest Downhill | -7.8% (at 37.17 km) |
Longest Uphill | 1.35 km (at 34.47 km) | Longest Downhill | 1.08 km (at 21.15 km) |
After breakfast you’ll continue west along the coast to the industrial port town of Mariel enroute to the sleepy town of Cabañas. You may see local agricultural producers and vendors with stands offering fruit, juice and honey along the way. Your destination is on the outskirts of town and the property backs onto a lovely rural view. Your hosts operate a restaurant on site for their guests.
Distance (km): 38.0

Route Statistics & Elevation Chart
Distance | 37.980 km | Total Ascent/Descent | 354 m / 325 m |
Lowest Point | 0 m (at 9.00 km) | Highest Point | 59 m (at 26.46 km) |
Uphill | 15.30 km (40.3%) | Downhill | 14.67 km (32.6%) |
Flat | 7.92 km (20.9%) | Height Gain | 59 m |
Steepest Uphill | +8.9% (at 9.09 km) | Steepest Downhill | -8.9% (at 8.82 km) |
Longest Uphill | 2.16 km (at 23.94 km) | Longest Downhill | 1.35 km (at 21.33 km) |
Head inland today to the lush Sierra del Rosario mountains and biosphere reserve. You’ll ride past lush farmland and through areas that have benefited from Cuba’s extensive reforestation program. Challenge your legs on this leg of your cycling journey with a little climbing. Your destination is the ecolodge La Moka, nestled in the terraced hills of Las Terrazas community, a successful experiment in sustainable development and reforestation. In the biosphere reserve you can enjoy ziplines, boating, hiking to the ruins of French coffee plantations, swimming in rivers, small waterfalls, museums, a variety of restaurants featuring Cuban cuisine, ecological dining, and even a cafe specializing in Cuban coffee.
Distance (km): 28.8

Route Statistics & Elevation Chart
Distance | 28.763 km | Total Ascent/Descent | 440 m / 271 m |
Lowest Point | 15 m (at 5.04 km) | Highest Point | 203 m (at 28.62 km) |
Uphill | 13.59 km (47.2%) | Downhill | 10.44 km (36.3%) |
Flat | 4.68 km (16.3%) | Height Gain | 188 m |
Steepest Uphill | +12.2% (at 10.35 km) | Steepest Downhill | -10.0% (at 26.64 km) |
Longest Uphill | 1.17 km (at 15.84 km) | Longest Downhill | 1.44 km (at 1.98 km) |
Breakfast at La Moka. You can return to Havana by bicycle (no extra cost for the rental bikes or the luggage transfer back to CicloCuba), perhaps with a pre-arranged stop for lunch at Finca Tungasuk in Caimito, or opt in advance to have just your bikes picked up at La Moka (included) and continue by taxi to your next destination. Continuing vehicular passenger transport from La Moka is not included, but WoWCuba can provide assistance for trip extensions if required.
Distance (km): 84.8

Route Statistics & Elevation Chart
Distance | 84.812 km | Total Ascent/Descent | 755 m / 940 m |
Lowest Point | 3 m (at 54.09 km) | Highest Point | 204 m (at 0.18 km) |
Uphill | 28.98 km (34.2%) | Downhill | 36.72 km (43.3%) |
Flat | 19.08 km (22.5%) | Height Gain | 201 m |
Steepest Uphill | +15.6% (at 41.94 km) | Steepest Downhill | -15.6% (at 42.30 km) |
Longest Uphill | 0.99 km (at 28.71 km) | Longest Downhill | 1.35 km (at 2.88 km) |