I decided to bring a bike over with me rather than trying to source one in Cuba, as I'd read that decent bikes are impossible to buy there and hiring is expensive. From my collection I chose a Raleigh Pioneer tourer, purchased new back in 1999 but which has had very little use, probably having covered less than 1000 miles from new. It has 21 gears, a rack, mudguards, and is fitted with straightforward components which would be easy to fix in the event of problems over there.
I travelled from London Heathrow with Air France, with a scheduled plane change at Paris CDG. The airline charged me 100 euros each way to transport the bike. I was able to obtain a cardboard bike box at Heathrow airport without too much difficulty.
Boxed bike, with panneirs rready to load onto the plane
On arrival in Havana at 9pm on Wednesday 6/5/15, it didn't take too long to clear immigration and customs, but I was kept waiting over an hour for my bike to appear at the oversized luggage counter. By then it was nearing 11pm and I decided to travel to Havana by taxi, with the still-boxed bike, rather than try and reassemble it then and ride into town, a distance of around 25kms.
I stayed 2 nights in the Plaza Hotel, an old colonial building near the Central Park, dating from 1909:
The next 2 days were spent walking and cycling around Havana, which is full of great buildings dating from the colonial era right up to the eve of the 1959 revolution. The opulence of many of these now sadly neglected and decaying buildings was clear evidence of how prosperous Cuba once was. Fortunately there is a massive restoration project ongoing and many of these wonderful buildings are now looking good again, but there are still many others in danger of falling down before they can be rescued:
Capitol Building – larger than the one in Washington, currently undergoing restoration
Revolution Square, and monument.
Athough less than 20 years old, the Revolution Monument is already needing structural repair and consequently the tower is closed to visitors.
Parque Central, with Jose Marti statue and Hotel Inglaterra in the background
Typical Havana side street scene, with bread queue
The numerous American cars from the 1950s, many still well preserved, are a unique feature of Cuba and can be seen throughout the country:
The Prado is an elegant tree-lined boulevard modelled on the Ramblas in Barcelona:
View along the Malecon, the 6 lane highway along the shore. Many of the buildings here are in a shocking state of neglect:
The baroque-style Cathedral, completed in 1777
Havana's most celebrated bar, La Bodeguita del Medio was one of Hemingway's favourite haunts:
Many fine examples of Modernist architecture were built in the years leading up to the revolution, notably the Riviera Hotel, which still has a wonderfully retro 1950s foyer:
Also noteworthy is the Hotel Habana Libre which opened in 1958 as the Havana Hilton, but within a year was taken over by Castro and used as his personal headquarters, much of the interior getting trashed in the process:
This is the FOCSA building (1956) constructed using a then revolutionary concrete pouring technique which completely avoided the use of cranes. From the restaurant at the top there are great views to be had over the city:
Looking east, towards Hotel Nacional
View over Centro Habana
View west towards Vedado
After 2 days in Havana it was time to hit the road and get the tour started. Since the prevailing winds over Cuba blow in a westerly direction, I decided to travel by bus with the bike to Santiago de Cuba, 800kms east of Havana, and start the ride from there.
The bus left Havana at 10pm on Friday 8th May and the journey to Santiago was scheduled to take 15 hours. Unfortunately several delays and breakdowns occurred en route and it didn't arrive there until 6pm on Saturday, after 20 hours on the road. Fortunately there were 2 other German cycle tourists on the bus with their bikes, both of whom had cycled in Cuba previously, so I was able to get some useful information from them.
On arrival in Santiago we rode straight into the centre of town, and said our goodbyes there as they already had accommodation arranged; I checked into the Casa Grande Hotel, a fine colonial building used by Grahame Greene while he was writing Our Man in Havana – situated on the Parque Cespedes:
The hotel had a rooftop restaurant overlooking Parque Cespedes and the cathedral:
It would have been good to spend a full day looking around Santiago, which is Cuba's second largest city; however time was pressing and I wanted to get started on the ride. It's always difficult to know how much time to allow for a long cycle tour, as you can't predict how many days you may be delayed by bad weather, mechanical breakdowns, or other problems. So I decided to start the tour the following morning, after a good and much needed night's sleep.
Day 1 – Sunday 10/5/15
I left Santiago at 10, pausing briefly to take a photo at the town's main square, Plaza de Marti,
I was soon out of town and on the Autopista heading east. Despite being a main highway there was very little traffic:
Roadside murals are frequently seen throughout the country.
Thee first stop along the route was at the small town of La Maya, where I enjoyed a very nice Bocadito di Helado, a type of ice cream sandwich:
There were no other towns until I reached Guantanamo. It started to rain heavily just as I arrived there, but the downpour didn't last long and I was able to find accommodation in the Hotel Marti, adjacent to the town's main square, without getting too wet:
Colonial buildings in Guantanamo town centre:
I had a good dinner of prawns with rice at Restaurant 1870, then went back to the hotel. There was a very loud nightclub upstairs so I didn't get much sleep.
Distance ridden today 88kms.
Day 2 – Monday 11/5/15
It was a very hot day, over 35C and I knew that the next stretch of the route was through fairly remote country with little availability of water or food, so I waited until the shops opened at 9am to buy some supplies.
After 25kms I reached the turnoff to Guantanamo Bay, and the US naval base, which was, unsurprisingly, quite heavily guarded, with signs saying no photography:
Looking back towards Guantanamo Bay
Another 10kms further on, the route hit the southern coast. I had lunch at El Guanal, which had a great beach:
From there the road continued to follow the shoreline:
As the afternoon progressed it looked as though rain was imminent, but fortunately it stayed dry all day.
Arriving at Imias, the first town since Guantanamo, at 3.30pm, it was time to find somewhere to stay. There were no hotels in the town, but this bike repairman was able to direct me to a nearby Casa Particular, a private home whose owner accepts paying guests:
The casa, behind this restaurant, was basic but adequate for a night:
Casa courtyard, with host preparing dinner
I took a walk down to the beach and back, 2km each way, and dinner was ready by the time I returned, it was huge portions of chicken, rice, and salad, with copious amounts of guava juice – a very typical Cuban meal.
Imias main street
Distance today 87kms, total 175kms
Day 3 – Tuesday 12/5/15
I managed to get an early start, leaving at 7.30am. A hard day's cycling lay ahead, over a stretch of road known as La Farola. This road, constructed soon after the revolution, traverses the mountain range which separates Baracoa, today's destination, from the rest of the country. It's well renowned as a very scenic route, reaching a height of over 600m.
Mountain range in the distance
Climb begins here
There are plenty of good views along the route:
This 1951 Chevrolet had been fitted with a 4 cylinder Peugeot engine at some stage in its life. It was among a number of overheated vehicles I passed by on the gruelling climb up La Farola:
I arrived in Baracoa at 1215pm. This is the site where Columbus first landed, and is Cuba's oldest colonial settlement.
View over Baracoa
Baracoa cathedral
Inside the cathedral is a wooden cross hewn from local timber by Columbus's men; this is the oldest
known colonial artifact in the Americas:
Game of chess on Baracoa main square
I had dinner at this restaurant, El Colonial, sampling the local Baracoan cuisine – fish with lechita – a sauce made from coconut, tomato, and a medley of spices, and which was very tasty:
Accommodation was at the La Rusa hotel, on the sea front :
Distance today 72kms, total so far 247kms
Day 4 – Wednesday 13/5/15
View of road leaving Baracoa. Lack of gears on Cuban bikes meant everyone pushing their machines up even this modest incline:
Today's destination was Moa, around 80kms away, but on the way there, a short distance from Baracoa, I wanted to climb the 575m flat topped mountain called El Yunque (the anvil).
On the way to the mountain I passed by this chocolate factory opened by Che Guevara in 1963, unfortunately it didn't offer tours otherwise I would have definitely stopped there a while:
The side road leading to the base of the mountain had a very rough surface:
To climb El Yuncke you have to be accompanied by a guide, as the trail is not very well marked in places, and also the mountain is a conservation area so the authorities want to ensure that climbers keep to the trail and minimise disturbance to wildlife and flora, much of which is endemic to the area.
This is the guide, Luis, with my fellow climber, Jorg, a tourist from Germany:
View of El Yunque
To get to the mountain we had to cross the Rio Duaba, which was knee deep:
Luis showed us the inside of a Cacao fruit – chocolate is produced from the purple-coloured seeds:
Millipede
Chameleon
It was quite a tough climb, taking about an hour and a half to reach the summit. Also it was very hot and humid. Unfortunately the views from the top weren't that great, owing to the dense cloud cover.
This was the view towards Baracoa. The palm tree in the foreground is an endemic species, unique to this mountain:
There is a small bust of the revolutionary hero Antonio Maceo at the summit:
Fruit, and coconut drink awaited us when we descended to the halfway station:
Among the refreshments on offer was this strange fruit which contained a weird spicy paste, actually quite pleasant – unfortunately I can't remember its name.
We returned to the base of El Yunque at around 2pm. The road onward to Moa was rough and hilly most of the way:
This bust was at the entrance to the Humboldt national park, a UNESCO world heritage site containing many endemic species. Unfortunately I didn't have time to stop any longer than a few minutes as I wanted to arrive in Moa before nightfall:
This cone-shaped delicacy is Cucurucho – a delicious snack consisting of dried coconut, sugar, honey, papaya, guayaba, mandarin and nuts wrapped in an environmentally-friendly palm frond. It was the perfect energy boost I needed:
Unfortunately my hopes of arriving in Moa before dark were unrealised, as I had the first, and as it turned out, the only puncture of the whole tour, this afternoon. I wasted half an hour on several unsuccessful repair attempts before giving up and fitting a new tube
The large and very environmentally-unfriendly nickel smelting plant outside Moa
Arriving in Moa after dark, it took some time to find the town's only hotel, which turned out to be full, fortunately they were able to direct me to a casa nearby. It had been a pretty long day so I slept very well after a decent dinner provided by the casa owner.
Distance today 85kms, total 332kms
Day 5 – Thursday 14/5/15
Horse drawn transport reigns supreme in Moa. It's an ugly, industrial town, with lots of Stalinist apartment blocks:
The road surface from Moa was much better than the yesterday's stretch from Baracoa. And there was very little traffic on it:
After 35kms I reached Sagua de Tanamo, where I wasted over a hour in a fruitless search for bottled water. Eventually I went into a restaurant and got a refill from the tap. It was at this point that I stopped worrying about drinking tap water; there really isn't any alternative in most places outside the large cities as it's so difficult to obtain bottled water.
There is some decent colonial architecture in Sagua
Sagua main square with the inevitable Jose Marti statue
Arriving in Mayari in mid afternoon, I found accommodation at this casa particular. The “anchor” logo denotes houses that are licenced to take private guests:
The very friendly host put out a Union Jack flag in my honour, and prepared a nice dinner of spicy pork:
Mayari town square
Distance today 104kms, total 436kms
Day 6 – Friday 15/5/15
From Mayari the route led west then north towards Banes, the next town which was 60kms away. The road was quite hilly, and rough in places, but I made it there by mid morning.
This is Banes town square - the unusual Art Deco style church in the background was where Fidel Castro got married, in 1948:
40kms further on I reached Guardalavaca, where there are a number of large resort hotels. I stayed in a very comfortable casa, the Vila Bely, nearby:
This a view of the town's public beach:
I had a good meal at the casa and spent the evening watching a film on my laptop.
Distance today 100kms, total 536kms
Day 7 – Saturday 16/5/15
It was an uneventful day's riding, with nothing worth stopping to look at until I reached Holguin, the destination for the day. It's a major city with many significant historic buildings.
Holguin main square, Parque Calixto Garcia
San Isidoro Cathedral
At the edge of the city, there's a 465 step stairway up the Loma de la Cruz hill. It was a long walk up, but the views at the top were well worth the effort:
I stayed at the Hotel Pernik, a huge 1970's Stalinist-type building with an amusingly retro interior. Its large pool made it very popular with the locals:
Dinner was an excellent octopus dish served with Chilean wine, at the Restaurant 1910. Restaurants in Cuba often seem to have dates in their name, presumably the date of the building's construction.
Distance today 64kms, total 600kms
Day 8 – Sunday 17/5/15
The breakfast buffet at the Hotel Pernik was very comprehensive so I didn't get away until 8.30. The route headed west from Holguin along the Carretera Central, the main road that spans almost the entire length of Cuba. Despite being such a major road, it's mostly single carriageway, with no shoulder. However the low density of traffic meant it was perfectly safe to cycle on. Indeed most of the traffic on it was either cycle or horse powered.
This view shows a rare wide section of the road, as it leaves Holguin, with the distance to Havana signposted:
Despite being very hot, it was an easy morning's cycling, the terrain was flat all the way, the road surface reasonably smooth, and there was a slight tailwind. There wasn't much of interest along the way. I passed through just one small town, Buenaventura, and stopped briefly for a cold drink.
CC through Buenaventura
Arrived at today's destination, Las Tunas, around 12.30 and checked into the Hotel Cadillac, a very comfortable boutique hotel in a 1940s Art Deco building overlooking the town's main square, the Parque Vincente Garcia:
View from hotel room balcony
I enjoyed a refreshing ice cream sundae at this peso joint nearby:
There isn't a lot to see in Las Tunas and in any case it was too hot to do much walking around. But the central historic area does have some well preserved colonial buildings and is quite a pleasant place:
Distance today 83kms, total 683kms
Day 9 – Monday 18/5/15
Another long, hot day on the Carretera Central. Again, the terrain was flat most of the way and I was able to average a good speed, around 25kph, without much effort.
Early on, I saw this snake by the side of the road, sadly deceased. I have seen virtually no other wildlife on the journey so far. It was about 50cm long.
Most of what little traffic there was on this stretch of road, was horse drawn:
40kms from Las Tunas, the first stop along the route was at Guaimaro, where this monument commemorates the first Cuban constitution, approved at an assembly held here in 1869:
Although the road had very little traffic, evidently accidents do occur regularly:
Arriving in the outskirts of Camaguey around 3pm, I stopped briefly at this roadside bicycle maintenance workshop. I had become aware of a noise from the bottom bracket and wanted to get it checked out. The repairman tightened up a few bolts but indicated (in Spanish) that he thought everything seemed okay and couldn't detect any problems. I will see how it rides tomorrow.
I found good central accommodation at the Plaza Hotel, by the main station:
Then I set off for a walk around this fascinating old city, which besides being Cuba's 3rd biggest after Havana and Santigo, is recognised as a UNESCO world heritage site.
Monument to local hero Ignacio Agramonte, who led the area's revolt against Spain during the first war of independence.
Plaza San Juan de Dios
One of the many narrow streets in the maze-like city centre
Views from the rooftop bar of the Gran Hotel
Dinner was at Restaurant 1800, said by the Rough Guide to be the best new restaurant outside Havana. Certainly the atmosphere was very pleasant, in a beautiful colonial building, and the meal (prawns with fish fillet in a spicy sauce) was quite good, if not exceptional, but the service was typically Cuban, unfriendly and inefficient:
Distance today 133kms, total 816kms.
Day 10 – Tuesday 19/5/15
Breakfast at Camarguey's Plaza Hotel was a long drawn out affair, I had to wait for ages for the lazy waiter to clear a table and bring some clean cutlery. So I didn't get away until 8.30am, later than I would have liked.
The entire day was again spent on the Carretera Central, the terrain continued to be flat, and the weather remained very hot. I made a brief stop at Florida, after riding about 50km, and had an ice cream in the main square:
Arriving in Ciego de Avila around 2pm, both hotels in the town were full, so I was directed to a nearby casa particular which, despite its unimpressive exterior, was in fact very comfortable and clean:
Despite being a provincial capital, Ciego de Avila is quite a small town and there isn't a lot to see there. The main square, the Parque Marti, is a pleasant enough spot:
There are a few interesting old colonial buildings nearby:
This is a queue outside the local branch of Coppelia, a national chain of ice cream parlours. These are incredibly popular, and always full, hardly surprising as the ice cream is quite good and the prices are ridiculously cheap, you can get 3 huge scoops for 5 pesos, the equivalent of about 15p sterling. Unsurprisingly, obesity is becoming a big problem in Cuba, it's particularly evident in provincial towns like Ciego, where virtually the entire population seemed to be overweight:
It rained heavily in the late afternoon. Armed with an umbrella, I took a walk over to the huge Parque de la Ciudad on the north western edge of the town, to visit the well-reviewed Avion restaurant, in an old aircraft:
Unfortunately, it was closed, but I was able to get an undistinguished meal in this nearby lakeside restaurant:
Distance today 113kms, total 929kms
Day 11 – Wednesday 20/5/15
Continuing along the Carretera Central, the terrain became a little less flat, but the riding remained fairly easy.
Turkey vulture by the Rio Jatibonico
This cyclist was making good progress despite what appeared to be a very heavy load
Propaganda billboard on the approach to Sancti Spiritus. In the background the Sierra del Escambray
Arriving in Sancti Spiritus shortly after midday, I found excellent accommodation in the Hotel Don Florencio, a beautifully restored old colonial building on the town's main pedestrianised thoroughfare:
This was the view from the hotel room balcony:
The main square, the Parque Serafin Sanchez, is surrounded by well preserved old colonial buildings:
The Puente Yayabo bridge, built by the Spanish in 1815, is the town's most famous sight:
Nearby, in the oldest part of the town, are some charming cobbled streets:
This is the Plaza Honorato, in the background is the Iglesia Parroquial Mayor, one of the oldest churches in Cuba, which has recently been restored:
Nearby I was able to watch workers in a cigar factory:
Next door, this technician was repairing an old cathode ray TV set, of the type which would surely have been scrapped anywhere else:
Dinner was the classic Cuban dish Ropa Vieja (“old clothes”) - shredded beef – at the historic Meson de la Plaza restaurant:
Distance today 76kms, total 1005kms
Day 12 – Thursday 21/5/15
It was hard to leave the beautiful Don Florencio, but I managed to get away shortly after 8.30am.
Exiting the centre via the old Yayabo bridge, the route followed the Carretera a Trinidad, which in due course became the Circuito Sur. It was hilly all the way, with the Sierra del Escambray range always in view:
A few old railway sleepers, arranged on a slope in his garden, gave this car mechanic a makeshift inspection pit, where he could work on the underside of this 1954 Chevrolet:
At Banao (25km from Sancti Spiritus). I paused at a roadside stall for a refreshing glass of guarapo (sugar cane juice mixed with ice and lemon) – for 1 peso (3p) this is a wonderfully cheap natural energy drink:
After 60kms I reached the Torre de Iznaga, a 44m high tower built as a watchtower over the slaves working on the surrounding sugar plantations. From the top there were terrific views of the Valle de los Ingenios, the epicentre of Cuba's sugar industry back in the early to mid 19th century:
Arriving in Trinidad around 2pm I found a comfortable casa particular in the centre and set off for a walk around this historic town. First I took a 20 minute steep walk up the 180m high Cerro de la Vigia, on the northern edge of the town. On the way up I passed by the ruins of this 18th century church:
From the top of the hill there were great views over Trinidad and the Carribean littoral on one side, and on the other, of the Valle de los Ingenios:
Walking through the cobbled streets of Trinidad, it's hard to think you are living in the 21st century; time stopped here in about 1850. The opulent buildings surrounding the main square, the Plaza Mayor, have been well restored:
From the bell tower of the Iglesia Parroquial there were lovely views over the historic city centre:
The inevitable vintage cars added to the atmosphere:
Dinner was at Guitarra Mia, a restaurant near the main square. I had octopus cooked in red wine, which was excellent. Would have been a great experience if only the service had been better, it was still good nevertheless.
Distance today 72kms, total 1077kms
Day 13 – Friday 22/5/15
The road from Trinidad to Cienfuegos hugs the southern coast for most of the way:
Large crabs were frequently seen scurrying across this stretch of road:
This statue of a Taino warrior stood on the outskirts of Cienfuegos:
Arriving in Cienfuegos around 1pm I found accommodation in this very nice casa which was recommended in the Lonely Planet guide:
Having checked in I set off again on a ride around the sights of this elegant and well planned city, founded by French settlers as recently as 1819:
Arch of Triumph, in the Parque Jose Marti:
The centrepiece of the town, Parque Jose Marti, is surrounded by significant historic buidings:
Nearby the elegant boulevard known as the Prado leads south towards the bayside suburb of Punta Gorda:
Punta Gorda occupies a narrow peninsula which projects into Cienfuegos Bay. At the tip of the peninsula there is a pleasant park:
There are some amazing old buildings in Punta Gorda. This is the Palacio de Valle, built in 1917:
Here are some more photos taken along the Prado; many of the buildings are being restored since the city gained UNESCO heritage status:
Also on the Prado is this statue of famed Cuban singer Benny More:
Distance today 100kms, total 1177kms
Day 14 - Saturday 23/5/15
Although a relatively short day distance-wise, the day proved quite tough, owing to strong headwinds (I was now heading east again) and a generally uphill incline.
After 15kms the town of Palmira had some excellent architecture and a very high concentration of old American cars:
After about 45kms the route joined the Autopista (motorway) – a wide 6 lane highway with hard shoulders next to both carriageways. It was so strange to see horse drawn traffic using this road, with hardly a car in sight:
Arriving in Santa Clara shortly after 1pm, I checked into the Hotel Santa Clara Libre, on Parque Vidal, the main square. This 11 storey building, completed in 1956, is Santa Clara's tallest building, it's also its ugliest. The lime green paint job doesn't help it at all. Nevertheless, checkin formalities were completed remarkably quickly and efficiently, and within minutes I was off on a walk around the town's places of interest.
The hotel itself is historically significant, as it played a key role in the December 1958 battle for the city, fought between General Fulgencio Batista's troops and Che Guevara's band of guerrillas. Bullet holes are clearly visible over the facade:
The next stop was the Che Guevara memorial and mausoleum:
Guevara's body is buried there and there's an exhibition about his life and also key events in the war to overthrow Batista. No photography is allowed here.
From there I walked back into the city then out the other side for around 2kms, passing by a number of significant historic sites.
The first was the site where Che Guevara and a small band of revolutionaries derailed an armoured train using a borrowed bulldozer, also on display, on 29th December 1958. This proved to be a pivotal event in the campaign to overthrow the Batista regime: 3 days later Batista exiled himself to Guatemala and Cuba was left to stagnate for the next 56 years (and counting) under a communist dictatorship.
Nearby is this statue of Che, with a baby (symbolising the next generation) on his shoulder. This sculpture has some fascinating details, including, in the belt buckle, engraved likenesses of the 38 men killed with Guevara in Bolivia:
A bit further on is the Loma del Capiro, a lookout over the town which was a crucial vantage point for Che and his forces during the battle of Santa Clara:
Looking back towards the town from Loma del Capiro:
Back at the hotel, the rooftop bar gave excellent views over Parque Vidal:
Distance today 70kms, total so far 1247kms
Day 15 - Sunday 24/5/15
Heading in a westerly direction again back on the Carretera Central, with a good tailwind behind, the going was easy all day and I was averaging 30km/hr for much of the way. The nearest town of any size was Colon, around 115kms away so I went for it hard without stopping at all, apart from a brief chat with 2 Dutch cycle tourists who I overtook about 20kms from Santa Clara, the first other cycle tourists I have met on the road, not counting the 2 German cyclists I met on the bus from Havana to Santiago.
It started raining a bit 20km outside Colon but by the time I arrived there, around 2pm, everything had dried out again.
Colon is named after Christopher Columbus (the Spanish name for him is Cristobal Colon) and there was a statue of him in the main square:
There wasn't much of interest to see here, it is well off the tourist trail and my Lonely Planet guide hardly gave it a mention. None of the hotels in town accept non-Cubans, a curious policy. However I was directed by one of the hotels to a casa near the centre where the accommodation was perfectly acceptable:
This is a town where most of the transport is horse drawn:
There were plenty of fine buildings, albeit mostly in a sadly neglected state. Clearly this had been a prosperous, thriving town before the Revolution:
Dinner was at a peso restaurant close to the casa, where for very little money I enjoyed an unexpectedly good grilled fish served with salad, washed down with a couple of Cristal beers.
Distance today 115kms, total 1362kms
Day 16 – Monday 25/5/15
I left Colon around 8am and after 15km on the Carretera Central, turned off on a minor road heading north to the coast. Around 1030 I arrived in Cardenas, pausing briefly to look at the recently refurbished Parque Eceverria:
There was an interesting-looking museum there about Cuba's relationship with the US, but unfortunately it was closed.
Also worthy of a photo was this statue of Columbus, in front of the cathedral:
And nearby this large Flagpole monument commemorates the first raising of the Cuban flag, in 1850:
From Cardenas it was 15km to the next stop, Varadero, heading northwest along a wide autopista motorway. The largest resort complex in Cuba, with over 50 hotels, it held little interest for me but since I was passing by it was worth taking a quick look, but half an hour there was quite enough. The beaches are nice enough.
The final destination for the day, Matanzas, was another 32km west along the Via Blanca, which was covered in little over an hour thanks to a strong tailwind and an excellent smooth road surface
From the bridge over the Rio Canimao Matanzas was visible in the distance:
Arriving around 3pm I checked into the excellent Hotel Velasco, beautifully situated on the main square - Parque Libertad:
Parque Libertad
I took a walk around the town, seeing the cathedral:
And some impressive buildings around the other main square, Plaza de la Vigia:
Palace of Justice
Teatro Sauco – one of Cuba's finest theatres, currently undergoing restoration
Dinner was in the hotel restaurant, and was very good. The service was fantastic, unusually for Cuba.
Distance today 122kms, total 1484kms
Day 17 – Tuesday 26/5/15
Leaving Matanzas the route crossed the Rio Yumiri, across a historic bridge:
The coastal road is called the Via Blanca, and it's a wide, smooth highway all the way to Havana. Around 20kms from Matanzas it crosses a deep gorge, over the Puente de Bacunayagua, Cuba's highest and longest bridge:
This section of coastline has a number of seaside resorts. This is the beach at Guanabo:
I stopped nearby for lunch at Paladar El Piccolo, said to be the best pizza restaurant in Cuba:
The next stop was at Cojimar, a small fishing village about 10kms east of Havana, famed for its connection with Hemingway; he used to moor his fishing boat in the harbour and there is a monument to him nearby:
Arriving at Casablanca, at the eastern side of Havana Bay, I rode up the hill to the statue of Christ, from which there are great views over Havana:
From Casablanca it's a 10 minute ferry crossing to Havana Old Town. Security on the ferry was quite tight, guards checked over the contents of my panniers and were very concerned about whether I might have any concealed weapons. The reason for this is that there have been several incidents where this rickety ferry has been hijacked by people unsuccessfully trying to escape to the US.
Next to the ferry terminal is the terminus of the Hershey train, Cuba's only electric train, which runs to Matanzas several times daily:
And so, around 4pm, I arrived back in Havana, at the end of my journey around Cuba.
Distance today was 108kms, giving a final trip total of 1592kms.
It's been a very successful and enjoyable trip, fairly easy cycling in mostly good weather, the bike has giiven no problems and I only had one puncture, not bad for a journey of nearly 1000 miles. Cuba is such a fascinating country, in many ways it is like a living museum. Maybe I will return one day but I expect it will have changed a lot by then, I do hope that it can return to being the prosperous place it once was.
Finally here's a map of the route
Thanks as always for reading, any comments are most welcome.
Horse drawn transport reigns supreme in Moa. It's an ugly, industrial town, with lots of Stalinist apartment blocks:
The road surface from Moa was much better than the yesterday's stretch from Baracoa. And there was very little traffic on it:
After 35kms I reached Sagua de Tanamo, where I wasted over a hour in a fruitless search for bottled water. Eventually I went into a restaurant and got a refill from the tap. It was at this point that I stopped worrying about drinking tap water; there really isn't any alternative in most places outside the large cities as it's so difficult to obtain bottled water.
There is some decent colonial architecture in Sagua
Sagua main square with the inevitable Jose Marti statue
Arriving in Mayari in mid afternoon, I found accommodation at this casa particular. The “anchor” logo denotes houses that are licenced to take private guests:
The very friendly host put out a Union Jack flag in my honour, and prepared a nice dinner of spicy pork:
Mayari town square
Distance today 104kms, total 436kms
Day 6 – Friday 15/5/15
From Mayari the route led west then north towards Banes, the next town which was 60kms away. The road was quite hilly, and rough in places, but I made it there by mid morning.
This is Banes town square - the unusual Art Deco style church in the background was where Fidel Castro got married, in 1948:
40kms further on I reached Guardalavaca, where there are a number of large resort hotels. I stayed in a very comfortable casa, the Vila Bely, nearby:
This a view of the town's public beach:
I had a good meal at the casa and spent the evening watching a film on my laptop.
Distance today 100kms, total 536kms
Day 7 – Saturday 16/5/15
It was an uneventful day's riding, with nothing worth stopping to look at until I reached Holguin, the destination for the day. It's a major city with many significant historic buildings.
Holguin main square, Parque Calixto Garcia
San Isidoro Cathedral
At the edge of the city, there's a 465 step stairway up the Loma de la Cruz hill. It was a long walk up, but the views at the top were well worth the effort:
I stayed at the Hotel Pernik, a huge 1970's Stalinist-type building with an amusingly retro interior. Its large pool made it very popular with the locals:
Dinner was an excellent octopus dish served with Chilean wine, at the Restaurant 1910. Restaurants in Cuba often seem to have dates in their name, presumably the date of the building's construction.
Distance today 64kms, total 600kms
Day 8 – Sunday 17/5/15
The breakfast buffet at the Hotel Pernik was very comprehensive so I didn't get away until 8.30. The route headed west from Holguin along the Carretera Central, the main road that spans almost the entire length of Cuba. Despite being such a major road, it's mostly single carriageway, with no shoulder. However the low density of traffic meant it was perfectly safe to cycle on. Indeed most of the traffic on it was either cycle or horse powered.
This view shows a rare wide section of the road, as it leaves Holguin, with the distance to Havana signposted:
Despite being very hot, it was an easy morning's cycling, the terrain was flat all the way, the road surface reasonably smooth, and there was a slight tailwind. There wasn't much of interest along the way. I passed through just one small town, Buenaventura, and stopped briefly for a cold drink.
CC through Buenaventura
Arrived at today's destination, Las Tunas, around 12.30 and checked into the Hotel Cadillac, a very comfortable boutique hotel in a 1940s Art Deco building overlooking the town's main square, the Parque Vincente Garcia:
View from hotel room balcony
I enjoyed a refreshing ice cream sundae at this peso joint nearby:
There isn't a lot to see in Las Tunas and in any case it was too hot to do much walking around. But the central historic area does have some well preserved colonial buildings and is quite a pleasant place:
Distance today 83kms, total 683kms
Day 9 – Monday 18/5/15
Another long, hot day on the Carretera Central. Again, the terrain was flat most of the way and I was able to average a good speed, around 25kph, without much effort.
Early on, I saw this snake by the side of the road, sadly deceased. I have seen virtually no other wildlife on the journey so far. It was about 50cm long.
Most of what little traffic there was on this stretch of road, was horse drawn:
40kms from Las Tunas, the first stop along the route was at Guaimaro, where this monument commemorates the first Cuban constitution, approved at an assembly held here in 1869:
Although the road had very little traffic, evidently accidents do occur regularly:
Arriving in the outskirts of Camaguey around 3pm, I stopped briefly at this roadside bicycle maintenance workshop. I had become aware of a noise from the bottom bracket and wanted to get it checked out. The repairman tightened up a few bolts but indicated (in Spanish) that he thought everything seemed okay and couldn't detect any problems. I will see how it rides tomorrow.
I found good central accommodation at the Plaza Hotel, by the main station:
Then I set off for a walk around this fascinating old city, which besides being Cuba's 3rd biggest after Havana and Santigo, is recognised as a UNESCO world heritage site.
Monument to local hero Ignacio Agramonte, who led the area's revolt against Spain during the first war of independence.
Plaza San Juan de Dios
One of the many narrow streets in the maze-like city centre
Views from the rooftop bar of the Gran Hotel
Dinner was at Restaurant 1800, said by the Rough Guide to be the best new restaurant outside Havana. Certainly the atmosphere was very pleasant, in a beautiful colonial building, and the meal (prawns with fish fillet in a spicy sauce) was quite good, if not exceptional, but the service was typically Cuban, unfriendly and inefficient:
Distance today 133kms, total 816kms.
Day 10 – Tuesday 19/5/15
Breakfast at Camarguey's Plaza Hotel was a long drawn out affair, I had to wait for ages for the lazy waiter to clear a table and bring some clean cutlery. So I didn't get away until 8.30am, later than I would have liked.
The entire day was again spent on the Carretera Central, the terrain continued to be flat, and the weather remained very hot. I made a brief stop at Florida, after riding about 50km, and had an ice cream in the main square:
Arriving in Ciego de Avila around 2pm, both hotels in the town were full, so I was directed to a nearby casa particular which, despite its unimpressive exterior, was in fact very comfortable and clean:
Despite being a provincial capital, Ciego de Avila is quite a small town and there isn't a lot to see there. The main square, the Parque Marti, is a pleasant enough spot:
There are a few interesting old colonial buildings nearby:
This is a queue outside the local branch of Coppelia, a national chain of ice cream parlours. These are incredibly popular, and always full, hardly surprising as the ice cream is quite good and the prices are ridiculously cheap, you can get 3 huge scoops for 5 pesos, the equivalent of about 15p sterling. Unsurprisingly, obesity is becoming a big problem in Cuba, it's particularly evident in provincial towns like Ciego, where virtually the entire population seemed to be overweight:
It rained heavily in the late afternoon. Armed with an umbrella, I took a walk over to the huge Parque de la Ciudad on the north western edge of the town, to visit the well-reviewed Avion restaurant, in an old aircraft:
Unfortunately, it was closed, but I was able to get an undistinguished meal in this nearby lakeside restaurant:
Distance today 113kms, total 929kms
Day 11 – Wednesday 20/5/15
Continuing along the Carretera Central, the terrain became a little less flat, but the riding remained fairly easy.
Turkey vulture by the Rio Jatibonico
This cyclist was making good progress despite what appeared to be a very heavy load
Propaganda billboard on the approach to Sancti Spiritus. In the background the Sierra del Escambray
Arriving in Sancti Spiritus shortly after midday, I found excellent accommodation in the Hotel Don Florencio, a beautifully restored old colonial building on the town's main pedestrianised thoroughfare:
This was the view from the hotel room balcony:
The main square, the Parque Serafin Sanchez, is surrounded by well preserved old colonial buildings:
The Puente Yayabo bridge, built by the Spanish in 1815, is the town's most famous sight:
Nearby, in the oldest part of the town, are some charming cobbled streets:
This is the Plaza Honorato, in the background is the Iglesia Parroquial Mayor, one of the oldest churches in Cuba, which has recently been restored:
Nearby I was able to watch workers in a cigar factory:
Next door, this technician was repairing an old cathode ray TV set, of the type which would surely have been scrapped anywhere else:
Dinner was the classic Cuban dish Ropa Vieja (“old clothes”) - shredded beef – at the historic Meson de la Plaza restaurant:
Distance today 76kms, total 1005kms
Day 12 – Thursday 21/5/15
It was hard to leave the beautiful Don Florencio, but I managed to get away shortly after 8.30am.
Exiting the centre via the old Yayabo bridge, the route followed the Carretera a Trinidad, which in due course became the Circuito Sur. It was hilly all the way, with the Sierra del Escambray range always in view:
A few old railway sleepers, arranged on a slope in his garden, gave this car mechanic a makeshift inspection pit, where he could work on the underside of this 1954 Chevrolet:
At Banao (25km from Sancti Spiritus). I paused at a roadside stall for a refreshing glass of guarapo (sugar cane juice mixed with ice and lemon) – for 1 peso (3p) this is a wonderfully cheap natural energy drink:
After 60kms I reached the Torre de Iznaga, a 44m high tower built as a watchtower over the slaves working on the surrounding sugar plantations. From the top there were terrific views of the Valle de los Ingenios, the epicentre of Cuba's sugar industry back in the early to mid 19th century:
Arriving in Trinidad around 2pm I found a comfortable casa particular in the centre and set off for a walk around this historic town. First I took a 20 minute steep walk up the 180m high Cerro de la Vigia, on the northern edge of the town. On the way up I passed by the ruins of this 18th century church:
From the top of the hill there were great views over Trinidad and the Carribean littoral on one side, and on the other, of the Valle de los Ingenios:
Walking through the cobbled streets of Trinidad, it's hard to think you are living in the 21st century; time stopped here in about 1850. The opulent buildings surrounding the main square, the Plaza Mayor, have been well restored:
From the bell tower of the Iglesia Parroquial there were lovely views over the historic city centre:
The inevitable vintage cars added to the atmosphere:
Dinner was at Guitarra Mia, a restaurant near the main square. I had octopus cooked in red wine, which was excellent. Would have been a great experience if only the service had been better, it was still good nevertheless.
Distance today 72kms, total 1077kms
Day 13 – Friday 22/5/15
The road from Trinidad to Cienfuegos hugs the southern coast for most of the way:
Large crabs were frequently seen scurrying across this stretch of road:
This statue of a Taino warrior stood on the outskirts of Cienfuegos:
Arriving in Cienfuegos around 1pm I found accommodation in this very nice casa which was recommended in the Lonely Planet guide:
Having checked in I set off again on a ride around the sights of this elegant and well planned city, founded by French settlers as recently as 1819:
Arch of Triumph, in the Parque Jose Marti:
The centrepiece of the town, Parque Jose Marti, is surrounded by significant historic buidings:
Nearby the elegant boulevard known as the Prado leads south towards the bayside suburb of Punta Gorda:
Punta Gorda occupies a narrow peninsula which projects into Cienfuegos Bay. At the tip of the peninsula there is a pleasant park:
There are some amazing old buildings in Punta Gorda. This is the Palacio de Valle, built in 1917:
Here are some more photos taken along the Prado; many of the buildings are being restored since the city gained UNESCO heritage status:
Also on the Prado is this statue of famed Cuban singer Benny More:
Distance today 100kms, total 1177kms
Day 14 - Saturday 23/5/15
Although a relatively short day distance-wise, the day proved quite tough, owing to strong headwinds (I was now heading east again) and a generally uphill incline.
After 15kms the town of Palmira had some excellent architecture and a very high concentration of old American cars:
After about 45kms the route joined the Autopista (motorway) – a wide 6 lane highway with hard shoulders next to both carriageways. It was so strange to see horse drawn traffic using this road, with hardly a car in sight:
Arriving in Santa Clara shortly after 1pm, I checked into the Hotel Santa Clara Libre, on Parque Vidal, the main square. This 11 storey building, completed in 1956, is Santa Clara's tallest building, it's also its ugliest. The lime green paint job doesn't help it at all. Nevertheless, checkin formalities were completed remarkably quickly and efficiently, and within minutes I was off on a walk around the town's places of interest.
The hotel itself is historically significant, as it played a key role in the December 1958 battle for the city, fought between General Fulgencio Batista's troops and Che Guevara's band of guerrillas. Bullet holes are clearly visible over the facade:
The next stop was the Che Guevara memorial and mausoleum:
Guevara's body is buried there and there's an exhibition about his life and also key events in the war to overthrow Batista. No photography is allowed here.
From there I walked back into the city then out the other side for around 2kms, passing by a number of significant historic sites.
The first was the site where Che Guevara and a small band of revolutionaries derailed an armoured train using a borrowed bulldozer, also on display, on 29th December 1958. This proved to be a pivotal event in the campaign to overthrow the Batista regime: 3 days later Batista exiled himself to Guatemala and Cuba was left to stagnate for the next 56 years (and counting) under a communist dictatorship.
Nearby is this statue of Che, with a baby (symbolising the next generation) on his shoulder. This sculpture has some fascinating details, including, in the belt buckle, engraved likenesses of the 38 men killed with Guevara in Bolivia:
A bit further on is the Loma del Capiro, a lookout over the town which was a crucial vantage point for Che and his forces during the battle of Santa Clara:
Looking back towards the town from Loma del Capiro:
Back at the hotel, the rooftop bar gave excellent views over Parque Vidal:
Distance today 70kms, total so far 1247kms
Day 15 - Sunday 24/5/15
Heading in a westerly direction again back on the Carretera Central, with a good tailwind behind, the going was easy all day and I was averaging 30km/hr for much of the way. The nearest town of any size was Colon, around 115kms away so I went for it hard without stopping at all, apart from a brief chat with 2 Dutch cycle tourists who I overtook about 20kms from Santa Clara, the first other cycle tourists I have met on the road, not counting the 2 German cyclists I met on the bus from Havana to Santiago.
It started raining a bit 20km outside Colon but by the time I arrived there, around 2pm, everything had dried out again.
Colon is named after Christopher Columbus (the Spanish name for him is Cristobal Colon) and there was a statue of him in the main square:
There wasn't much of interest to see here, it is well off the tourist trail and my Lonely Planet guide hardly gave it a mention. None of the hotels in town accept non-Cubans, a curious policy. However I was directed by one of the hotels to a casa near the centre where the accommodation was perfectly acceptable:
This is a town where most of the transport is horse drawn:
There were plenty of fine buildings, albeit mostly in a sadly neglected state. Clearly this had been a prosperous, thriving town before the Revolution:
Dinner was at a peso restaurant close to the casa, where for very little money I enjoyed an unexpectedly good grilled fish served with salad, washed down with a couple of Cristal beers.
Distance today 115kms, total 1362kms
Day 16 – Monday 25/5/15
I left Colon around 8am and after 15km on the Carretera Central, turned off on a minor road heading north to the coast. Around 1030 I arrived in Cardenas, pausing briefly to look at the recently refurbished Parque Eceverria:
There was an interesting-looking museum there about Cuba's relationship with the US, but unfortunately it was closed.
Also worthy of a photo was this statue of Columbus, in front of the cathedral:
And nearby this large Flagpole monument commemorates the first raising of the Cuban flag, in 1850:
From Cardenas it was 15km to the next stop, Varadero, heading northwest along a wide autopista motorway. The largest resort complex in Cuba, with over 50 hotels, it held little interest for me but since I was passing by it was worth taking a quick look, but half an hour there was quite enough. The beaches are nice enough.
The final destination for the day, Matanzas, was another 32km west along the Via Blanca, which was covered in little over an hour thanks to a strong tailwind and an excellent smooth road surface
From the bridge over the Rio Canimao Matanzas was visible in the distance:
Arriving around 3pm I checked into the excellent Hotel Velasco, beautifully situated on the main square - Parque Libertad:
Parque Libertad
I took a walk around the town, seeing the cathedral:
And some impressive buildings around the other main square, Plaza de la Vigia:
Palace of Justice
Teatro Sauco – one of Cuba's finest theatres, currently undergoing restoration
Dinner was in the hotel restaurant, and was very good. The service was fantastic, unusually for Cuba.
Distance today 122kms, total 1484kms
Day 17 – Tuesday 26/5/15
Leaving Matanzas the route crossed the Rio Yumiri, across a historic bridge:
The coastal road is called the Via Blanca, and it's a wide, smooth highway all the way to Havana. Around 20kms from Matanzas it crosses a deep gorge, over the Puente de Bacunayagua, Cuba's highest and longest bridge:
This section of coastline has a number of seaside resorts. This is the beach at Guanabo:
I stopped nearby for lunch at Paladar El Piccolo, said to be the best pizza restaurant in Cuba:
The next stop was at Cojimar, a small fishing village about 10kms east of Havana, famed for its connection with Hemingway; he used to moor his fishing boat in the harbour and there is a monument to him nearby:
Arriving at Casablanca, at the eastern side of Havana Bay, I rode up the hill to the statue of Christ, from which there are great views over Havana:
From Casablanca it's a 10 minute ferry crossing to Havana Old Town. Security on the ferry was quite tight, guards checked over the contents of my panniers and were very concerned about whether I might have any concealed weapons. The reason for this is that there have been several incidents where this rickety ferry has been hijacked by people unsuccessfully trying to escape to the US.
Next to the ferry terminal is the terminus of the Hershey train, Cuba's only electric train, which runs to Matanzas several times daily:
And so, around 4pm, I arrived back in Havana, at the end of my journey around Cuba.
Distance today was 108kms, giving a final trip total of 1592kms.
It's been a very successful and enjoyable trip, fairly easy cycling in mostly good weather, the bike has giiven no problems and I only had one puncture, not bad for a journey of nearly 1000 miles. Cuba is such a fascinating country, in many ways it is like a living museum. Maybe I will return one day but I expect it will have changed a lot by then, I do hope that it can return to being the prosperous place it once was.
Finally here's a map of the route
Thanks as always for reading, any comments are most welcome.
