Short cycle tour in Cuba

Planet

Though biking in itself is a carbon free activity, we also do all we can to make sure our cycling trips have as little adverse effect on the surrounding environment as possible. Where possible, we only use minor roads and well-established trails and make sure we dispose of our litter responsibly.

We re-cycle at every opportunity; we will give leftover plastic bottles from your trip to local communities who use them to sell home-made fruit juices at food markets. Any tyres and other spare parts which can no longer be used on our bikes are also donated to locals.

On this trip you will visit Las Terrazas biosphere reserve, Cuba’s first ever self-sufficient community dedicated to the research and protection of the local ecosystem. Included in the price of your trip is the entrance fee to Las Terrazas, which goes directly to the community’s ongoing environmental initiatives.

On this tour you stay in casas particulares, local homes that run like Bed and Breakfasts. As opposed to big hotels, casas particulares use little more energy than any other Cuban home and produce far less waste than the average hotel. Meals are prepared with seasonal produce bought fresh at market on a daily basis, rather than plastic-packed imported goods from a supermarket. A Cuban home will use its air conditioning sparingly, whereas a hotel has all units on 24/7.

To reduce plastic consumption we encourage our travellers to invest in a filter bottle before coming to Cuba. Modern filter bottles are able to filter up to 99.9% of bacteria and can be refilled at any water source, including rivers and even puddles! This saves travellers having to rely on mineral water. If you do use plastic bottles you should donate them to your casa particular or to any locals you meet on route as plastic bottles are routinely recycled and repurposed.

People

All of our guides and suppliers are Cuban, as well as the vast majority of our office staff. We offer generous wages, great incentives and opportunities for continual training and progression. Our guides and drivers have flexible schedules to make sure they have plenty of time with their families between trips.

During the majority of this tour accommodation is in casas particulares, family-run B&Bs. Not only do casas particulares give the opportunity for cultural exchange between hosts and guests, they buy from the local economy. Meals in casas particulares are made with fresh, seasonal ingredients often bought off a neighbour or at a local market.

For meals not included in the trip price we encourage travellers to eat in paladares, privately-owned restaurants. These are often family initiatives that use seasonal ingredients bought on the day. As with casas particulares, paladares reinvest their profit directly in the local economy and provide jobs for their community.

As you bike through rural areas of western Cuba you will be stopping in remote settlements to buy drinks and snacks. Not only will you be making an economic contribution to these communities, you`ll also be providing a rare opportunity for them to interact with foreigners. Viñales in particular offers the opportunity to learn about the tobacco-growing industry, from seedling to cigar.