Cuba Cycling Adventure Postcard Series: Off-the-beaten-path, pedaling to the rhythm of Cuba’s heartbeat

A yellow-breasted bird shines bright against emerald rainforest leaves, returning my gaze from the hand-painted coffee cup I bought from an artist in Cuba. As I sip my coffee, memories of my cycling adventure spin in my mind’s eye, a dazzling kaleidoscope of indelible impressions.

I was completely unplugged from the outside world for 7 days (my choice), which allowed me to immerse myself completely in every waking moment as we cycled off the beaten path and pedaled to the rhythm of Cuba’s heartbeat.

The sights—stone fortresses, historical monuments and statues, charming town squares, gorgeous architecture, and the art—everywhere— paintings, sculptures, street tiles, street art. The vibrant colors wrapped in the Caribbean island’s tremendous natural beauty— picturesque bays, verdant mountain ranges with hidden tropical waterfalls and cenotes, and sugar white sand beaches enticing you into the sparkling turquoise sea.

The sounds—the medley of sax, bass, drums, and guitar in the parks, at cafes, restaurants, and bars, the constant clip-clop of horses’ hooves, the rev of mopeds, the persistent punctuation of horns like exuberant exclamation marks to the improvised salsa music. And the contrasting silence of the countryside and the mountains, broken only by a bird call, the whisper of the wind through the trees, the rush of a waterfall, the gurgle of a stream.

The flavors—From sweet to savory and everywhere in between– fresh fruits and juices daily (mini-bananas, pineapple, guava), refreshing post-ride libations like Mojitos and Caipirinhas, and creamy Pina Coladas, delicious entrees like freshly grilled lobsters (my fav), fresh fish, and traditional, hearty dishes like Rope Vieja, beans and rice, pork in very variety (rips, chops, and morsels), crispy snacks of garlic and oil plantains. I know! Are you salivating yet?

The places: Old Havana, the seaside resort town of Varadero, Matanzas known as the “Venice of Cuba,” Santa Clara, home of the Che Guevara Museum and Memorial, the “colonial jewel” of Trinidad, Cienfuegos “The Pearl of the South,” and the infamous Bay of Pigs.

The people: A great group of people from our knowledgeable and personable Cuban Adventure’s guide Rayner, Alejandro our attentive bike mechanic and speedy rescue cyclist (story later-maybe), and “Manbey,” our bus driver who might be better nicknamed MacGyver to the 2 well-traveled couples from Canada (Mike and Jan, Kirk and Heather), my smart and fun roommate Vanessa from Denver, our casa hosts, and those we encountered along our journey, including 2 crazy old German gents who were solo cycling the entire island and kept popping up much to our surprise (we biked and bussed– they were cycling 100%).

The insights—into the history, politics, culture, and spirit and some of the mindsets of the Cuban people.

Hands down, this was one of the best adventure travel trips I’ve taken for many reasons. Hopefully, some of those reasons are already apparent. It was a spontaneous decision (like most of mine) made just 2-weeks before departure—everything lined up perfectly. With low to no expectations, the entire experience blew me away—outstanding, fantastic, fabulous!  

In the following days/weeks, I’ll share some highlights and attempt to capture the experience here in this postcard series. The best part is that I get to relive it allas I go.

Arrival

Walking through Jose Marti Airport’s exit doors into the warm tropical night was like arriving through a time portal into the past. From the backseat of the taxi, I was mesmerized by the blur of classic cars and horse-drawn carriages—racing side-by-side towards Old Havana. (Since the Cuban revolution (1953-1959), when Batista was driven out and Fidel Castro took power, there has been a ban on cars and other imports from America. Not to mention the difficulty of getting gas imports.) Here are a few scenes from my first night in Havana. I know the pictures are a bit blurry, and so was I after a long day of travels. I promise they’ll get better.

It was lights out after a quick nightcap and bite in Old Havana with my new roommate, Vanessa.

Throughout this postcard series, I’ll sprinkle in miscellaneous history, interesting facts, and some sobering statistics.

Jose Marti is the Cuban poet and philosopher who led the fight against the Spanish for Cuba’s Independence

~60,000 classic cars in Cuba (~50% from the 1950’s, ~25% from the 1940’s, ~25% from the 1930’s)

Only ~2% of Cubans own cars

Average monthly income range for 55% of the population is $50-$234, $600-$2,808 annually.

(https://www.statista.com/statistics/1376640/average-income-households-cuba/)

51% of Cubans report not having enough $ (https://www.statista.com/statistics/1376640/average-income-households-cuba/)

Free healthcare and education

I highly recommend putting Cuba on your “to-do” list whether you “do it” on a bike or otherwise. Here’s a direct link:  Cuba Travel Services | Cuban Adventures (cubagrouptour.com) and a 10% off code to use: YUMAFRIENDS.

Happy Adventure Travels!