Cuban Cycling Tips

• Wind at your back

In Cuba the prevailing winds are easterly, so it’s usually best to plan riding from east to west.

• Bike security

Always use bicycle parking (Bici Parqueo) facilities attended by official parking attendants with an official accreditation badge. They will require that you use a lock in their facilities.

• Bicycle rental & outfitting info

CicloCuba’s bicycles are equipped with rear platform carrier & water bottle cage. Platform pedals or toe clips/straps included. For those who ride clipless, bring your own shoes/pedals for local installation. While helmet use is not mandatory in Cuba, CicloCuba suggests bringing a helmet for use while riding. For those who prefer not to break in their sit bones while traveling, CicloCuba is happy to temporarily install clients’ personal saddles on CicloCuba equipment.

For multi-day independent touring, CicloCuba suggests bringing a basic multi-tool, mini-pump with Presta adaptor), universal water bottle, and spare tubes size 700 X 28-32 (Presta valves) are highly recommended for touring.

• Independent bike excursions from Havana

Check out CicloCuba’s FREE downloadable digital maps with links to activities & venues. Spend days on end exploring Havana’s furthest corners under your own steam.
For groups of 4+ travelers: optional supported day excursion packages include guide service, mechanic and support vehicle.

• Transporting your bike

Need to travel with your bike to/from another province? Reserve your bus fare in advance with Viazul. They accept bicycles for carriage for a small surcharge, payable locally. You must remove wheels and the bicycle is transported in the luggage compartment below the bus for transport.

• Havana highlights

This article has a pretty good list of some of the crème de la crème of Havana’s unique food/beverage/culture hotspots. We also really like this unique design store’s list of must-see spots in Havana, including some of the more unique local artisan stops, activities, and more great restaurant recommendations. Downloading the Alamesacuba application in advance can also be really useful for checking out local dining possibilities across the country, but especially in the capital.

• Independent touring
  If you relish the idea of touring without carrying your own luggage and also saving time/hassle trying to plan your own trip, CicloCuba + WowCuba have partnered to offer supported independent tours that include optional equipment rental, prepaid accommodations, meal/activity suggestions, digital routes, Garmin rental, optional water/beverage service, luggage transfers + emergency road repair insurance.Renting a bike from CicloCuba but prefer to make your own travel arrangements? Check out our links to Cuba cycling guidebooks and begin planning your DIY Cuba cycle tour adventure now.
• Navigating Cuba

If you don’t use Maps.me, already, then you’ll thank us for recommending that you download the application + Cuba map prior to travel. It features offline GPS navigational capability, meaning you can chart courses largely without the need for an internet connection.

Biking in Havana

Bike signage
If you see a street sign with a bike and a circle around it, then you should know that in Cuba, it means you shouldn’t bike there. Some of us are used to seeing prohibited activities signalled by a diagonal line across the biker. So beware. There are some sections of the Malecon where you can’t bike. In Miramar, you have to walk your bike through the tunnel to get to 5th Avenue. And from there, slip over to 1st or 3rd, because you aren’t supposed to bike on 5th Avenue.
Getting across Havana Bay
You could bike around the port (Anillo del Puerto). But there are 2 shortcuts that are more fun.
1. The Bike Bus (CicloBus)
transports passengers & bikes between Old Havana & Eastern Havana via the tunnel that goes under the bay.
Old Havana pickup/dropoff point is in front of the Bar Restaurant El Lucero, GPS coordinates: 23.1442921,-82.3562239.
The Eastern Havana dropoff point is in front of the Naval Hospital, GPS coordinates 23.154131, -82.331778.
The Eastern Havana pickup point is in Habana del Este, GPS coordinates 23.1553059,-82.333421.

2. The Bike Boat (la Lanchita)
   transports passengers between Old Havana (in front of Armadores de Santander, GPS coordinates 23.1342131,-82.3476238) and Casablanca (GPS coordinates 23.1373784,-82.3538197) or Regla (23.1336056,-82.3453568). Make sure you get on the right boat (ask first)! Casablanca is where you can discover El Morro & La Cabaña Historic Military Fortress. Among other things, Regla’s noteworthy for being the home of the patron saint of Havana Bay, the Virgin of Regla, of significance in Afro-Cuban Santeria religion.

Water supply
Before leaving for a trip, make sure you have purchased water and fill your travel bottle, you may find places to refill along the way, but sometimes it takes a little work.

Money in Cuba
Cash (and foreign cash) is still king in Cuba for a number of transactions. Especially private.
In Cuba the use of credit cards is limited mainly to Cuban state hotels & stores. Most private services will require cash payments (think paladar restaurants, casas/B&B’s, etc). The majority of private business operators will offer a considerably more beneficial exchange rate than the state for your foreign currency when paying for their services. While we can’t officially suggest that you exchange your currency on the informal market, in Cuba everyone is aware that if you withdraw money from your card at a bank, or exchange cash at an airport/hotel currency exchange counter, you will receive national currency (CUP) at the official exchange rate, which is currently well below the black market rate. Some visitors fail to do that research in advance and as a result, the CUP price they pay for some services the in Cuba ends up being considerably more expensive than expected/necessary. The lesson should be to exercise caution with exchanging too much foreign currency (especially with the state) before you get a feel for who may accept it at a better rate.

Connectivity in Cuba
Cuba has Wi-Fi hotspots that work with prepaid cards you can buy at ETECSA (Cuban Telecommunication Company) or with private authorized vendors, and many accommodations offer free/paid Wi-Fi to guests now. But the most convenient option for most is just buying a temporary SIM card so you have data access while traveling. CubacelTur data can be extended online, but once the credit for calling has been used up it can’t be recharged.