Please Keep in mind that this can change with short or no notice based on factors on the ground. Keyword for this tour, maybe more than many others, is FLEXIBILITY!
Day 1: Fly into Holguin
We meet in the evening at our accommodation in Holguín. Depending on the time of arrival, we will take a short stroll through the nightlife of the less touristy and clean provincial capital.
Day 2: Holguín – Santo Domingo
Today we ride the first stage, which begins with a well-paved and winding road to Bayamo and gradually leads us further and further into the Sierra Maestra mountain range. We finally reach the village of Santo Domingo, where we stay overnight, after an impressively scenic mountain route. We spend the night in the simple “Villa Santo Domingo” or in private guesthouses.
Day 3: Santo Domingo – Marea del Portillo
After breakfast, we drive part of the way back. In Bartolomé Maso, we head northwest towards Yara and finally reach the western foothills of the Sierra Maestra again via Medialuna and Pilón. From Sevilla Arriba, we cross the mountain range, which still appears relatively flat here. In less than an hour we reach Punta Piedra on the coast east of Pilón, where we spend the night in private guesthouses.
Day 4: Marea del Portillo – Santiago de Cuba
One of Cuba’s most beautiful routes awaits us today. A narrow road leads us along the Caribbean to Santiago de Cuba in just a few hours. The sea is always close enough to touch, with the Sierra Maestra mountain range rising up to our left. We always have to reckon with road damage caused by frequent flooding. Again and again we ride over short stretches of scree. This is no problem with our enduro bikes. Rocky coastal sections alternate with countless small beaches that invite you to linger. In the afternoon, we finally reach the second largest city in Cuba: Santiago de Cuba, where we spend the night in a small guesthouse.
Day 5: Santiago de Cuba and surroundings (for example Gran Piedra)
We take a tour of the city by motorcycle. We have lunch at the “El Morro” fortress. We drive back to the accommodation. The rest of the day is at leisure. If you are interested, you can also go on an excursion to the 1225 m high “Gran Piedra”. We spend another night in Santiago de Cuba.
Day 6: Santiago de Cuba – Baracoa
We leave Santiago in a north-easterly direction, as we have to drive a long way around the bay of Guantánamo. One of the most spectacular roads in the country awaits us today: The Farola. This stretch of pass reminds us of European Alpine passes and was built in the mid-1960s. It takes us from the dry south to the tropical, humid north side of the Sierra Maestra, in particular to Baracoa, a historically interesting town with a special flair. We spend the night in the Hotel El Castillo or a private guesthouse.
Day 7: Baracoa and surroundings (for example Punta de Maisí)
After breakfast we ride east along the Atlantic shoreline to the rivermouth of Yumurí and, beyond, to Punta de Maisí, the easternmost point of Cuba. We’ll return to Baracoa through the coffee-country via La Maquina. This mountain zone is the only area in Cuba where the indigenous Taíno peoples managed to escape extermination by Spanish conquistadores and European diseases. Even today, the faces of many people living in this region show facial characteristics of their indigenous heritage. (See Chris Baker’s article on Cuba’s Taíno heritage the BBC Travel.)
Day 8: Baracoa
Rest day, everyone does what they like.
Day 9: Baracoa – Cayo Saetía
We leave Baracoa and head northwest along the coastal road. We pass Playa Maguana, a beautiful and less frequented beach, with the Humboldt National Park to the left of the road. After a short time we reach Moa. There are large nickel deposits here, which are exploited in open-cast mining. Spoil heaps and huge areas of torn up earth create an apocalyptic picture. We cross Moa and reach the Hotel Cayo Saetía on the Bahía de Nipe after an hour.
Day 10: Cayo Saetía – Guardalavaca
Various African wild animals are kept in Cayo Saetía, which we can see before we set off further west in the late morning. 3 hours later we reach Guardalavaca, a touristy bathing region with long sandy beaches.
Day 11: Guardalavaca – Gibara – Holguín
A detour via Gibara takes us back to Holguín in a few hours, where our tour ends.e
Day 12: End of trip
Transfer to the airport for your departure flight.
