Roads and traffic: There is more traffic in Cuba than there was 20 years ago, but still much less than in other countries. Generally trucks and cars brake and wait to move safely around bicycles. Of course there are always a few exceptional drivers who have a special place in hell waiting for them. Some days we were only passed by one or two cars from the 1950s. 

The roads vary in quality with some smooth and great and others full of potholes. These are generally more of an issue for cars than bikes. Most of our riding was on paved roads. 

Dogs: Cuba wins my award for the nicest bike-friendly dogs on the planet (Thailand wins second place). They are skinny but hopeful and never aggressive. 

Accommodation:

Most towns of any size have at least one casa particular.  Many, but not all, are marked on Maps Me and Google maps. Most of them offer dinner and breakfast for an additional cost. They are generally your best source of food in Cuba when you are outside of bigger tourist towns and cities. 

Most casas have air conditioning and fans that work well when there is no power outage. A room with a private bathroom is generally between 20 and 30 euros or American dollars. 

Casa hosts are very generous with what they have, and spend a lot of time and money finding food to serve you. If eggs or butter don’t appear that is only because they can’t be found. Food shortages and price inflation have hit Cubans very hard. Surprisingly the costs to stay and eat in a casa have not changed since our first trip to Cuba 18 years ago. 

Money: Bring cash, lots of it. Euros are the most widely accepted. They are traded on par with American dollars, which are officially discouraged but is probably the best currency to use.  We had read that Canadian dollars were also acceptable at casas particulares, but we found they were less desired.  Getting moneda nacional (Cuban pesos) at a bank or Cadeca (official currency exchange) will cost you time (in line) and money (15% more than if you make arrangements for a private exchange through your casa owner).

Try to use up your Cuban pesos before you leave the country because you cannot convert them back to other currencies.

Internet Access:

It is important to download a VPN BEFORE going to Cuba. You can’t do this in the country. A VPN will allow you to use the App Store and other blocked sites. It’s critical if you need to make a PayPal payment- as we did to buy our Cuban tourist SIM card?!?

Internet access is now available in Cuba. This has happened very quickly and now roughly 75% of Cubans are connected. It is not always reliable and is generally slower than other places in the world. Most casas particulares have wifi that they will turn on at your request. They pay for the time so do let them know when you are finished using it. Wifi is also available in most town squares but you need to buy a card with a login number. They are usually available near these places or in an Etecsa phone store. 

Tourist SIM cards can be purchased online, with the SIM card subsequently picked up at an Etecsa store. They are good for one month only.  I have heard that you can also buy the card right at the Etecsa store.  I believe we paid about US $36 for 6 Gigs of data over a month.

Things to Bring:

In addition to your bike you must bring everything you might need for it. You are very unlikely to find tires, tubes or other parts on the road in Cuba. 

Although Cuba has it’s own pharmaceutical industry the materials to make drugs are not currently available. Since the COVID pandemic and global supply chain challenges, the pharmacies are empty. Seriously, they have nothing on their shelves. Bring your own Tylenol, anti-diarrhea medication and anything else you might need. Unless you are in Havana, you won’t find anything.

We were very grateful to have brought 8 power bars with us. 

I already mentioned a pre-installed VPN on your phone

A headlamp: Cuba is experiencing many power outages these days. 

Water filter or treatment tablets. Tap water is probably not safe to drink. Bottled water is often available, but it is comparatively expensive and leaves a trail of plastic waste.

Snorkeling mask and small flippers.