Dreaming of exploring Cuba on a motorcycle? Christopher Baker is an expert on the country, having lived and travelled there extensively on motorcycles for 30 years. He runs Cuba Motorcycle Tours and has written this guide to share his expert advice on joining one of his epic bike tours…
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Joining a Motorcycle Tour in Cuba
By Christopher P. Baker
Owner of Cuba Motorcycle Tours
Isolated in the Caribbean, and from the USA due to the seven-decades-old embargo, Cuba is virginal terrain for most motorcyclists. It’s a time-warp in so many ways, infused with a Hollywood stage-set exoticism. Its ajiaco stew blend of Spanish, African, and indigenous cultures combines with its complex merging of colonialism, capitalism, and Communism into one to guarantee the visitor endless fascination.
Plus, it’s culturally off-the-charts for arts and, above all, vivacious music and dance, from son to salsa. Some of the most authentic and enriching experiences are to be found in the countryside, where ox-drawn ploughs still till the fields. Motorcycling is a great way to serendipitously seek out such genuine Cuban experiences.
Ready to ride in Cuba? This guide explains everything you need to know about joining an organsied tour there and how you can ride with us.
And if you need a little more tempting, have a read of this guide next.
READ MORE: 5 Reasons You’ll Love Riding in Cuba
Motorcycles in Cuba
Getting a motorcycle to Cuba isn’t easy—under U.S. law, it’s actually illegal for U.S. citizens to ship a motorcycle to Cuba from anywhere in the world! And no motorcycle rental agencies exist in Cuba, other than for flimsy scooters, which are mostly relegated to beach resorts.
If you want to ride a motorcycle in Cuba, you have two choices: find a way to ship your own bike there, or join a group tour. Fortunately, every U.S. citizen is legally allowed to sign up for group motorcycle programs, such as offered by Cuba Motorcycle Tours.
Unexplored Cuba
Most visitors to Cuba come for the beach resorts, or limit themselves to Havana and easily-accessible cities. They typically hire a taxi to get between key destinations, and although rental cars are available, they’re few and far between in Cuba’s boondocks. Cuba is a big island—about 850 miles east-west—and therefore large parts of the country see very few foreign travelers. And virtually never on motorcycles!
The lucky few who motorcycle Cuba, therefore, enjoy a real sense of exploration. Moreover, Cuba is currently experiencing a dramatic drop in international tourism following a massive boom in the Obama era. So much so that you’ll feel you have top destinations—formerly overcrowded Havana, Viñales (tobacco country), and Trinidad (Cuba’s premier UNESCO World Heritage Site)—to yourselves. Now is the time to go!
Is it easy to get to?
Flying to Cuba is easy, especially (ironically!) from the USA. Most major U.S. airlines fly to Havana; American Airlines currently has five flights daily from Miami, plus daily flights to several of Cuba’s provincial cities. All U.S. citizens can legally travel to Cuba pre-approved at any time under the ‘Support for the Cuban People’ license.
Cuba is also served by direct flights from Canada and several countries in Europe, and from Central and South America. However, taking a motorcycle is a different matter. Firstly, U.S. law bars all U.S. citizen or resident from shipping a motorcycle or other vehicle to Cuba from anywhere in the world. And the rust-bucket Stahlratte, which traditionally sailed to Cuba from Colombia and Panama two to four times a year, carrying motorcyclists and their bikes, went out of business in 2021.
Accommodation, costs and people
People – The very best reason to ride is to engage with the Cuban people. You’ll rarely find friendlier people in the Western hemisphere.
Food – The past decade has witnessed an astonishing increase in the number of paladares (private restaurants), and particularly in Havana, where many now rank as world-class. Everywhere, you’ll be served heaped dishes of traditional Cuban staples, including fish, lobster, chicken, and pork, typically served with white rice and black beans, or congrí (rice cooked with black beans), accompanied by garlic yucca, fried plantains, and/or veggies (typically a salad of tomato, cucumber, and cabbage) abundant with flavors not to be found in State restaurants.
Cuban food is never spicy, but is invariably well seasoned and flavorful. My favorite dishes are shrimp enchilado (tomato sauce well-seasoned with garlic, onions, and sweet peppers) and ropa vieja, the national dish of braised marinated beef or lamb, seasoned with garlic, onions, and sweet peppers. Cubans have a sweet tooth, Everywhere, you’ll find custard-like flan, sweetened coconut dishes, and ice cream.
Accommodation – The intelligent choice when selecting accommodation is to avoid formal hotels (all of which are state-owned, even if managed by foreign hotel corporations; plus, U.S. law prohibits using them). Instead, stay with local families in cozy casas particulares (B&B) or more small, luxurious private boutique hotels. Even the smallest town will have a few casas particulares. In Havana many of the boutique B&Bs rank as world-class, typically with period furnishings. Some are relatively simple. But all are clean, and usually have an electric fan and/or air-conditioning. Hosts almost always serve meals on demand.
Costs – Casas particulares are comparatively cheap (typically from $20-35 per night per room outside Havana, and $30-100 in Havana). Meals run a wider spectrum, from extremely cheap for basic meals in the provinces to moderately expensive ($25-50) at top Havana paladares.
The type of riding you can expect
Our tours use BMW F700GSs, and the advantage of these bike is their ability to go off-road when desired. There’s certainly no shortage of trails. For the most part, however, Cuba means relatively flat riding on potholed, often partially washed-out, roads… another plus for the nimble GSs.
Cuba has three mountain chains, and we build some mountain riding into all our itineraries, including sections that definitely require standing on the pegs. That said, I’ve also ridden Cuba end-to-end on Harleys.
What paperwork do you need?
Upon acceptance of a quotation, your group representative will sign a contract with the German tour supplier that owns the BMW F700GSs and operates the tours. Each participating individual will sign a Terms & Conditions release.
Your net quotation for your group includes motorcycle insurance coverage. We strongly recommend also purchasing a personal travel insurance package.
Is Cuba safe for motorcycle travel?
Cuba is undoubtedly one of the safest places in the Americas, perhaps second to (or even exceeding) Canada. Crimes are extremely rare. However, petty theft and more serious robberies have increased markedly in post-COVID years due to the economic hardships caused by the collapse of tourism to Cuba and a tightened U.S. embargo. Visitors need to follow common-sense precautions.
About Cuba Motorcycle Tours
Cuba Motorcycle Tours specializes in designing and arranging custom-designed group tours on demand for motorcycle associations, clubs, and riding buddies. All tours use a fleet of BMW F700GSs that are owned by a German company and permanently maintained in Cuba.
All tours are accompanied by a qualified, experienced Cuban road guide on a motorcycle. Christopher P. Baker is available as a tour leader upon request (and usually rides sweep), subject to availability. The bikes come with panniers, and a support van to carry luggage (and usually a spare bike) is available.
All programs are U.S.-legal under the Support for the Cuban People (SFCP) license. Due to U.S. embargo regulations prohibiting use of Cuba’s state-owned hotels, all accommodations are in private B&Bs and meals are in the very best private restaurants, many of which are world-class.
Individual motorcycle rental isn’t possible, due to Cuba’s import regulations relating to the BMWs and other motorcycles. However, we’re able to arrange solo rides accompanied by a Cuban road guide on a separate bike. Plus, individual riders can book into year-round scheduled tours offered by the German company that owns the BMWs, subject to availability.
If you’re interested in joining a tour, get in touch here.
Email: cpbaker@earthlink.net
Phone: 760-285-9827
About the author
Christopher P. Baker
In 1996, professional travel journalist and guidebook author Christopher P. Baker shipped his BMW R100GS PD to Cuba and rode more than 7,000 miles during a three-month journey, resulting in publication of his award-winning National Geographic travelogue Mi Moto Fidel: Motorcycling Through Castro’s Cuba, plus three Cuba guidebooks.
In January 2013, he secured a license from the U.S. Treasury Department authorizing the first group motorcycle programs in Cuba. He has since arranged and led group motorcycle tours through Cuba for such entities as Bob’s BMW of Maryland, Edelweiss Bike Travel, and the BMW Rider Academy of Turkey, among others.
He speaks regularly about motorcycle touring in Cuba at such venues as the BMW MOA International Rally and Horizons Unlimited, etc. His other books include BMW Motorrad: A Two-Wheeled Legend and Harley-Davidson: Engines & Evolution.
You can get in touch with him at cubamotorcycletours.com
Note: The tours and rentals mentioned in this post are offered by the guest author, Christopher and his company Cuba Motorcycle Tours. Please contact him directly for details.
Read more on motorcycle travel in Cuba and North America
Thanks for checking out the How to Join a Motorcycle Tour in Cuba Guide. We hope you enjoyed it! Here’s a few more articles on motorcycle travel in Cuba and North America that we recommend you read next.
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Are you planning a motorcycle trip in Cuba? Do you have any questions, tips or great route suggestions? Let us know in the comments below.
Hello, I am a French Canadian and I would like to have more information about your motorcycle tour in Cuba. Is it possible to rent a motorcycle for the day? What is the shortest motorcycle tour? I have been riding motorcycles for over 30 years in Canada and it is a passion of mine. Could you tell me about the prices for the motorcycle tours? I would like to be in a small group if possible. I understand that the motorcycle tours always depart from Havana.
Thank you very much.
C. Langevin
TRANSLATED FROM
Bonjour, je suis un canadien francais et j’aimerais avoir plus d’information sur votre visite de moto à Cuba. Est ce possible de louer un tour de moto à la journée? Quel est le tour de moto le plus court? Je fais de la moto depuis plus de 30 ans au Canada et c’est une passion pour moi. Pouvez-vous me parler des prix pour les tours de moto? J’aimerais être en petit groupe si c’est possible? Je comprends que les tours de moto partent toujours de la Havane,
Merci Beaucoup
c. Langevin
Hi, thanks for your comment. Please contact the author of this article directly.
Christopher’s email, website and company info are all listed in this article – in case you missed it, here they are:
Web: cubamotorcycletours.com
Email: cpbaker@earthlink.net
Phone: 760-285-9827
Cheers and hope you have a great ride in Cuba!
Andy