Bicycling Cuba: Fifty Days of Detailed Rides from Havana to Pinar Del Rio and the Oriente [Paperback]

Wally Smith (Author), Barbara Smith (Author)

Book Description

Series: Bicycling | Publication Date: November 1, 2002

Discover all Cuba has to offer in this complete cycling guide.

Wally and Barbara Smith spent 6 months cycling 8,000 miles in Cuba to provide detailed directions for 50 days of cycling. The rides vary in length, many combining to create multi-day loops. Detailed directions describe rides leaving Havana to the west and east. Subsequent rides are clustered in the three best regions of Cuba for cycling: Pinar del Rio, Central Cuba, and the Oriente. A final section contains advice on connecting the regions for a long tour of the entire island. In addition, the authors provide information on getting to Cuba, equipment and accessories, food and water, safety considerations, overnight accommodations, and more.

Exploring this fascinating country on two wheels may just be the best way to fully appreciate its history, people, and culture. 12-page color insert, 50 black-and-white photographs, 15 maps

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Tired of the same old vacation? Eager to forgo guided motor coaches, all-inclusive resorts, and RVing? If bicycling through Cuba is the first thing you think of as an alternative to Europe in August, then the authors, experienced bike guides from Vermont, can take all the guesswork out of it for you. In this delightful and very practical guide, they outline, kilometer by kilometer-for all the Canadians and Europeans whose governments actually let them vacation in Cuba legally the best places to eat, sleep, sightsee, and even avoid. The text is divided into five parts: "In and Out of Havana," "Pinar del Rio," "Central Cuba," "The Oriente," and "Connecting the Regions of Cuba." The authors sum it up best in their introduction: "If you come to Cuba looking for evidence of a police state, inefficient bureaucracy, and dissatisfied people, you can find it. If you look for evidence of a uniquely idealistic society in which people have a strong sense of community, respect their government, and are trying to solve problems without sacrificing the achievements of their revolution, you can find that too. Let's ride!" Recommended for large public libraries.
Lee Arnold, Historical Soc. of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

In this delightful and very practical guide, they outline, kilometer by kilometer—for all the Canadians and Europeans whose governments actually let them vacation in Cuba legally—the best places to eat, sleep, sightsee, and even avoid. (Library Journal )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Countryman Press (November 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881505536
• ISBN-13: 978-0881505535
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #394,198 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #8 in Books > Travel > Caribbean > Cuba > Havana
  • #67 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Individual Sports > Cycling > Excursion Guides

More About the Author

Wally Smith has been a tour leader for Bike Vermont for over 20 years. He has also been a newspaper and radio reporter, agricultural information officer, teacher, and web designer. Barbara Smith has also enjoyed a number of careers -- from computer systems designer to market gardener and teacher.

The Smiths have cycled extensively in the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, and New Zealand, as well as in Cuba. They have lived on Prince Edward Island, Canada, and in Zimbabwe. They have now settled down in South Strafford, Vermont.

(Photo: Wally and Barbara tour New Zealand's South Island on recumbent bikes.)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cycling in Cuba made Easy and Enjoyable, April 8, 2003

By 

Lea Stogdale (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bicycling Cuba: Fifty Days of Detailed Rides from Havana to Pinar Del Rio and the Oriente (Paperback)

Having never done any cycle touring, speaking very little Spanish and being a middle aged women travelling alone, I thought a few tips and hints and route advice would make my trip a little easier. I found it all and more in "Bicycling Cuba" by Wally and Barbara Smith. Their advice on what to take, where to go, where to stay, and gems to see was unsurpassed.

I had spent three weeks in Cuba previously and had used two guide books. The Smiths' advice, while not replacing a guide book, was the best: succinct, accurate and introduced me to friendly and helpful people. Their three main cycle tours, west, central and eastern Cuba cover the most scenic areas as well as the historic gems of this wonderful country. The route descriptions were accurate, easy to follow and contained good advice about difficulty, water availability, traffic problems and special sites.

The Smiths obviously love Cuba and this comes out in their writing. They include inserts about various social issues, economics and politics -- each fascinating.

I thoroughly recommend "Bicycling Cuba" with no reservations. My only wish is that the Smiths would produce some more books for other countries.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Leave Home Without Bicycling Cuba, January 24, 2003

By 

Sandra (Vancouver, BC Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bicycling Cuba: Fifty Days of Detailed Rides from Havana to Pinar Del Rio and the Oriente (Paperback)

We loved this book, comparing this book to other bicycling books we've used, this is by far the best, along with Cuba being one of the best places to cycle tour. Unless you want to spend an enormous amount of money on a stifling guided tour, pack light, buy this book, go and enjoy Cuba. This book has everything you need and is a great read on Cuba in addition to the touring information.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy This Book, January 30, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Bicycling Cuba: Fifty Days of Detailed Rides from Havana to Pinar Del Rio and the Oriente (Paperback)

If you are visiting Cuba in the near future, BUY THIS BOOK. If you think you might tour Cuba,BUY THIS BOOK. If you don't plan to visit Cuba but enjoy reading travel narratives by those who have traveled to exotic places, BUY THIS BOOK. I have just returned from a two week bicycle trip with two friends and can report from experience that Bicycling Cuba is spot-on about everything. The Smiths have many years experience leading bike tours for a large bicycle touring company, so their guide book and route directions are presented as cyclists need and use them. Their routes cover the entire country, and the routes we follwed along the South Coast out of Santiago were accurate to a fault. Everything the Smiths wrote about the terrain, historical sites, social mores, laws,lodgings, and Cuban culture and society proved enormously helpful because everything is written clearly and, most importantly for cyclists, accurately. Anyone planning to tour Cuba by car, train, or bus will also find the book useful. I can't think of anything the Smiths left out, except maybe Fidel's personal telephone number! Europeans and other nationals should not pass up this book because it's in English. Even though written in English they will find the book invaluable. Now that I have been home for a couple of weeks I find myself picking the book up and reading about the places I have been and enjoying them all over again. Bicycling Cuba is about as close to Plato's Ideal Travel Guide as we are likely to see. Congratulations to the Smiths, and if you are thinking about a trip to Cuba, buy Bicycling Cuba. I'll bet you go.