Photo Essay: Cycling Cuba
Cuba is bigger than I thought. And five weeks isn’t all that long. Still, with a combination of long distance bus rides and cycling days (105 km was our longest) we managed to get a fairly deep look at the enigmatic and contradictory nation.
It was a challenging country to choose for our first ever cycle tour. We encountered mountainous terrain, pothole-riddled roads, and diesel fume-spewing trucks. But I don’t think there is any other way to really see Cuba.
1. The road disappears on our ride to Viñales in the Pinar del Rio province. Most roads in Cuba are in disrepair; many coastal roads sustain damage from past hurricanes. This is not a country you want to bring your $3000 road bike to.
2. Mogotes (limestone protrusions, similar to those in Vietnam’s Halong Bay) in the Viñales valley dominate the landscape.
3. Giving the bikes a rest (OK, us too) during the most beautiful stretch of cycling in Cuba — between Manzanillo and Santiago de Cuba on the south coast.
4. Hurricane Dennis in 2005 left this coastal road the worse for wear. Apparently, no attempts to repair it have been made. At some parts the road simply disappears and turns to dirt; a few collapsed bridges make some crossings a bit sketchy. Here, an Austrian couple on a tandem bike we met and cycled with negotiates the crumbling path.
5. In San Diego de los Baños we were ushered into Pedro’s “workshop” where he showed us how to roll a cigar. He then hustled us to buy a pack of these “homemade” cigars. Even though it was most likely an elaborate scam, the overall experience was almost worth our foregone euros. Almost.
6. Graffitied propaganda lines a wall in Cienfuegos. There is no shortage of this in Cuba.
7. A ruined church facade sits atop a hill in Trinidad. A beautiful spot to watch the sun set over the cobble-stone streets, but is chock full of beggars. These Cubans sitting here asked for coins from our home countries, soap, the clothes off our backs, my wife’s bracelets, and anything else they could think of.
8. In Trinidad, a man sits on his door stoop while his son waves to the camera. Door stoop sitting is a common sight everywhere.
9. There are bars on all the windows and doors in Trinidad. This pooch was using them to his advantage to catch a cat nap. Or is that dog nap?
10. We could hear them about 30 seconds before we saw them. As they rounded the corner I took my opportunity to snap a few action photos.
11. Baseball is Cuba’s national sport. In Bayamo, these young gentlemen watch the older boys play some fast pitch.
12. In Manzanillo, a stumbling, drunk, guitar-wielding man steadies himself on a wall while others look on.
13. We caught these carefree kids swinging away near the coast. They weren’t camera shy.
14. The happiest cat in the world? On Cayo Granma in Santiago de Cuba, a local cleans his catch while kitty looks on.
15. If you come to Cuba, you WILL have a mojito (or three). This bartender looks particularly pleased with his offering to us.
Trying to find new markets or become a successful travel photographer?
Grab Matador’s Free Report 15 Publications That Pay For Travel Photography and help accelerate your career as a photographer.
Community Connection
Make sure to read Julie Schwietert’s interview with the author of The Handsomest Man in Cuba: An Escapade
If you’re planning a trip there — especially if you’re American — read How to Travel To and From Cuba.
About the Author
More By This Author
- There's No Looking Back (3 comments)
- Photo Essay: Revitalizing Thailand's Tourism (12 comments)
- Rapt in Havana, Cuba
Related Posts
17 Comments... join the discussion!
-
-
Carlo, such beautiful pictures! Looks like a helluva trip!
↵ -
Excellent shots Carlo – working those wide angles nicely. Looks like it was an incredible trip…
↵ -
Great pics. Must have been a very cool trip, thanks for sharing.
↵ -
Thanks all. Paul, that wide angle seems to be stuck on my camera! I love it.
↵ -
Amazing Carlo… I am more than a little jealous!!
↵ -
Great photos, Carlo! The swing one is my favourite, but I love them all. I almost did an Oxfam cycle trip in Cuba many years ago when I was a student but I couldn’t get the funds together to fly from England. It’s so cool to see the cyclist’s perspective so many years later. Oh, what I’ve missed!
↵ -
Wonderful shots Carlo! I’m totally hooked on wide angle lenses
↵ -
Carlo-
I looked at these photos and thought “I’m so grateful he didn’t Photoshop these and make the colors pop.” I hate it when people do that to photos from Cuba.
I showed Francisco the photos and he said “Tremendas fotos.” He specifically noted that these are “different” from the usual Cuba photos (old cars). We both enjoyed seeing these.
And now a major Cuba nostalgia attack ensues….
↵ -
Thanks again all, I hear you Julie…the pics are very minimally photoshopped…just a little sharpening and maybe a little brightness adjustment. It was definitely a conscious decision to not use stereotypical shots…although the mojito one is coming close…but I just love the bartender’s expression!
↵ -
Mmm, mojitos.
I love that dog!
↵ -
Great shots Carlo, thank you for sharing! I like #14, wonder how’s the kitty’s face
↵ -
Just before I snapped the pic he gave the cat some of the fish…I’m sure he was licking his chops.
↵ -
Awesome photos – It’s hard to choose a favorite but I just love the man’s expression in #15!
↵ -
These are fabulous photos. If forced to choose a favorite, it would be of the kids in action.
↵ -
These photos are great. I would love to get a drink from that cheery bartender in the last pic.
↵ -
Welcome back, Carlo! Love these, especially the cat and the carefree kids. Though I think the caption for the cat should read “The most self-disciplined cat in the world.” How could it sit there and just watch… not sure I could! (Though I see from above that she’d already been fed… but even so…)
↵
