Viñales offers endless possibilities for biking. Road biking on low-traffic roads, biking on uncomplicated trails, or more hardcore.
This post is only about cycling. For more general information about Viñales and Cuba see vinales-tourism-and-hiking and havana-and-vinales/
As a map app, I use the app Locus Maps .locusmap.eu and Open Street Maps. The maps are free and made for cycling and hiking. See Open Andro Maps.
Biking in the valley
This is completely uncomplicated and is great for sightseeing. See trails on maps for hiking.
Road cycling
In general, there is little car traffic in Viñales. The tarmac is not the best so hybrid or cyclocross is recommended. The roads towards Republica de Chile and Pons are virtually car-free, see ma
Hills east of Viñales – Red track
There are millions of opportunities here. I took a round, see red route. There is a lumber road going into the area, and there are lots of small roads and trails. If these roads have got out of use they grow again and are perfect for cycling. The road surface is hard sandy soil, free of stones and with little roots. On slopes, the roads will eventually washed out down on rock if they are not maintained. Plenty of challenges there.
Unfortunately, the main road I followed was recently bulldozed and it had rained a lot two days earlier. As the road was not run hard again it was just clay and I gave up at the big red dot. Instead, I followed another path back to get a roundtrip. It was a lovely little overgrown road. At the second dot, the road ceased, although the map says it should continue. It ended up in a courtyard and I asked where it was going. But they just replied that I had to turn around and take the broad road back. This happened every time I asked about the road, or people just stopped me and said I had to turn around and take the road I came back to Viñales. You must have good Spanish skills to explain that you prefer something as absurd as the bad road.
About 50 meters back I found a small road that took a sharp turn in the right direction. It is not on the map, but not all roads are. It quickly became a path over the wooded hill along the water. Little used, but chances have to be taken. Great path for MTB, but the hybrid I had been given was not as suitable so it became a bit of rolling. Eventually, I found the lost road again and followed it.
Hills west of Viñales. Blue track.
It’s the same here, lots of unused forest roads and trails. I tested two possibilities in the area, one through the viewpoint of Balcon del Valle, and then through the Los Jazmines village. See vinales-tourism-and-hiking/
If you come across the fields, do not take the blue-marked route marked on hiking up to the balcony, but the next one marked here. The first one involves a lot of carrying, but the next one is bikeable, at least for the fittest.
I also tried up from the road towards Pons, see the yellow marked route. Here it starts with a 60 height-meter steep climb on a completely washed-out road. Cycle upwards for the fittest, down for the bravest. I rolled my hybrid.
But from the top it goes straight into beautiful unused roads. The washed-out parties present challenges, otherwise nice singletrack.
Bike Rental
All the casas in Viñales know someone who rents out bicycles. The problem is you don’t know what you’re getting. The Casa calls someone who has a bike or two, and it shows up in the morning. I had asked for an MTB, but got a hybrid, with slicks on the rear wheel. But I was eager to get away, and wasn’t sure what to expect. I should probably tried to find another bike. Later, I talked to people who had got really good MTBs, so they exist. The current price is USD 10 per day.
There are no actual bike rental companies where you can see the bikes, but there is a website https://rocinantetravel.com/ that says they have good MTBs. But here you have to order online and are not sure what you are getting. Best to email first. 18 Euro a day. Helmet seems unusual here so bring from home..
Or you can ask people you see who have good bikes, it is a few of them. I talked to a random guy on the street and he could rent me his bike, $ 10. One day I met a bunch of guys on proper bikes, they even had helmets and colorful clothing, but they came fast down a hill so I couldn’t talk to them.
Or bring your own. If you need to take your bike on the bus, do not assemble it first. Space is limited and buses full. Two guys with bikes were rejected on the bus I took.
Annoyances
There are many bulls along the paths down the valley, and some up in the hills as well. These are kinder than Ferdinand and no one has appeared threatening. Lots of loose dogs there and, they bark at times, but don’t even bother to run after you. There are few snakes, and the most poisonous is not lethal. I only saw one during a hike. The only time I quacked was when I came across what I think was a wild boar with kids. The pig was probably about 10 meters away, and one of the kids ran into the forest so I came in between the pig and the kid. These animals are no joke so I pushed on a little extra, luckily it was an uncomplicated path. In retrospect, I realize that it may have been a domestic pig, some of the ones I have seen here are not different wild boars. But this was a long way from people. Admittedly, free-range pigs in Cuba mean they can move far away.
