Travel Information about Cycling Tours, Hiking Tours and Self-Drive Tours in Cuba, Mexico and Costa Rica
What kind of bike do I get on my tour? Do I have to wear a helmet or do I have to bring my own? Can I book an E-Bike? Where can I find the most beautiful hiking trails and are they managable without any hiking experience? What do I need to know about rental cars in Cuba? Don't dive into your adventure without the essential informatio. On this page you can find the most important information about our biking tours, hiking tours and self-drive tours in Cuba, Costa Rica and Mexico.
If you have any further question, please leave us a message.
Information about our bikes on our cycling tours in Cuba, Mexico and Costa Rica
How comfortable is it, to explore your favourite destination by bike? Here you can find all information about the equipment of the rental bikes on our cycling tours in Cuba, Mexico and Costa Rica. The bikes are already included in the tour price.
Unisex and Female Bikes | Unisex and Male Bikes | Equipment | |
|---|---|---|---|
Cuba | |||
Mexico | |||
Costa Rica |
Information about our Hiking Tours in Cuba, Mexico and Costa Rica
Walk throught the lush green landscape, pass beautifual waterfalls, majestic mountains and meet the animals of your destination. Hiking can be a special experience in Cuba, Costa Rica and Mexico. But will the hike be more like a simple walk or should I be physically fit to participate? Which parts of Cuba are perfect for hikes? Find our useful tips about hiking in Cuba, Mexico or Costa Rica.
In Cuba you can find numerous nationalparks, which are optimal for hiking. The most famous one is the Nationalpark Topes de Collantes, which is located in the Sierra del Escambray. Here you can find different hiking trails with different lengths (500 m up to 7 km) and different levels of difficulty. If you want to see the waterfall El Nicho, you should start in Cienfuegos. For all other trails the best starting point is Trinidad. There's also a hotel in the Nationalpark, Hotel Los Helechos. Close to the hotel, there is also a visitor center.
In the very east of Cuba you can find the most important nationalpark of the whole Caribbean, the Alexander-von-Humboldt-Nationalpark. Due to the huge biodiversity (approx. 1,800 to 2,000 species) the nationalpark is part of the UNESCO world heritage. Half way between Moa and Baracoa you can find the visitor center. There are two hiking trails in the park. The shorter one (El Recreo) has a length of 3 km, the longer one (Balcón de Iberia) a length fo 5 km. If you plan to hike in the nationalpark, bring a towl. First of all, you need to pass some small rivers and you also have the chance to take bath under the waterfall
A highlight for experienced hikers is the climb up to the highest summit of Cuba, the Pico Turquino. The mountain is 1,974 m high and is located in the Sierra Maestra. If you want to start this adventure you should be physically fit. For ascention and descention you should plan at least three days. The different stages take you up to nine hours. The only accommodation provided are little huts.
The equipment of the camps, fincas etc. is very simple. You don't always have fresh hot water. If you have booked tents as you accommodation, you should bring your own sleeping bag.
Hikers will find some possibilites for hiking in different parts of Mexico. You can go for the Copper Canyon in the north with impressive cliffs, along the volcanos in the cneter or the rainforest of the Selva Lacandona - a lot of diversity is waiting for you!
The active volcano Popacatépetl in Central Mexico can't be ascended but you can try the neighbor Iztaccíhuatl. The "sleeping woman" is the third highest mountain in Mexico and will give you a spectecular view on the Popocatépetl.
The highest mountain of the country is the Pico de Orizaba with a height of 5,663m. For hikers with a lot of experience and great physical conditions, it might be an unforgettable experience.
For volcano hikes we recommend an experienced local guide because the hikes will take several days.
If you like it a little calmer but still want to have impressive views you can go into the "Barranca del Cobre" - the copper canyon in the states Sinaloa and Chihuahua.
The diverse landscape is dominated by steppe with cacti and unique rock formations. You can visit the canyon only with the "Chepe"-train. We recommend to stay at least for 4 days to discover all the beaty of the area.
Longer hikes in Mexico should always be accompanied by experienced local guides. This is due to their knowledge of the area and for safety reasons.
Costa Rica is one of the most important and most famous destination for nature tours world wide. For many years Costa Rica is focusing on ecology: Almost the whole demand for electricity is coming from regenerative sources and the Eco-tourism is highly promoted. Almost one third of the land is under protection. Therefore you can find a lot of nationalparks and nature reserves, which are great destinations for every nature lover. Most of these areas are close to the coast and can be explored by foot and boat. In many nationalparks you can book guided tours. You can either join other groups or get your own guide. You can also walk on your own. In the visitor centers of the parks you get good maps. Try for expample the Cloud Forest Monteverde, an absolute highlight on every Costa Rica Tour. You can choose between eight different hiking trails with a length of a maximum of 2 km, which can be combined with each other.
Due to the many volcanos in Costa Rica, hikes in the crater regions are very famous. Famous examples are the volcanos Poás, Irazú, Rincón de la Vieja and Arenal. Because of the many possible activities, the Arenal Volcano Nationalpark is one of the most visited parks of the country. The smallest one is the Manuel Antonio Nationalpark.
Be careful in less visited reserves, for example Corcovado. You can find crocodiles and poisonous snakes. You should hire an experienced guide.
Information about road quality in Cuba, Costa Rica and Mexico
Not every country is equipped with a good road system and quality like you might know it from your home country. But this makes the adventure of a self-drive tour in Cuba, Mexico or Costa Rica special. You should get used to some road holes but also to incredible nature along your way and animals on the streets. Keep also in mind that the signposting might not be great and plan a little bit more time for your trip. For these reasons we gathered all important information about the infrastructure system and road quality in Cuba, Mexico and Costa Rica.
The main roads in Cuba are mostly in a good shape. You should always have a road map with you because the signposting is not fully developed in some areas. Some more isolated and less travelled roads have a really bad quality, a anticipatory manner of driving is therefore very important. Grade crossings are not secured with gates. The speed limit is 50 km/h in cities, 90 km/h on country roads and 100 km/h on the highway. We disadvise from driving by night.
Our tip: Download an app at home, which gives you useful information about excursions, banks, restaurants and shops. Those apps also contain maps, where you can already mark your accommodationa.
Maps.me, for example is a navigation app, that works offline. The maps need to be downloaded beforehand. If you are installing the app, you will be advised to download a general world map. Zoom into the country, you wish to have the detailed maps until a green spot appears on your display. You can now download the map and use it offline.
If you want to be flexible and discover a country at you own pace, you should go for self-drive tour in Costa Rica. The rental car system is highly developed. There are rental car stations in all bigger towns with a lot of different categories.
The main road are in a good condition. The more isolated roads are worse. Not all streets are asphaltic and have a lot of street holes. On these roads you should always drive slowly and plan more time. A rental car with four-wheel drive is not required (in some regions it's still recommandable).
The signposting is not always perfect in Costa Rica. The Ticos are always very helpful and mostly speak English. You can also rent a navigation system at the rental car station.