Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Travel
  3. Food & Drink
  4. News

4 of the World’s Best Cycling Trips for Foodies

By

It seems like winter is (almost) here in the Northern Hemisphere, which is all the more reason to head outdoors (or at least to start planning your next big trip). In particular, bikers will find cooler riding weather and thinner crowds on the trails. If you’re looking for yet another reason to go pedaling this season — particularly if you’re a foodie — here are four of our favorite culinary-centric cycling trips.

Coffee, Rum, and Cigars Outside Havana (Cuba)

Backroads cycling trip cuba
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Cuba tops the bucket list for many Americans, more so now that the U.S. government has re-upped travel restrictions for citizens. There’s no better way to explore the country than on foot or by pedal. Backroads’ six-day Cuba Bike Tour goes well beyond Havana to explore Cuba’s beautiful white sand beaches, the farmlands of Viñales, and the island’s pristine national parks. On the food side of things, riders can sample roasted pig at open-air restaurants, dine at organic farms, and get in with premier coffee, tobacco, and rum experts for samples and demonstrations. Backroads was the first U.S.-based provider to offer bike trips in Cuba, and every tour is undertaken alongside a local. Time to go: November through May.

Recommended Videos

Lamb Stew and Bosnian Coffee in Eastern Europe (Balkans)

Mountain Travel Sobek cycling eastern europe
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Mountain Travel Sobek’s Cycling the Country Roads of Eastern Europe trip is only for the hungriest, most die-hard cyclist. The 14-day itinerary covers nearly 350 miles of hardcore biking on paved rural roads, including the 2,000-year-old Via Egnatia built by the Romans. Riders explore ancient walled cities, beautiful mountain villages, and five UNESCO Cultural and Natural Heritage sites before finishing in Dubrovnik. The “big get” for foodies is  traditional fëgesë: slow-cooked Montenegrin lamb stew cooked in milk with onions, tomatoes, peppers, spices, and cottage cheese. Along the way, there’s plenty of local cheeses, smoked meats, honey, and Bosnian coffee as well. Time to go: May through August.

Fish Soup and Vino in South American Wine Country (Chile)

chile casablanca valley wine country
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’re looking for an altogether different wine country experience (assuming you’ve already ticked Napa Valley and South Australia off your bucket list), it’s time to head to Chile. The country’s wine region is undoubtedly the most prestigious, most prolific, and most beautiful in South America. ExperiencePlus!’s aptly named Bicycling Chile’s Wine Country takes riders on an eight-day, 200-mile tour (an 11-day upgrade is also available if you’re feeling ambitious) of the country’s central valley and the stunning Pacific Coast. Along the way, bikers visit charming cities and rural villages to sample local food (try the caldillo de congrio, Chile’s staple soup made from boiled fish heads and spices) and vino (we recommend Carménère, a varietal almost exclusive to Chile) at several wineries. Time to go: May or October.

Guinness and Oysters on the Emerald Isle (Ireland)

Wilderness Ireland cycling trip
Wilderness Ireland/Facebook Wilderness Ireland/Facebook

Are you the sort who looks to plan well in advance? Now’s the time to start thinking about Wilderness Ireland’s Biking and Yoga Escape. The six-night trip focuses on a more relaxed pedaling experience with plenty of stops for local food and drink along the way. In addition to the ever-present pint of “the black” in every pub, riders can also sample Irish craft beer. There are opportunities to shuck your own oysters, taste Knocknarea honey, and crack Mullaghmore lobster. Every day ends with a guided yoga class to relax and refresh before bed. Time to go: April and June through September.

Mike Richard
Mike Richard
Contributor
Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He's kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South…
Topics
SailGP: The World’s Most Glamorous Sports League?
Formula 1 thrills, glamorous destinations, and plenty of Champagne.
Art, Water, Person

My dad is a diehard New England sports fan, and as a kid, I often worried I'd have to perform CPR on him whenever the Bruins, Patriots, or Red Sox were on television. As livid as a Viking berserker, the old man would leap off the sofa to coach Tom Brady from the living room or rain down curses upon the Yankees. Our cocker spaniel, Fenway, instinctively fled the room whenever my father reached for the remote. The stress of it all, plus the fact that I was missing episodes of South Park, soured me on professional sports.

I finally came around in my thirties, less for the sports themselves than for the spectacle and revelry. I can't name more than two Knicks players, but I had a blast watching the NBA Finals with my buddies at bars across New York. The nuances of Formula 1 are about as intelligible to me as multivariable calculus, but that didn't stop me from partying my face off on a press trip to the Miami Grand Prix. I also write about luxury watches, spirits, and travel—all of which dovetail rather nicely with grand athletic extravaganzas.

Read more
Savannah Beyond the Postcard
Take a look at one of the greatest southern cities from a different perspective.
Architecture, Building, Spire

Savannah is one of those cities that seems almost too easy to like. The live oaks are dramatic. The Spanish moss does exactly what it is supposed to do. The brick sidewalks buckle in all the right places. The houses look like they were designed by people who understood proportion, shade, and the value of a proper front step. Even the light seems to arrive with better manners than it does in most places.

I have a built-in advantage when it comes to Savannah. We have family there, so we have been back several times, not just once for the checklist version of the city. I have also done a photography workshop there, which is a terrific way to learn any city. You get up early, stay out late, and pay attention to alleys, doorways, ironwork, reflections, and the way a city changes when the tourists are still asleep.

Read more
I spent 72 hours in London with only a carry-on. Here’s how I did it in style
Luxury travel doesn't require a checked bag
London

Somewhere between the baggage claim carousel and the Elizabeth Line, I realized I'd already won. As passengers from my Norwegian flight to London crowded around the conveyor belt waiting for checked luggage to appear, I was already on my way into the city. Twenty minutes later, I was headed toward central London with nothing more than a carry-on suitcase and a backpack. I've become a bit of a carry-on evangelist over the past few years. Not because I'm trying to prove some minimalist point or because I enjoy seeing how few shirts I can survive with. I just genuinely think it's the better way to travel, especially for a long weekend in Europe.

My recent 72-hour trip from Copenhagen to London wasn't exactly a backpacker's itinerary. It included a stay at one of London's nicest luxury hotels, rooftop cocktails, dinners worth dressing up for, and plenty of walking through Soho, Covent Garden, and the rest of central London. Somehow, everything I needed fit inside my Travelpro Platinum Elite Slim Cabin Hardshell Spinner V2, with a backpack holding my flight essentials.

Read more