Holguín Province
Holguin Province Highlights
Holguin
Gibara
Guardalavaca & Around
Banes
Biran
Sierra del Cristal
Cayo Saetia
Holguín Province
%24 / Pop 1,037,600
Why Go?
Cuba’s contradictions are magnified in Holguín. Perhaps something in the undeniable beauty of the province’s hill-studded hinterland breeds extremes. Fulgencio Batista, and his ideological opposite, Fidel Castro, were both reared here, as were Reinaldo Arenas and Guillermo Infante, dissident writers who didn’t have a lot in common with either leader. Then there are the dichotomies in the landscape. The environmental degradation around Moa's nickel mines jars rather awkwardly with the pine-scented mountains of the Sierra Cristal, while the inherent Cuban-ness of Gibara contrasts sharply with the tourist swank of resort-complex Guardalavaca.
Christopher Columbus was the first European to spy Holguín's beauty. By most accounts, he docked near Gibara in October 1492 where he was met by a group of curious Taíno. The Taínos didn’t survive the ensuing Spanish colonization though fragments of their legacy can be reconstructed in Holguín province, which contains more pre-Columbian archaeological sites than anywhere else in Cuba.
When to Go
AIn April movie aficionados convene in Gibara for the Festival Internacional del Cine Pobre.
AMay sees the city of Holguín show its religious spirit during the Romerías de Mayo.
AAvoid the hurricane season: July to mid-November.
AYou can enjoy the Guardalavaca and Playa Pesquero resorts in prime tourist season from December until early March.
Best Rural Accommodations
Holguín Province Highlights
1 See Holguín spread out like a map beneath you from the Loma de la Cruz.
2 Fork out for some beach time at one of the plush resorts on Playa Pesquero.
3 Take a bicycle ride through bucolic villages to the quintessential holguiñero town of Banes.
4 Discover Taíno treasures in one of Cuba's most important archaeological sites at Museo Chorro de Maita in Guardalavaca.
5 Stay in arguably Cuba's best colonial accommodation, Hotel Ordoño in the mysterious yet romantic seaside town of Gibara.
6 Peep behind the mask and find out about the Castro family at Fidel's childhood home, Museo Conjunto Histórico de Birán.
* Splash out on a trip to the Salto del Guayabo from its spectacularly perched overlook.
History
Most historians agree that Christopher Columbus first made landfall in Cuba on October 28, 1492, at Cayo Bariay near Playa Blanca, just west of Playa Don Lino (now in Holguín province). The gold-seeking Spaniards were welcomed ashore by seborucos and they captured 13 of them to take back to Europe as scientific 'specimens.' Bariay was boycotted in favor of Guantánamo 20 years later when a new colonial capital was set up in Baracoa, and the hilly terrain north of Bayamo was gifted to Captain García Holguín, a Mexican conquistador. The province became an important sugar-growing area at the end of the 19th century when much of the land was bought up and cleared of forest by the US-owned United Fruit Company. Formerly part of the Oriente territory, Holguín became a province in its own right after 1975.
Holguín
Pop 277,000
Neither one of Cuba’s seven founding villas nor a megaresort of carefully packaged Caribbean dreamscapes, the city of San Isidoro de Holguín barely features in Cuba’s tourist masterplan (which prefers to promote all-inclusive resorts over Cuba's hardworking cities). But, for a certain type of traveller, this is part of its magic – and mystery. Sit down in one of the city’s central squares for an hour or two (Holguín is euphemistically coined the ‘city of parks’) and something interesting will undoubtedly distract you. It might be the religious solemnity of the annual procession to the hilltop Loma de la Cruz, or – more spontaneously – the exuberant cheers from the crowd in the oversized baseball stadium.
The nation’s fourth-largest city serves up a slice of Cuba without the wrapping paper. What you won’t find here is four-star hotels, revitalized colonial buildings or tour guides with shiny name badges talking to you in English. What you will find is eager-to-please casas particulares, cheap food in pioneering new restaurants and a city that loves (and brews) its own beer.
History
In 1515 Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar, Cuba's first governor, conferred the lands north of Bayamo to Captain García Holguín, one of the island's original colonizers. Setting up a cattle ranch in the province's verdant and fertile hinterland, Holguín and his descendants presided over a burgeoning agricultural settlement that by 1720 had sprouted a small wooden church and more than 450 inhabitants. In 1752 San Isidoro de Holguín (the settlement was renamed after the church) was granted the title of city and by 1790 the population had expanded to 12,000.
Holguín was the setting of much fighting during the two wars of independence when ferocious Mambí warriors laid siege to the heavily fortified Spanish barracks at La Periquera (now the Museo de Historia Provincial). Captured and lost by Julio Grave de Peralta (after whom one of the squares is named), the city was taken for a second time on December 19, 1872, by Cuban general and native son Calixto García, Holguín's posthumous local hero.
With the division of Oriente into five separate provinces in 1976, the city of Holguín became a provincial capital. Besides beer, the key industries are agriculture and nickel. The city has also cultivated an international reputation for drug rehabilitation: Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona came here for rehab in 2000 (it was to be the start of a long-running friendship between the footballer and Fidel Castro). More recently, Holguín suffered a severe mauling from Hurricane Ike in 2008.
Holguín
6Drinking & Nightlife
3Entertainment
1Sights
Base yourself around the city's four central squares and you'll see most of what's on offer. However, no walk is complete without a climb up the emblematic Loma de la Cruz – a little off the grid, but well worth the detour.
oMuseo de Historia ProvincialMUSEUM
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Frexes No 198; admission CUC$1; 
h8am-4:30pm Tue-Sat, 8am-noon Sun)
Now a national monument, the building on the northern side of Parque Calixto García was constructed between 1860 and 1868 and used as a Spanish army barracks during the independence wars. It was nicknamed La Periquera (Parrot Cage) for the red, yellow and green uniforms of the Spanish soldiers who stood guard.
The prize exhibit is an old axe head carved in the likeness of a man, known as the Hacha de Holguín (Holguín Axe), thought to have been made by indigenous inhabitants in the early 1400s and discovered in 1860. Looking even sharper in its polished-glass case is a sword that once belonged to national hero and poet José Martí.
Parque PeraltaSQUARE
(Parque de las Flores; MAP GOOGLE MAP )
This square is named for General Julio Grave de Peralta (1834–72), who led an uprising against Spain in Holguín in October 1868. His marble statue (1916) faces the imposing Catedral de San Isidoro. On the western side of the park is the Mural de Origen, depicting the development of Holguín and of Cuba from indigenous times to the end of slavery.
oCatedral de San IsidoroCATHEDRAL
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Manduley)
Dazzling white and characterized by its twin domed towers, the Catedral de San Isidoro dates from 1720 and was one of the town’s original constructions. Added piecemeal over the years, the towers are of 20th-century vintage and in 1979 it became a cathedral. A hyper-realistic statue of Pope John Paul II stands to the right of the main doors. If it's open you can take a peak inside, though the interior is relatively austere.
Parque Calixto GarcíaSQUARE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP )
This wide, expansive square is more about atmosphere than architecture. It was laid out in 1719 as the original Plaza de Armas and served for many years as the town's meeting point and marketplace. The centerpiece today is a 1912 statue of General Calixto García, around which congregate a multifarious mixture of old sages, baseball naysayers and teenagers on the prowl.
In the southwestern corner of Parque Calixto García is the Centro de Arte (
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Maceo No 180; h9am-4pm Mon-Sat), a gallery for temporary exhibitions that shares space with Biblioteca Alex Urquiola (
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Maceo No 178), named after a local revolutionary and housing Holguín's biggest book collection.
Parque CéspedesPARK
(Parque San José; MAP GOOGLE MAP )
Holguín's youngest park is also its shadiest. Named for 'Father of the Motherland' Carlos Manuel de Céspedes – his statue stands center stage next to a monument honoring the heroes of the War of Independence – the cobbled central square is dominated by the Iglesia de San José ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Manduley No 116).
The church, with its distinctive mezzanine floor, dome and bell tower, was once used by the Independistas as a lookout tower. Locals still refer to the park by its old name, San José.
Casa Natal de Calixto GarcíaMUSEUM
(
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; Miró No 147; admission CUC$1; h9am-5pm Mon-Sat)
To learn more about the militaristic deeds of Holguín's local hero, head to this house situated two blocks east of the namesake park. The hugely underestimated García – who stole the cities of Las Tunas, Holguín and Bayamo from Spanish control between 1896 and 1898 – was born here in 1839.
This small collection gives a reasonable overview of his life: military maps, old uniforms and even a spoon he ate with on the campaign trail in 1885.
Museo de Historia NaturalMUSEUM
(
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; Maceo No 129, btwn Parques Calixto García & Peralta; admission CUC$1; h9am-noon, 12:30-5pm Tue-Sat, 9am-noon Sun)
You'll find more stuffed animals here than in a New York toy store – everything from the world's smallest frog to the world's smallest hummingbird. There's also a big collection of the unique yellow polymita seashells found on Cuba's far-east coastline but, to be frank, the building, guarded by two stone lions, is more impressive than what's inside.
Plaza de la MarquetaSQUARE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP )
Long earmarked for a major renovation, hopelessly ruined Plaza de la Marqueta is a plaza of possibilities that remains unfulfilled. Laid out in 1848 and rebuilt in 1918, the square is dominated by an impressive covered marketplace supposedly undergoing a transformation into a top-notch concert hall (after a decade of rumors, however, the work has yet to start).
Running along the north and south sides of the plaza are myriad shops that are meant to provide quality shopping but, to date, number only a couple of music and cigar outlets.
Plaza de la RevoluciónSQUARE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP )
Holguín is a city most fiel (faithful), and its bombastic revolutionary plaza, east of the center, is a huge monument to the heroes of Cuban independence, bearing quotations from José Martí and Fidel Castro. Massive rallies are held here every May 1 (Labor Day). The tomb of Calixto García ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ), containing his ashes, is also here, as well as a smaller monument to García's mother.
oLa Loma de la CruzLANDMARK
At the northern end of Maceo you'll find a stairway built in 1950, with 465 steps ascending a 275m-high hill with panoramic views, a restaurant and a 24-hour bar. A cross was raised here in 1790 in hope of relieving a drought, and every May 3 during Romerías de Mayo devotees climb to the summit where a special Mass is held.
It's a 20-minute walk from town or you can flag a bici-taxi to the foot of the hill for around 10 Cuban pesos. This walk is best tackled early in the morning when the light is pristine and the heat not too debilitating.
Fábrica de ÓrganosORGAN FACTORY
(
GOOGLE MAP
; Carretera de Gibara No 301; h8am-4pm Mon-Fri)
This is the only mechanical music-organ factory in Cuba. The small factory produces about six organs a year, as well as guitars and other instruments. A good organ costs between the equivalent of US$10,000 and US$25,000. Eight professional organ groups exist in Holguín (including the Familia Cuayo, based at the factory): if you're lucky, you can hear one playing on Parque Céspedes on Thursday afternoon or Sunday morning.
Mirador de MayabeLOOKOUT
The Mirador de Mayabe is a motel-cum-restaurant high on a hill 10km from Holguín city. It gained fame for a beer-drinking donkey named Pancho, who hung out near the bar in the 1980s. The original Pancho died in 1992 and they're now onto Pancho IV who also drinks beer. Traditional country shows occur here most weeks.
A bus runs to Holguín from the bottom of the hill, 1.5km from the motel, three times a day.
Central Holguín
1Sights
4Sleeping
5Eating
6Drinking & Nightlife
3Entertainment
7Shopping
zFestivals & Events
Romerías de MayoRELIGIOUS
(hMay 3)
Romerías de Mayo is Holguín's big annual pilgrimage, held on May 3: devotees climb Loma de la Cruz for a special Mass. The whole city turns out to follow the procession from the Catedral de San Isidro, a custom that dates back to the 1790s. In recent times the parade has become livelier with arty contributions from the Hermanos Saíz youth organization.
CarnavalCARNIVAL
(hAug)
Holguín's annual shindig happens in the third week of August with outdoor concerts and copious amounts of dancing, roast pork and potent drinks.
FIDEL'S ROOTS
Born near the village of Birán in Holguín province on August 13, 1926, Fidel Castro was the illegitimate product of a relationship between Spanish-born landowner Ángel Castro and his cook and housemaid Lina Ruz (they later married). Growing up as a favored child in a large and relatively wealthy family of sugar farmers, Castro was educated at a Jesuit school and sent away to study in the city of Santiago at the age of seven. The young Castro was an exceptional student whose prodigious talents included a photographic memory and an extraordinary aptitude for sport. Legend has it that at the age of 21, Fidel – a skilled left-arm pitcher – was offered a professional baseball contract with the Washington Senators.
At the age of 13 Fidel staged his first insurrection, a strike organized among his father's sugarcane workers against their exploitative boss, a gesture that did little to endear him to the fraternal fold.
One year later the still-teenage Castro penned a letter to US President FD Roosevelt congratulating him on his re-election and asking the American leader for a US$10 bill 'because I have not seen a US$10 bill and I would like to have one of them.' Rather ominously for future US–Cuban relations, the request was politely turned down.
Undeterred, Fidel marched on. Upon completion of his high school certificate in 1945, his teacher and mentor Father Francisco Barbeito predicted sagely that his bullish star pupil would 'fill with brilliant pages the book of his life.' With the benefit of hindsight, he wasn't far wrong. Armed with tremendous personal charisma, a wrought-iron will and a natural ability to pontificate for hours on end, Fidel made tracks for Havana University where his forthright and unyielding personality quickly ensured he excelled at everything he did.
Training ostensibly as a lawyer, Castro spent the next three years embroiled in political activity amid an academic forum that was riddled with gang violence and petty corruption. Never one to follow the lead, he stood as a candidate for the Orthodox party in 1952 in an election that was ultimately cancelled after Batista's coup. Enraged, Castro quickly changed his tactics and was reborn as a guerrilla warrior. The rest, as they say, is history.
After ruling Cuba single-handed for 47 years, Castro retired surprisingly quietly from public life in 2006 after a brief illness. These days, he still pontificates regularly through self-penned articles in state-run newspaper Granma, but is rarely seen in public. His impending death has long been a topic of heated speculation, but longevity runs in Castro's genes (he will be 89 in 2015). Five of his six siblings are still alive, including older brother Ramón, aged 90 and younger brother Raúl, a relatively spritely 83.
4Sleeping
There's nothing exciting hotel-wise in Holguín, but some of the local casas particulares aren't bad.
'La Palma' – Enrique R Interián SalermoCASA PARTICULAR
(
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; %24-42-46-83; Maceo No 52A, btwn Calles 16 & 18, El Llano; r CUC$25; 
a)
Enrique's detached neocolonial house dates from 1945 and is situated in the shadow of the Loma de la Cruz. The slightly removed location is worth the minor inconvenience. Enrique is a fantastic host and his spacious house has a pleasant garden – with table tennis and a baseball practice net!
Furthermore, Enrique's son is a talented painter and sculptor. Check out the terracotta bust of Che Guevara in the living room next to an unusual 3m-long canvas copy of Da Vinci's The Last Supper (with St John as a woman).
Casa Don DiegoCASA PARTICULAR
(
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; %52-26-90-47; Arias No 167, btwn Mauduley & Maceo; r CUC$25; a)
Wonderful spiral staircases characterize this colonial house, which is prettier inside than out. Two rooms with high ceilings, a pleasant rooftop terrace, and prime city-center location (right in Parque Céspedes) make it a jolly good deal.
Villa LibaCASA PARTICULAR
(
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; %24-42-38-23; Maceo No 46 , cnr Calle 18; CUC$20-25; a)
At Jorge's smart, sizable bungalow, which looks like something out of a 1950s North American suburb, the alma (soul) fairly bubbles over. Jorge is a modern-day Pablo Neruda with whimsical anecdotes aplenty on Holguín life, while his wife is an accomplished masseuse and reiki specialist (treatments CUC$20), and his daughter gives violin recitals over dinner.
The food has a Lebanese flair.
Villa JanethCASA PARTICULAR
(
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; %24-42-93-31; Cables No 105; CUC$20-25; a)
Janeth has a very clean, very spacious house with two upstairs rooms far above the average Holguín standard. Follow the passageway back and you'll get to a self-contained kitchen and terrace. There's another amenable house a few doors down on the corner with Manduley if these guys are full.
Motel El BosqueHOTEL
(
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; %24-48-11-40; Av Jorge Dimitrov; s/d incl breakfast CUC$35/50; a
s)
S
At least one notch up the quality ratings over other midrange options, the 69 solar-powered duplex bungalows here are set among extensive green grounds. There's a relaxing bar beside the swimming pool (nonguests can use it for a small fee) and the late-night music decibels aren't as ear-shattering as some.
Villa Mirador de MayabeHOTEL
(%24-42-54-98; Alturas de Mayabe; bungalows CUC$50; 
pas)
This motel, high up on the Loma de Mayabe, 10km southeast of Holguín, has 24 rooms tucked into lush grounds. The views, taking in vast mango plantations, are especially good from the pool.
Hotel PernikHOTEL
(
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; %24-48-10-11; cnr Avs Jorge Dimitrov & XX Aniversario; s/d incl breakfast CUC$40/55; pa
is)
The nearest decent hotel to the city center is a dose of Soviet-inspired '70s nostalgia. It has attempted to counter its dour reputation in recent years by letting local artists decorate the rooms in edgy art. The breakfast buffet is plentiful and there's an information office, Cadeca (for changing money) and internet cafe; however, the hotel suffers from the usual foibles of interminable renovations and blaring late-night music.
5Eating
The 2011 relaxing of restrictions on private restaurants benefited Holguín more than most cities: there's a stash of reasonable private restaurants here more frequented by locals than tourists.
Snack Bar La BegoniaSNACKS
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %24-46-85-86; Maceo No 176; snacks CUC$1-4; h9am-10pm)
Sells drinks and snacks beneath flowering trellises on Parque Calixto García, and is a relaxed place to meet other travelers. If you don't like rubbery cheese sandwiches, stick to the beer and enjoy the cultural interchange.
Cafetería CristalFAST FOOD
(
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GOOGLE MAP
; Edificio Pico de Cristal, cnr Manduley & Martí; snacks CUC$1-3; h24hr)
Nothing wrong with this plaza-fronting joint, which is typical of such 'cafes' across Latin America: reliable and affordable chicken meals dished up by formal waiters whose elegance prepares you for cuisine far superior to what you end up getting. The air-con does its best to replicate a frigid day in Vancouver; perch on the outside terrace with the surprisingly great house coffee and soak up Holguín life.
Taberna PanchoCARIBBEAN
(
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GOOGLE MAP
; Av Jorge Dimitrov; meals CUC$3-5; hnoon-10pm)
This bar-restaurant inspired by the Mirador de Mayabe's famous beer-drinking donkey has echoes of a Spanish taberna (tavern), done up in dark wood. The menu includes actual chorizo (unusual in Cuba), and draft Mayabe beer comes in proper frosted glasses. It's located between Hotel Pernik and Motel El Bosque.
Cremería GuamáICE CREAM
(
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GOOGLE MAP
; cnr Luz Caballero & Manduley; ice cream CUC$0.50; h10am-10:45pm)
A Coppelia in all but name. Lose an hour underneath the striped red-and-white awning overlooking pedestrianized Calle Manduley and enjoy peso ice cream alfresco.
oRestaurante 1910RESTAURANT
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %24-42-39-94; www.1910restaurantebar.com; Mártires No 143, btwn Aricochea & Cables; meals CUC$8-11; hnoon-midnight)
Holguín has too many restaurants named after dates but 1910 is red-letter day as far as innovative food goes in this city. Neither the eating area (a colonial house hung with chandeliers) nor the courteous service can be faulted, and that's before you've started on the specialty steak (CUC$11) with dried spaghetti latticework.
Wash it down with any one of a fine selection of South American wines (poured into specially embossed 1910 wineglasses) and enjoy an attention to detail you rarely get eating out in Cuba.
Ranchón Los AlmendrosPARRILLAS
(
GOOGLE MAP
; %24-42-96-52; José A Cardet No 68, btwn Calles 12 & 14; meals CUC$10; h10am-11pm)
So clean and professionally run is the Almendros kitchen that they've decided to make it open, meaning the aromas visit your table. The smoked meats are all excellent and come with copious trimmings. It's located near the Loma de la Cruz and doesn't look much from the outside. Rest assured – inside is a different story.
Restaurante-Bar San JoséCUBAN
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %24-42-48-77; www.restaurantesanjose.com; Agramonte No 188; meals CUC$4-10; hnoon-11pm)
The favored local eating choice sits slap-bang in the central square (Parque Céspedes) and stays faithful to its local name (San José). There's nothing fancy on the menu, but this is where you come for comida criolla (Creole food) not duck á la orange.
Salón 1720CARIBBEAN
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Frexes No 190, cnr Miró; meals CUC$7-9; hnoon-10:30pm)
This is a painstakingly restored wedding-cake mansion where you can tuck into paella (CUC$6) or chicken stuffed with vegetables and cheese (CUC$8); there's even complimentary crackers. In the same colonial-style complex there's a cigar shop, bar, boutique, car rental and a terrace with nighttime music. Check out the wall plaques that give interesting insights into Holguín's history.
Self-Catering
There is an agropecuario ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ) (vegetable market) off Calle 19, the continuation of Morales Lemus near the train station, and another agropecuario ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ) on Calle 3 in Dagoberto Sanfield. There are plenty of peso stalls ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ) beside the baseball stadium.
La Luz de YaraSUPERMARKET
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; cnr Frexes & Maceo; h8:30am-7:30pm Mon-Sat, 8:30am-12:30pm Sun)
Relatively well-stocked Cuban department store and supermarket with a bakery section on Parque Calixto García.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
BEER CITY
Stand down all other claimants: Holguín brews the best beer in Cuba. The large Fábrica de la Cervezería Bucanero on the outskirts of the city produces the nation's three most popular beers. Cuba’s most ubiquitous brand is Cristal (4.9% alcohol by volume), a light unexciting brew perennially popular with tourists looking to extinguish the heat of a long afternoon in the sunlounger. Regular visitors to the isles, or Cubans with enough dinero (money), usually opt for the stronger, darker Bucanero, the ‘fuerte’ variety of which rings in at 5.4%. Stronger and maltier is Bucanero ‘Max,’ an eye-widening 6.5%. Rarely seen in tourist resorts is Mayabe, a clear, light golden pilsner that registers at a weakish 4% and is generally sold in Cuban pesos.
6Drinking & Nightlife
Welcome to beer city. The local bars aren't too flash, but you can cobble together a decent pub crawl here.
Taberna MayabeBAR
(
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GOOGLE MAP
; Manduley, btwn Aguilera & Frexes; hnoon-6pm & 8-11pm Tue-Sun)
Pancho the beer-drinking donkey would have a field day at this tavern on pedestrian-only Manduley, where wooden tables and ceramic mugs create a hearty pub atmosphere. The eponymous local brew is served.
Las 3 LucíasCAFE
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; cnr Mártires & Frexes; h7am-11pm)
Lucía was a 1968 classic Cuban film about the lives of three women, each named Lucía, in different periods: the War of Independence, the 1930s and the 1960s. Such is the premise for this fancy bar, decorated in Cuban film memorabilia and evoking a classy atmosphere of yesteryear (save for the big wall-mounted TV). The cocktails are good, the coffee's alright and the atmosphere is pretty unique.
Bar TerrazaBAR
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Frexes, btwn Manduley & Miró; h8pm-1am)
Perched above Salón 1720, this is the city's poshest spot. Cocktails are in order as you drink in the views over Parque Calixto García amid regular musical interludes.
Casa de la MúsicaCLUB
(
MAP
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; cnr Frexes & Manduley; hTue-Sun)
There's a young, trendy vibe at this place on Parque Calixto García. If you can't dance, stay static sinking beers on the adjacent Terraza Bucanero (entry via Calle Manduley).
Disco CristalCLUB
(
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; Manduley No 199, 3rd fl, Edificio Pico de Cristal; admission CUC$2; h9pm-2am Tue-Thu)
A nexus for Holguín's dexterous dancers (most of whom are young, cool and determined to have a good time), this place is insanely popular at weekends when you'll find lots of inspiration for the salsa/rap/reggaetón (Cuban hip-hop) repertoire.
Cabaret Nuevo NocturnoCLUB
(admission CUC$8; h10pm-2am)
This is a Tropicana-style cabaret club beyond the Servi-Cupet gas station 3km out on the road to Las Tunas.
Disco Havana ClubCLUB
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Hotel Pernik, cnr Avs Jorge Dimitrov & XX Aniversario; guest/nonguest CUC$2/4; h10pm-2am Tue-Sun)
Holguín's premier disco at Hotel Pernik. If you're staying there, the music will visit you – in your room – like it or not, until 1am.
3Entertainment
oUneacCULTURAL
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Manduley, btwn Luz Caballero & Martí)
If you only visit one Uneac (Unión Nacional de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba; National Union of Cuban Writers and Artists) in Cuba (there are 14 in total, at least one per province) make it this one. Situated in the lovingly restored Casa de las Moyúas (1845) on car-free Calle Manduley, this friendly establishment offers literary evenings with famous authors, music nights, patio theater (including Lorca) and cultural reviews.
There's an intermittent bar on a gorgeous central patio, and an on-site art gallery/studio called La Cochera.
Teatro Comandante Eddy SuñolTHEATER
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %24-42-79-94; Martí No 111; 
c)
Holguín's premier theater is an art deco treat from 1939 on Parque Calixto García. It hosts both the Teatro Lírico Rodrigo Prats and the Ballet Nacional de Cuba and is renowned both nationally and internationally for its operettas, dance performances and Spanish musicals.
Check here for details of performances by the famous children's theater Alas Buenas and the Orquesta Sinfónica de Holguín (Holguín Symphony Orchestra).
Casa de la TrovaLIVE MUSIC
(
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; Maceo No 174; hTue-Sun)
Old guys in Panama hats croon under the rafters, musicians in guayaberas (pleated, buttoned shirts) blast on trumpets, while ancient couples in their Sunday best map out a perfect danzón (traditional Cuban ballroom dance colored with African influences). So timeless, so Holguín.
Salón Benny MoréLIVE MUSIC
(
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GOOGLE MAP
; cnr Luz Caballero & Maceo; hshow 10:30pm)
Holguín's impressive new outdoor music venue is the best place to round off a bar crawl with some live music and dancing.
Biblioteca Alex UrquiolaTHEATER
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %24-42-44-63; Maceo No 180)
Culture vultures steam the creases out of their evening dresses to see live theater and performances by the Orquesta Sinfónica de Holguín here.
Casa IberoamericanaCULTURAL
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.casadeiberoamerica.cult.cu; Arias No 161)
Situated on quieter Parque Céspedes, this paint-peeled place frequently hosts peñas (musical performances) and cultural activities.
Jazz ClubJAZZ
(
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; cnr Frexes & Manduley; h2pm-2am)
The jazz jams get moving around 8pm and continue weaving magic until 11pm. Then there's piped music until 2am. There's a sporadically functioning daytime cafe downstairs.
Cine MartíCINEMA
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Frexes No 204; tickets CUC$2)
The best of a quintet of city-center cinemas, head here for big-screen movies (occasional English-language films with Spanish subtitles). It's on Parque Calixto García.
Estadio General Calixto GarcíaSPORT
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; off Av de los Libertadores; admission CUC$1-2)
Mosey on down to this stadium to see Holguín's baseball team, former giant-killers the Perros (dogs) who snatched the national championship from under the noses of the 'big two' in 2002, but haven't barked much since. The stadium also houses a small but interesting sport museum.
Cominado Deportivo Henry García SuárezSPORT
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Maceo; admission MN$1; hboxing matches 8pm Wed, 2pm Sat)
You can catch boxing matches at this spit-and-sawdust gym on the western side of Parque Peralta, where three Olympic medalists have trained. If you can pluck up the courage, ask about some (noncontact) training sessions. They're very friendly.
7Shopping
Bazar – Proyecto de Desarollo LocalSOUVENIRS
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Manduley, btwn Aguilera & Áresas; h8am-6pm Mon-Sat)
The local private market as opposed to the nearby government-run affair. This Bazar sells a similar stash of trinkets, Afro-Cuban masks and clothing, but the money goes directly into the pockets of the vendors. Capitalismo or socialismo – take your pick.
Fondo de Bienes CulturalesARTS & CRAFTS
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Frexes No 196; h10am-3pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon Sat)
This state-run shop on Parque Calixto García sells similar handicrafts to the private vendor market a few blocks away.
La EpocaACCESSORIES
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Frexes No 194; h9am-5pm Mon-Sat, 9am-noon Sun)
Department store on Parque Calixto García with increasingly sophisticated wares.
PentagramaMUSIC
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; cnr Maceo & Martí; h8am-noon, 12:30-4:30pm)
Official outlet of the Cuban state record company Egrem, selling a small but decent stash of CDs.
El JigueBOOKS, SOUVENIRS
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; cnr Martí & Mártires; h9am-5pm)
Well-stocked bookstore and souvenir outlet adjacent to Plaza de la Maqueta.
8Information
The local newspaper Ahora is published on Saturday. Radio Ángulo CMKO can be heard on 1110AM and 97.9FM.
Etecsa TelepuntoINTERNET
(
GOOGLE MAP
; Calle Martí, btwn Martires & Máximo Gómez; internet CUC$4.50 per hour; h8:30am-7:30pm)
There are telephones – no internet – at the Parque Calixto García ( GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Martí & Maceo, Parque Calixto García) branch, while this one has three (usually busy) computer terminals.
Post officePOST OFFICE
(
GOOGLE MAP
; Manduley No 183; h10am-noon & 1-6pm Mon-Fri)
You'll find another post office at Parque Céspedes (
GOOGLE MAP
; Maceo No 114; h8am-6pm Mon-Sat).
Banco de Crédito y ComercioBANK
(
GOOGLE MAP
; Arias; h9am-3pm Mon-Fri)
Bank on Parque Céspedes with ATM.
Banco Financiero InternacionalBANK
(
GOOGLE MAP
; Manduley No 167, btwn Frexes & Aguilera; h9am-3pm Mon-Fri)
CubaturTOURIST INFORMATION
( GOOGLE MAP ; Edificio Pico de Cristal, cnr Manduley & Martí)
Travel agent bivouacked inside the Cafetería Begonias.
Farmacia Turno EspecialMEDICAL
(
GOOGLE MAP
; Maceo No 170; h8am-10pm Mon-Sat)
Pharmacy on Parque Calixto García.
Hospital LeninHOSPITAL
(
GOOGLE MAP
; %24-42-53-02; Av VI Lenin)
Will treat foreigners in an emergency.
InfoturTOURIST INFORMATION
( GOOGLE MAP ; 1st fl, Edificio Pico de Cristal, cnr Manduley & Martí)
Tourist information.
8Getting There & Away
Air
There are up to 16 international flights a week into Holguín's well-organized Frank País Airport (HOG; %24-42-52-71), 13km south of the city, including from Amsterdam, Düsseldorf, London, Montreal and Toronto. Almost all arrivals get bussed directly off to Guardalavaca and see little of Holguín city.
Domestic destinations are served by Cubana ( GOOGLE MAP ; Edificio Pico de Cristal, cnr Manduley & Martí), which flies daily to Havana (about CUC$120 one way, 1¼ hours).
Bus
The Interprovincial Bus Station ( GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Carretera Central & Independencia), west of the center near Hospital Lenin, has air-conditioned Víazul (www.viazul.com) buses leaving daily.
The Havana bus (CUC$44, 12 hours, four times daily) stops in Las Tunas, Camagüey, Ciego de Ávila, Sancti Spíritus and Santa Clara. The Santiago bus (CUC$11, 3½ hours, thrice daily) also stops in Bayamo. There are also daily buses to Trinidad (CUC$26, 7¾ hours) and Varadero (CUC$38, 11¼ hours).
There's a daily bus that connects to the Guardalavaca resorts run by Transtur. It leaves from outside the Museo de Historia Provincial daily at 1pm and costs CUC$15 return.
Car
Colectivos (shared cars) run to Gibara (CUC$4) and Puerto Padre in Las Tunas province from Av Cajigal. Colectivos to Guardalavaca ( GOOGLE MAP ; CUC$5) leave from Av XX Aniversario near Terminal Dagoberto Sanfield Guillén.
Train
The train station (
GOOGLE MAP
; Calle V Pita) is on the southern side of town. Foreigners must purchase tickets in convertible pesos (CUC$) at the special Ladis ticket office (
GOOGLE MAP
; h7:30am-3pm). The ticket office is marked 'U/B Ferrocuba Provincial Holguín' on the corner of Manduley, opposite the train station.
You will have to change trains at the Santiago–Havana mainline junction in Cacocum, 17km south of Holguín. Theoretically, there's one daily morning train to Las Tunas (CUC$3, two hours), an 8am train every three days to Guantánamo, three daily trains to Santiago de Cuba (CUC$5, 3½ hours), and two daily trains (10:19pm and 5:28am) to Havana (CUC$26, 15 hours). This train stops in Camagüey (CUC$6.50), Ciego de Ávila (CUC$10.50), Santa Clara (CUC$15.50) and Matanzas (CUC$22.50).
The only service that operates with any regularity is the train to Havana. The service to Santiago de Cuba is rather irregular. Research beforehand.
Truck
The Terminal Dagoberto Sanfield Guillén ( GOOGLE MAP ; Av de los Libertadores), opposite Estadio General Calixto García, has at least two daily trucks to Banes and Moa.
8Getting Around
To/From the Airport
The public bus to the airport leaves daily around 2pm from the airport bus stop ( GOOGLE MAP ; General Rodríguez No 84) on Parque Martí near the train station. A tourist taxi to the airport costs from CUC$15 to CUC$20. It's also possible to spend your last night in Bayamo, then catch a taxi (CUC$20 to CUC$25) to Holguín airport.
Bici-Taxi
Holguín's bici-taxis are ubiquitous. They charge MN$5 for a short trip, MN$10 for a long one.
Car
You can rent or return a car at Cubacar, with branches at Hotel Pernik (Av Jorge Dimitrov, Hotel Pernik), Aeropuerto Frank País (%24-46-84-14; Aeropuerto Frank País) and Cafetería Cristal (
GOOGLE MAP
; cnr Manduley & Martí).
A Servi-Cupet gas station (
GOOGLE MAP
; Carretera Central; h24hr) is 3km out of town toward Las Tunas; another station is just outside town on the road to Gibara. An Oro Negro gas station (
GOOGLE MAP
; Carretera Central) is on the southern edge of town. The road to Gibara is north on Av Cajígal; also take this road and fork left after 5km to reach Playa la Herradura.
Taxi
A Cubataxi ( GOOGLE MAP ; Máximo Gómez No 302, cnr Martí) to Guardalavaca (54km) costs around CUC$35. To Gibara one way should cost no more than CUC$20.
Gibara
Pop 36,000
Matched only by Baracoa for its wild coastal setting, Gibara is one of those special places where geography, meteorology and culture have conspired to create something tempestuous and unique. Though your first impression might not be open-mouthed incredulity (Hurricane Ike almost wiped the town off the map in 2008), suspend your judgment; Gibara casts a more subtle spell.
Situated 33km from Holguín via a scenic road that undulates through friendly, eye-catching villages, Gibara is a small, intimate place that is currently benefiting from much-needed government investment. Unlike nearby Guardalavaca, development here is low-key and focused on renovating the town's beautiful but dilapidated architecture. The saddle-shaped Silla de Gibara that so captivated Columbus creates a wild, scenic backdrop. Nearby is the site of one of Cuba's first wind farms.
Each year in April Gibara hosts the Festival Internacional de Cine Pobre (International Low-Budget Film Festival) which draws films and filmmakers from all over the world.
History
Columbus first arrived in the area in 1492 and called it Río de Mares (River of Seas) for the Ríos Cacoyugüín and Yabazón that drain into the Bahía de Gibara. The current name comes from jiba, the indigenous word for a bush that still grows along the shore.
Refounded in 1817, Gibara prospered in the 19th century as the sugar industry expanded and the trade rolled in. To protect the settlement from pirates, barracks and a 2km wall were constructed around the town in the early 1800s, making Gibara Cuba's second walled city (after Havana). The once sparkling-white facades earned Gibara its nickname, La Villa Blanca.
Holguín's outlet to the sea was once an important sugar-export town that was linked to the provincial capital via a railway. With the construction of the Carretera Central in the 1920s, Gibara lost its mercantile importance and, after the last train service was axed in 1958, the town fell into a sleepy slumber from which it has yet to fully awaken.
1Sights & Activities
Gibara is undergoing a small renaissance with government investment aimed at restoring and renovating the city's architecture. Though the specific sights are few, rather like Baracoa, this is more a town to stroll the streets and absorb the local flavor.
Parque Calixto GarcíaSQUARE
The centerpiece of this park lined with weird robles africanos – African oaks with large penis-shaped pods – is Iglesia de San Fulgencio (h8am-noon, 2-4:30pm Tue-Sun), built in 1850 but recently the recipient of a gleaming renovation. The Statue of Liberty in front commemorates the Spanish-Cuban-American War. On the western side of the square, in a beautiful colonial palace (more interesting than the stuffed stuff it collects), is the Museo de Historia Natural (Luz Caballero No 23; admission CUC$1; h8am-noon & 1-5pm Tue-Sat, 1-4pm Mon). Through barred windows you can watch women rolling cheroots in the cigar factory across the square.
Caverna de PanaderosCAVES
(excursion CUC$5)
This complex cave system with 19 galleries and a lengthy underground trail is close to town at the top end of Calle Independencia. There are no official tourist facilities, so it's best to hire a local guide. Alexis Silva García (%24-84-44-58) can be contacted by phone or by asking at the Museo de Historia Natural. The walk to the cave is 1km and there is a lake inside for swimming. Reserve two hours for the excursion.
Beaches
There are a couple of decent beaches within striking distance of Gibara.
Playa los BajosBEACH
( MAP GOOGLE MAP )
Los Bajos, to the east of Gibara, is accessible by a local lancha (ferry; CUC$1 each way) that leaves at least twice daily from the fishing pier on La Enramada, the waterfront road leading out of town. These boats cross the Bahía de Gibara to Playa los Bajos, from where it's 3km east to Playa Blanca. Both beaches are sandy, with swimming.
Should the ferry be out of action, Los Bajos is a rough 30km drive via Floro Pérez and Fray Benito.
Playa CaletonesBEACH
You'll need some sort of transport (bike, taxi, rental car) to get to this lovely little beach, 17km west of Gibara. The apostrophe-shaped stretch of white sand and azure sea here is a favorite of Holguín vacationers. The town is ramshackle, with no services except rustic Restaurante La Esparanza (mains CUC$4-6) on the beachfront road, serving up some of Cuba's most delectable fresh seafood on an upstairs terrace overlooking the water.
Ask here about freshwater pozas (pools) where you can go swimming. DIY divers can part with CUC$10 to be guided to some caves 5km further along, which purportedly contain some of Cuba's best cave diving. You'll need your own equipment. The cave system goes back some 3000m, with water depth about 15m.
Spanish Forts
At the top of Calle Cabada is El Cuartelón, a crumbling brick Spanish fort with graceful arches that provides stunning town and bay views. Continue on this street for 200m to Restaurante el Mirador for an even better vantage point. You'll see remnants of the old fortresses here and at the Fuerte Fernando VII, on the point beyond Parque de las Madres, a block over from Parque Calixto García. There's also a sentinel tower at the entrance to the town, coming in from Holguín.
Climbing
Viñales might be Cuba's climbing capital, but word is spreading about the smaller, no-less attractive routes on the Silla de Gibara, the saddle-shaped limestone crag 35km southeast of Gibara. The Silla has around 20 'mapped' climbing routes on its shadowy north face, best tackled in the cooler months between November and February. With little government support, climbing here is similar to Viñales. Bring your own gear and use a guide. Alexis Silva García should be able to sort you out with information and guide services. Find him at the Museo de Historia Natural.
4Sleeping
Gibara has some of the province's best options for bedding down. A new colonial hotel, the Arsenita, should be open by the time you read this.
oHostal los HermanosCASA PARTICULAR
(%24-84-45-42; Céspedes No 13, btwn Luz Caballero & J Peralta; r CUC$20-25; a)
Bedizened with colonial splendor, here you can relax in one of four big bedrooms with hand-painted murals, decorative cherubs and trompe l'oeil. Signature Gibara stained glass and delicious meals add further flourishes. The house also doubles up as a private restaurant for nonguests.
Hostal Sol y MarCASA PARTICULAR
(%52-40-21-64; J Peralta No 59; CUC$20-25; a)
In a blue-and-yellow house right on the waterfront, this house is filled with wonderful sea breezes and romantic views – especially if you take advantage of the ample roof terrace. At the time of writing there were two rooms with a third being built, and the young host, who can speak French, English, Dutch and German, will make your stay a pleasant one. There's a self-catering kitchen.
Villa CaneyCASA PARTICULAR
(%24-84-45-52; Sartorio No 36, btwn J Peralta & Luz Caballero; r CUC$20-25; a)
There's more stunning Gibara beauty in Villa Caney, captured in a sturdy stone colonial house that withstood the category-4 force of Hurricane Ike. Two rooms off an impressive courtyard are large and have private baths.
Hostal El PatioCASA PARTICULAR
(%24-84-42-69; J Mora No 19 , btwn Cuba & J Agüero; CUC$20-25; a)
Tucked away behind this high-walled patio are Gibara's cosiest digs: a lovely part-covered patio leading to two rooms (the back one is best). Mealtimes are magical in this little getaway and the coffee, pretty much all the time, is great.
oHotel OrdoñoHOTEL
(%24-84-44-48; J Peralta, cnr Donato Mámol & Independencia; s/d/ste CUC$65/82/112; ai)
Cuba has some plush five-star resorts on its north coast, but it's debatable if any of them can match the majestic colonial beauty of the Ordoño. Opened in 2013, the attention to architectural detail in this renovated 27-room palace is almost Michelangelo worthy – and all achieved by young local architects.
Throw in exemplary service and an ethereal Gibrara setting and you'll feel like Louis XIV kicking back in Versailles (without the guilty conscience). Best hotel in Cuba? Definitely a contender.
5Eating
Slowly, at the speed of a Cadillac on a potholed track, things are modernizing. Some enterprising casas particulares operate as private restaurants. Both Villa Caney and Hostal Los Hermanos are excellent.
La CuevaPARRILLA
(Calle 2da, cnr Carretera a Playa Caletones; dishes CUC$4; hnoon-midnight)
Finally, Gibara's eating scene starts to get imaginative with this private place which grows its own herbs to garnish those grills and even has a small farm. There's a ranchón-style part and a more formal restaurant area above. It's at the northern end of town.
Restaurante el MiradorFAST FOOD
(snacks CUC$1-2; h24hr)
Perched high above town near El Cuartelón, this place has a view to die for but not much in the way of good food.
La Casa de Los AmigosSEAFOOD
(%24-84-41-15; Céspedes No 15 btwn J Peralta & Luz Caballero; meals CUC$5-10)
Both casa and private restaurant, this place has one of the most amazing interior patios in Cuba, with frescoes, a gazebo and hand-painted Gibara doors. It rents rooms, but we're recommending it for its fantastic food – a profusion of local fish dishes with ample trimmings.
6Drinking & Entertainment
As in most Cuban seaside towns, the local 'yoof' hang around in the vicinity of the Malecón on weekend evenings. Spontaneous outbreaks of music are likely at any time in and around Parque Calixto García and Parque Colón.
Bar La LogeBAR
Another quiver in Gibara's freshly renovated bow, this mainly outdoor bar next to the Casa de la Cultura hosts live music on Friday and Sunday nights, but is always a good place to hang with the locals.
Siglo XXCULTURAL CENTER
(h8am-5pm Mon-Tue, 8am-11pm Wed-Sun)
A fine new cultural center in the main square that hosts live traditional music on a Saturday night and provides the taped stuff at other times. The courtyard is a good place to chill with an icy refresco (refreshment) on a hot afternoon.
Cine JibaCINEMA
(Parque Calixto García)
Cuba's improbable poor man's film festival hosts most of its cutting-edge movies (some in English) in this small but quirky cinema covered with distinctive art-house movie posters. If you're going to go to the cinema anywhere in Cuba, it should be in Gibara – it's a local rite of passage.
Centro Cultural Batería Fernando VIICULTURAL CENTER
(Plaza del Fuerte)
The diminutive Spanish fort hovering above the choppy ocean is today an atmospheric cultural center run by ARTex that puts on weekend shows and serves food and drink from a sinuous bar-restaurant.
POOR MAN'S FILM FESTIVAL
There's no red carpet, no paparazzi and no Brangelina, but what the Festival Internacional de Cine Pobre (International Low-Budget Film Festival; www.cinepobre.com) lacks in glitz it makes up for in raw, undiscovered talent. Then there's the setting – ethereal Gibara, Cuba's crumbling Villa Blanca, a perfect antidote to the opulence of Hollywood and Cannes.
Inaugurated in 2003, the Cine Pobre was the brainchild of late Cuban director Humberto Solás, who fell in love with this quintessential fishing town after shooting his seminal movie Lucía here in 1968.
Open to independent filmmakers of limited means, the festival takes place in April and, despite limited advertising, attracts up to US$100,000 in prize money. Lasting for seven days, proceedings kick off with a gala in the Cine Jiba followed by film showings, art expositions and nightly music concerts. The competition is friendly but hotly contested, with prizes used to reward and recognize an eclectic cache of digital-movie guerrillas drawn from countries as varied as Iran and the US.
8Information
Most services line Calle Independencia.
BandecBANK
(cnr Independencia & J Peralta; h9am-3pm Mon-Fri)
Also changes traveler's checks.
Post officePOST OFFICE
(Independencia No 15; h8am-8pm Mon-Sat)
8Getting There & Away
Annoyingly, there are no Víazul buses to Gibara. Travelers can tackle the route with Cuban transport on a truck or shared colectivo taxi (CUC$4) from Holguín. The bus station is 1km out on the road to Holguín. There are two daily buses in each direction. A regular taxi (to Holguín) should cost CUC$20.
For drivers heading toward Guardalavaca, the link road from the junction at Floro Pérez is hell at first, but improves just outside Rafael Freyre. There's an Oro Negro gas station at the entrance to town.
Guardalavaca & Around
Guardalavaca is a string of megaresorts draped along a succession of idyllic beaches 54km northeast of Holguín. But glimmering in the background, the landscape of rough green fields and haystack-shaped hills reminds you that rural Cuba is never far away.
In the days before towel-covered sunloungers and poolside bingo, Columbus described this stretch of coast as the most beautiful place he had ever laid eyes on. Few modern-day visitors would disagree. Love it or hate it, Guardalavaca's enduring popularity has its raison d'être: enviable tropical beaches, verdant green hills and sheltered turquoise coral reefs that teem with aquatic action. More spread out than Varadero and less isolated than Cayo Coco, Guardalavaca, for many discerning travelers, gets the R & R balance just right – relaxation and realism.
In the early 20th century this region was an important cattle-rearing area and the site of a small rural village (Guardalavaca means, quite literally, 'guard the cow'). The tourism boom moved into first gear in the late 1970s when local holguiñero Fidel Castro inaugurated Guardalavaca's first resort – the sprawling Atlántico – by going for a quick dip in the hotel pool. The local economy hasn't looked back since.
The resort area is split into three separate enclaves: Playa Pesquero, Playa Esmeralda and, 4km to the east, Guardalavaca proper, the original hotel strip that is already starting to peel around the edges. Of the three, Playa Pesquero (Fisher's Beach) is the most high end. There are four tourist colossi here, and the strip has a luxury Caribbean sheen missing elsewhere on the island. Not surprisingly, the adjacent beach is sublime, with golden sand, shallow, warm water and great opportunities for snorkeling.
The four resorts of Playa Pesquero are accessible from the main Holguín–Guardalavaca road via a spur road 12km west of Guardalavaca proper. Playa Esmeralda and its two resorts lie at the end of a short spur road 4km west of Guardalavaca.
Guardalavaca has long allowed beach access to Cubans, meaning it is less snooty and flecked with a dash of local color.
Guardalavaca
2Activities, Courses & Tours
4Sleeping
1Sights
Museo Chorro de MaitaMUSEUM
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; admission CUC$2; h9am-5pm Tue-Sat, 9am-1pm Sun)S
This archaeological-site-based museum protects the remains of an excavated Indian village and cemetery, including the well-preserved remains of 62 human skeletons and the bones of a barkless dog. The village dates from the early 16th century and is one of nearly 100 archaeological sites in the area. New evidence suggests indigenous peoples were living here many decades after Columbus' arrival.
Across from the museum is a reconstructed Aldea Taína that features life-sized models of native dwellings in a replicated indigenous village. Shows of native dance rituals are staged here and there's also a restaurant.
Parque Nacional Monumento BariayHISTORIC SITE
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; admission CUC$8; h9am-5pm)
Ten kilometers west of Playa Pesquero and 3km west of Villa Don Lino is Playa Blanca; Columbus is thought to have landed somewhere near here in 1492, and this great meeting of two cultures is commemorated in a varied mix of sights, the centerpiece of which is an impressive Hellenic-style monument designed by Holguín artist Caridad Ramos for the 500th anniversary of the landing in 1992.
Other points of interest include an information center, the remains of a 19th-century Spanish fort, three reconstructed Taíno huts and an archaeological museum. It makes a pleasant afternoon's sojourn.
Guardalavaca Area
2Activities, Courses & Tours
4Sleeping
2Activities
You can arrange horseback riding at the Rancho Naranjo in Playa Esmeralda or privately. Try the Paladar Compay Carlos next to Villa Bely. CUC$10 per hour is the going rate.
You can rent mopeds at all the hotels for up to CUC$25 per day. Some all-inclusive resorts include bicycle use, but the bikes are fairly basic (no gears). The road between Guardalavaca and Playa Esmeralda, and on to Playa Pesquero, is flat and quiet and makes an excellent day excursion. For a bit more sweat you can make it to Banes and back (66km round trip).
Boat Trips
Many water-based excursions leave from the Marina Gaviota Puerto de Vita (
GOOGLE MAP
; %24-43-04-45) and can be booked through the hotels. There's another newer, but smaller marina at Boca de Samá (
GOOGLE MAP
) 9km east of Guardalavaca run by Cubanacán. Aside from the ubiquitous sunset cruise possibilities (CUC$52), you can organize deep-sea fishing (CUC$300 for up to six people), and occasional catamaran trips across Bahía de Vita with snorkeling and open bar.
Parque Natural Bahía de NaranjoNATURE RESERVE
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %24-43-00-06; excursions from CUC$50)
The Parque Natural Bahía de Naranjo, 4km southwest of Playa Esmeralda and about 8km from the main Guardalavaca strip, is an island complex designed to keep the resort crowds entertained. An aquarium is on a tiny island in the bay and your entry fee includes a zippy boat tour of the islands included in the complex.
There are various packages starting at around CUC$50, depending on what you want to do – yacht trips, seafaris etc – so check around before you embark. Boats to the aquarium leave from the Marina Bahía de Naranjo.
Diving
Guardalavaca has some excellent diving (better than Varadero and up there with Cayo Coco). The reef is 200m out and there are 32 dive sites, most of which are accessed by boat. Highlights include caves, wrecks, walls and La Corona, a giant coral formation said to resemble a crown.
Eagle Ray Marlin Dive CenterDIVING
(Cubanacán Náutica;
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %24-43-01-85; dives from CUC$45)
Guardalavaca beach's one dive center abuts the sand about 300m west of the Club Amigo Atlántico-Guardalavaca. There are open-water certification courses for CUC$365 and two-hour Discover courses for CUC$70. Immersions start at CUC$45, with discounts for multiple dives.
Hiking
oBioparque RocazulNATURE RESERVE
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; h9am-5:30pm)
Located just off the link road that joins Playa Turquesa with the other Pesquero resorts, this protected bio-park (part of the Parque Natural Cristóbal Colón) offers the usual hand-holding array of outdoor activities under the supervision of a nonnegotiable government guide. It's a commendable environmental effort in a major resort area, but the limitations on your right to roam can be a little stifling (and costly).
Leisurely walking excursions go for CUC$8/10/12 for one/two/three hours. You can go horseback riding for CUC$16 an hour or fishing for CUC$29. All-inclusive packages cost CUC$40. The park is extensive with hills, trails, ocean access and the Casa de Compay Kike, a working farm where you can sample Cuban food and coffee. There's a friendly bar at the entrance to the park where you weigh can up the financial pros and cons.
Las Guanas Eco-Archaeological TrailNATURE RESERVE
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; admission CUC$3; h8am-4:30pm)
At the end of the Playa Esmeralda road is this self-guided hike, which at CUC$3 for 1km, is quite possibly Cuba's (and one of the world's) most expensive trails. Walk slowly to get your money's worth! The marked route (with several more kilometers of bushwhacking on fire trails leading to a picturesque bluff with a lighthouse) apparently boasts 14 endemic plant species. Inauthentic sculptures of indigenous Taíno guard the route.
The bluff was originally touted for hotel development, but was saved from the bulldozers by government intervention.
Kiteboarding
Luís RiveronKITE-BOARDING
(%53-78-48-57; luiskitesurf@nauta.cu)
Cuba's newest sport has sprouted a private Guardalavaca operator who offers lessons for CUC$25 an hour, or board rental for CUC$7 per hour. His perch is on the beach next to Bar Pirata.
TTours
The Cubanacán travel desk in the lobby of the Club Amigo Atlántico – Guardalavaca offers an interesting 'beer tour' of Holguín city, leaving at 6:30pm every Sunday (CUC$20).
4Sleeping
Guardalavaca now offers private rooms, so you are not obliged to shell out for the all-inclusives if you don't want to. There are dozens of apartments to rent in Guardalavaca village opposite the entrance to the all-inclusive zone. A new five-star hotel – the Albatros – is in the process of being built.
Guardalavaca
oVilla BelyCASA PARTICULAR
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %52-61-41-92; www.villabely.orgfree.com; CUC$25-30; pa)
A resort-hater's dream. The top-floor apartment at this rose pink house is bigger and better than your average hotel room, coming with a kitchen-diner and a lovely sleeping area raised on a dais. There's a second room below. It's just opposite the last highway exit from the all-inclusive zone.
Brisas GuardalavacaRESORT
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %24-43-02-18; all-incl s/d CUC$154/228; paisc)
This uber-resort made up of the Villa las Brisas and Hotel las Brisas at the eastern end of the beach is a package-tour paradise that stirs memories of 1970s British holiday camps. Bonuses are the huge comfortable rooms, floodlit tennis courts and general lack of pretension. The kitsch is never far from the surface, but it's quieter and more upmarket than Club Amigo's offerings.
Club Amigo Atlántico – GuardalavacaRESORT
(
MAP
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; %24-43-01-21; all-incl s/d CUC$81/122; paisc)
This hard-to-fathom resort is a fusion of the former Guardalavaca and Atlántico hotels, the latter of which is the resort's oldest, completed in 1976 and christened by Fidel Castro with a swim in the pool. The architecture in this small 'village' (there are an astounding 600 rooms here) is a bog-standard mishmash of villas, bungalows and standard rooms.
It's ever-popular with families for its extensive kids activities program. The hotel has two locations. The rooms associated with the former Hotel Guardalavaca are further from the beach but also less noisy.
Playa Pesquero
Campismo Silla de GibaraCABINS
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; %24-42-15-86; s/d CUC$14/22; ps)
This rustic campismo (camping installation) sits on sloping ground beneath Gibara's signature saddle-shaped hill. Reached via a rough road between Floro Pérez and Rafael Freyre, it's 35km southeast of Gibara itself and 1.5km off the main road. There are 42 rooms sleeping two, four or six people, but come for the views, not the comfort.
There's also a cave you can hike to, 1.5km up the hill, and horses for rent. It's best to make reservations with Cubamar in Havana rather than just turn up.
Villa Don LinoCABINS
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; %24-43-03-08; s/d from CUC$49/78; pas)
The cheap alternative to Playa Pesquero's 'big four,' Don Lino's 36 single-story cabañas are planted right on its own diminutive white beach, and make for a romantic retreat. There's a small pool, nighttime entertainment and an element of Cuban-ness missing in the bigger resorts. Villa Don Lino is 8.5km north of Rafael Freyre along a spur road.
oHotel Playa PesqueroRESORT
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; %24-43-35-30; all-incl s/d CUC$175/280; pai
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Once Cuba's biggest hotel, Playa Pesquero had its mantle stolen in recent years, but who cares? With 933 rooms, the Pesquero is no slouch and no ugly duckling either. Beautifully landscaped grounds over 30 hectares include Italianate fountains, fancy shops, seven restaurants, spa, floodlit tennis courts, and acres of swimming pool space.
And then there's the beach…in a word, beautiful. Opened in 2003 by Fidel Castro, the loquacious leader's speech is reprinted on a wall in the reception area. Fortunately, it was one of his shorter efforts.
Memories HolguínRESORT
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; %24-43-35-40; all-incl s/d CUC$150/200; pais)
Slightly apart from the other resorts on its own clean scoop of beach (known as Playa Yuraguanal), the recently rebranded Memories writes the word 'privacy' into its four stars. Otherwise you're looking at all the usual high-end, all-inclusive givens – meaning most guests are happy to never leave the complex.
Hotel Playa Costa VerdeRESORT
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; %24-43-35-20; all-incl s/d CUC$130/210; paisc)
Stuck somewhere between elegance and simplicity, the Costa Verde feels a bit faux – not that top-notch facilities are lacking. There's a Japanese restaurant, a gym, colorful gardens and a lagoon you cross to get to the beach. Good diving trips are run out of the confusingly named Blau Costa Verde next door.
Playa Esmeralda
Two megaresorts line this superior stretch of beach, 6km to the west of Guardalavaca and accessed by a spur just east of the Cayo Naranjo boat launch. Esmeralda occupies the middle ground between Guardalavaca's economy and Playa Pesquero's opulence.
oParadisus Río de OroRESORT
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; %24-43-00-90; all-incl s/d CUC$455/510; paiWs)S
Elegant and environmentally conscious (a tough combination), this 292-room place has five-star resort written all over it, and is often touted as the best resort in Cuba. There's massage available in a cliffside hut, a Japanese restaurant floating on a koi pond, and garden villas with private pools. Paradise is the word. It's adults only.
Sol Río Luna Mares ResortRESORT
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; %24-43-00-30; all-incl s/d CUC$182/280; paiWsc)
This two-in-one hotel is an amalgamation of the former Sol Club Río de Luna and the Meliá Río de Mares. Rooms are large and come with a few extras (such as coffee machines), but the main advantages for luxury seekers over Guardalavaca are the superior food (French and Italian restaurants) and the truly sublime beach (beach toys are included in the price).
5Eating
There are a handful of options outside of the all-inclusive resorts, mainly in Guardalavaca itself.
Restaurante LagomarPALADAR
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; meals CUC$3-5; hnoon-midnight)
You can get some esoteric magic in Guardalavaca if you walk for 10 minutes along the coast beyond Las Brisas hotel to the tiny village of El Cayuelo. The last house still standing is Lagomar which serves up classic Cuban dishes in its atmospheric little restaurant. Only the odd all-inclusive-guest-in-the-know stops by, but El Cayuelo is earmarked for more hotel development: enjoy it while you can.
El UveroCUBAN
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; %52-39-35-71; Carretera Guardalavaca-Banes; meals $10-18; hnoon-11pm)
Four kilometers and a short taxi ride east of Guardalavaca's main resort strip, this modest-looking local house in the village of Cuatro Caminos is well worth the small effort to get here. Pride of the menu is the tres hermanos (three brothers) consisting of prawns, lobster and white fish. The place is guarded by an uvero (sea grape tree), as the name implies.
El AnclaSEAFOOD
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; meals CUC$12-25; hnoon-9:30pm)
Somehow El Ancla, situated on a rocky promontory of land at the far western end of Guardalavaca beach, didn't get blown away by Hurricane Ike in 2008. Come here for excellent lobster in front of magnificent sea views.
6Drinking & Entertainment
Bar PirataBAR
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; h9am-9pm)
At the epicenter of Guardalavaca's liveliest strip of beach (accessed via the flea market just west of Club Amigo Atlántico), Pirata is a bog-standard beach shack with beer, music and enough ingredients to muster up a sand-free sandwich lunch.
La RuedaBAR
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An alfresco bar in the Boulevard flea market that provides a welcome haven from the resorts. Small snacks and ice cream are also available.
7Shopping
BoulevardSOUVENIRS
( MAP GOOGLE MAP )
This touristy handicraft market caters to resort clients from the surrounding area. It sells crafts, postcards, cheap clothing and Che Guevara – there's nothing much outside the knickknack box.
Centro Comerical los FlamboyanesSHOPPING CENTER
( GOOGLE MAP )
Guardalavaca's small, slightly grotty shopping mall has a limited cache of stores, including a handy Casa del Habano which has all the smoke you need and then some.
8Information
Euros are accepted in all the Guardalavaca, Playa Esmeralda and Playa Pesquero resorts. Additionally, all the big hotels have money-changing facilities. The Clinica Internacional is a 24-hour pharmacy but the major hotels here all have drugstores.
Banco Financiero InternacionalBANK
(
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; Centro Comercial los Flamboyanes; h9am-3pm Mon-Fri)
In the shopping complex just west of Club Amigo Atlántico – Guardalavaca.
Canadian ConsulateCONSULATE
(
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; %24-43-03-20; Club Amigo Atlántico – Guardalavaca, ste 1; h9am-1pm Mon-Fri)
CubaturTOURIST INFORMATION
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; h24 hrs)
Travel agent just behind the Centro Comercial los Flamboyanes ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ).
8Getting There & Away
Transtur runs a tourist bus from Guardalavaca to Holguín via Playa Esmeralda and Playa Pesquero once a day leaving from outside Brisas at 8:45am, Sol Rio Luna Mares Resort at 9am and Playa Pesquero at 9:30am. It arrives at Holguín's Parque Calixto García at 10pm. A return bus leaves Holguín at 1pm. Cost is CUC$15 return.
A taxi from Guardalavaca to Holguín will cost a heftier CUC$35 one way for the car. For radio taxis, call Cubataxi (%24-43-01-39) or Transgaviota (%24-43-49-66). Colectivos run from Guardalavaca village to Holguín for CUC$5.
Marina Gaviota Puerto de Vita is an international entry port for yachts and boats and has 38 berths. There's a hardware store, restaurant, electricity and customs authorities on-site.
8Getting Around
A hop-on/hop-off double-decker bus in Guardalavaca links the three beach areas and the Aldea Taína. The red-and-blue bus is operated by Transtur. Theoretically it runs three times a day in either direction, but check at your hotel to see if there are any glitches. Drop-offs include Parque Rocazul, Playa Pesquero, Playa Costa Verde, Playa Esmeralda hotels, Club Amigo Atlántico – Guardalavaca and the Aldea Taína. Tickets cost CUC$5 for an all-day pass.
Coches de caballo (horse carriages) run between Playas Esmeralda and Guardalavaca, or you can rent a moped (CUC$25 per day) or bicycle (free if you're staying at an all-inclusive) at any of the resort hotels.
For car rental, try Cubacar (
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; Club Amigo Atlántico – Guardalavaca). A Servi-Cupet gas station (
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; h24hr) is situated between Guardalavaca and Playa Esmeralda.
Banes
Pop 44,500
The former sugar town of Banes, just north of the Bahía de Banes, is the site of one of Cuba's biggest oxymorons. Cuban president Fulgencio Batista was born here in 1901. Then, 47 years later, in the local clapboard church of Nuestra Señora de la Caridad, another fiery leader-in-waiting, Fidel Castro, tied the knot with the blushing Birta Díaz Balart. A generous Batista gave them a US$500 gift for their honeymoon. Ah, how history could have been so different.
Founded in 1887, this effervescent company town was a virtual fiefdom of the US-run United Fruit Company until the 1950s, and many of the old American company houses still remain. These days in the sun-streaked streets and squares you're more likely to encounter cigar-smoking cronies slamming dominoes and moms carrying meter-long loaves of bread; in short, everything Cuban that is missing from the all-inclusive resorts.
Thanks its Taíno museum and the various indigenous sites that nestle in the surrounding countryside, Banes is known as the archaeological capital of Cuba.
1Sights
If you're coming from the resorts, Banes' biggest attraction may be enjoying the street life provided by a stroll through town. Don't miss the fine old company houses that once provided homes for the fat cats of United Fruit. If you're fit and adventurous, getting here from Guardalavaca by bicycle is a rare treat through undulating bucolic terrain.
oMuseo Indocubano BaniMUSEUM
(General Marrero No 305; admission CUC$1; h9am-5pm Tue-Sat, 8am-noon Sun)
This museum's small but rich collection of indigenous artifacts is one of the best on the island. Don't miss the tiny golden fertility idol unearthed near Banes (one of only 20 gold artifacts ever found in Cuba). Excellent guides will enthusiastically show you round. La Plaza Aborigen outside has replicas of local cave paintings.
The museum's resident expert, Luis Quiñones García (%24-80-26-91; votico@gmail.com), will fill you in on every facet of indigenous culture and local archaeology. He also offers tours of the town.
Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la CaridadCHURCH
On October 12, 1948, Fidel Castro Ruz and Birta Díaz Balart were married in this unusual art deco church on Parque Martí in the center of Banes. After their divorce in 1954, Birta remarried and moved to Spain. Through their only child, Fidelito, Fidel has several grandchildren.
Steam Locomotive 964TRAIN
(Calle Tráfico, El Panchito)
Railway enthusiasts shouldn't miss this old steamer built at the HK Porter Locomotive Works in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1888, now on display 400m east of the bus station.
Playa de MoralesBEACH
One day in the not-too-distant future (after its been Cancun-ized), we'll all wax nostalgic about this precious strip of sand situated 13km east of Banes along the paved continuation of Tráfico. For the time being enjoy this fishing village while you can, whiling away an afternoon dining with locals and watching the men mend their nets. A seafood restaurant, El Banquete (Playa Morales; mains CUC$2-4; h24hr), sits on poles above the water. A few kilometers to the north is the even quieter Playa Puerto Rico.
CUBA'S ARCHAEOLOGICAL CAPITAL
The pre-Columbian history of Cuba can be traced back over 8000 years, yet it rarely receives more than a passing mention in contemporary history books. Those interested in padding out the details should come to Holguín province, where the region around Banes has the highest concentration of pre-Columbian archaeological sites in the country.
The bulk of archaeological remains unearthed so far in Cuba are from the Taíno era, dating from around 1050 to the early 1500s. The Taínos were the third wave of immigrants to reach the isles in the footsteps of the less sophisticated Guanahatabeys and Siboneys with whom they ultimately coexisted. Primarily peace-loving, they were skilful farmers, weavers, ceramicists and boatbuilders, and their complex society exhibited an organized system of participatory government that was overseen by a series of local caciques (chiefs). Sixty percent of the crops still grown in Cuba today were pioneered by Taíno farmers, who even planted cotton for use in hammocks, fishing nets and bags. Adults practiced a form of artificial cranial deformation by flattening the soft skulls of their young children, and groups lived together in villages characterized by their thatched bohios (living huts) and bateys (communal 'plazas'). A reconstructed Taíno village can be seen at the Aldea Taína (Taíno village;
MAP
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; admission CUC$5; c) near Guardalavaca. Next door in Chorro de Maita, Cuba’s most extensive archaeological site, some of the exhumed skeletons exhibit cranial deformation.
Columbus described the Taíno with terms such as 'gentle,' 'sweet,' 'always laughing' and 'without knowledge of what is evil,' which makes the genocide that he inadvertently unleashed even harder to comprehend. Estimates vary wildly as to how many indigenous people populated Cuba pre-Columbus, though 100,000 is a good consensus figure. Within 30 years 90% of the Taínos had been wiped out.
As Taíno villages were built of wood and mud they left no great towns or temples. Instead, the most important and emblematic artifacts unearthed are of cemis (idols), small figurines depicting Taíno deities. Cemis were cult objects that represented social status, political power or fertility. The hacha del Holguín, a 600-year-old godlike figure made of peridotite rock, is on display in Holguín’s Museo de Historia Provincial. The ídolo del oro, a rare 10-carat gold fertility symbol from the 13th century or earlier, is in Banes' Museo Indocubano Bani. The oldest cemi found to date in Cuba was discovered near Maisí in Guantánamo province in the 1910s. Called the ídolo de tabaco, it dates from the 10th century and is made of Cuban hardwood. It is currently on display at the Museo Antropológico Montané in Havana University.
4Sleeping
There are no hotels in the town proper, but Banes has some superfriendly private renters.
Villa LaoCASA PARTICULAR
(%24-80-30-49; Bayamo No 78, btwn JoséM Heredia & Augusto Blanco; CUC$20-25; a)
Shimmering clean, professionally run house with two rooms; grab the upstairs one with its kitchen and plant-laden terrace if possible. It's got the front-porch rocker thing going on too, overlooking the central park.
Casa 'Las Delicias'CASA PARTICULAR
(%24-80-29-05; Augusto Blanca No 1107, btwn Bruno Merino & Bayamo; r CUC$20-25; a)
One spick-and-span room, a private entrance, friendly owners and decent food in the downstairs private restaurant; what more could you ask from tranquil Banes?
Villa GilmaCASA PARTICULAR
(%24-80-22-04; Calle H No 15266, btwn Veguitas & Francisco Franco; r CUC$20-25; a)
This classic colonial abode stands guard at the entrance to the town center and has one huge room (those ceilings must be 7m high) with private bath and fridge.
5Eating
DIYers can find groceries in a couple of supermarkets, La Epoca and Isla de Cuba, on the main nexus of General Marrero.
Restaurante Don CarlosCUBAN
(%24-80-21-76; Veguitas No 1702, cnr Calle H; meals CUC$2.50-5; hnoon-10pm)
Salt-of-the-earth, meet-the-locals private restaurant where you can discover the other side of Cuba over some pretty decent seafood. Not 30 minutes from Guardalavaca's gigantic resorts.
Restaurant el LatinoCARIBBEAN
(General Marrero No 710; meals around CUC$5; h11am-11pm)
A long-standing Banes favorite, this state-run place has all the usual Creole dishes delivered with a little extra flair and charm. Service is good, and the accompanying musicians unusually talented and discreet.
Casa del ChefCUBAN
(%24-80-44-49; General Marrero No 721; meals CUC$1.50-3; hnoon-11pm)
This Cuban chain acts as a training ground for young chefs hoping to gravitate to the resort kitchens but isn't as bad as it sounds. It's also great value for money in Banes, with most dishes going for $35 Cuban pesos (CUC$1.60). Prawns are the specialty.
3Entertainment
Cafe CantanteLIVE MUSIC
(General Marrero No 320)
This gregarious, music-filled patio is the top spot in Banes, with honking municipal-band rehearsals, discos, son (Cuba's popular music) septets and Zen-inducing jazz jams. It's colloquially known as the Casa de la Trova.
Casa de CulturaCULTURAL CENTER
(General Marrero No 320)
F
This venue, housed in the former Casino Español (1926), has a regular Sunday trova (traditional poetic song) matinee at 3pm and Saturday peña del rap (rap-music session) at 9pm.
8Information
Banes is one of those towns with no street signs and locals who don't know street names, so prepare to get lost.
8Getting There & Away
From the bus station (cnr Tráfico & Los Ángeles), there are two daily buses to Holguín (72km). There are no timetables; check the chalkboards. Trucks leave Banes for Holguín more frequently. A taxi from Guardalavaca (33km) will cost around CUC$20 one way, or you can tackle it with a moped (easy) or bicycle (not so easy) in a fantastic DIY day trip.
Birán
Fidel Castro Ruz was born on August 13, 1926, at the Finca las Manacas (aka Casa de Fidel) near the village of Birán, south of Cueto. The farm, which was bought by Fidel's father Ángel in 1915, is huge, and includes its own workers village (a cluster of small thatched huts for the mainly Haitian laborers), a cockfighting ring, a post office, a store and a telegraph. The several large yellow wooden houses that can be glimpsed through the cedar trees are where the Castro family lived.
Sights
oMuseo Conjunto Histórico de BiránMUSEUM
(admission/camera/video CUC$10/20/40; h9am-3:30pm Tue-Sat, 9am-noon Sun)
Finca las Manacas opened as a museum in 2002 under this unassuming name, supposedly to downplay any Castro 'personality cult.' This gaggle of attractive wooden buildings on an expanse of lush grounds constitutes a pueblito (small town) and makes a fascinating excursion. The complex includes Castro's schoolhouse, family home and everything from a post office to a butcher's. It appears as a backwater today, but once sat on the camino real, Cuba's main east–west road in colonial times.
Around the various houses, you can see more than a hundred photos, assorted clothes, Fidel's childhood bed and his father's 1918 Ford motorcar. Perhaps most interesting is the schoolhouse (Fidel sat in the middle of the front row, apparently), with pictures of young Fidel and Raúl, and Fidel's birth certificate, made out in the name of Fidel Casano Castro Ruz. A cemetery contains the grave of Fidel and Raúl's father, Ángel. The site illustrates, if nothing else, the extent of the inheritance that this hot-headed ex-lawyer gave up when he lived in the Sierra Maestra for two years, surviving on a diet of crushed crabs and raw horse meat.
Sierra del Cristal
Cuba's own 'Little Switzerland' is a rugged amalgam of the Sierra del Cristal and the Altiplanicie de Nipe that contains two important national parks. Parque Nacional Sierra Cristal, Cuba's oldest, was founded in 1930 and harbors 1213m Pico de Cristal, the province's highest summit. Of more interest to travelers is the 5300-hectare Parque Nacional la Mensura, 30km south of Mayarí, which protects the island's highest waterfall, yields copious Caribbean pines and hosts a mountain research center run by the Academia de Ciencias de Cuba (Cuban Academy of Sciences). Notable for its cool alpine microclimate and 100 or more species of endemic plants, La Mensura offers hiking and horseback riding and accommodation in a Gaviota-run ecolodge.
There should be no forgetting, either, those lines to the song you've certainly heard more than any other in Cuba since your plane touched down: 'De alto cedro voy para Macarné, llego a Cueto, voy para Mayarí' – the opener, in other words, to the Buena Vista Social Club album's hit song 'Chan Chan.' The towns of Macarné, Cueto and Mayarí flank the Sierra del Cristal and the road between them is often dubbed Ruta de Chan Chan (Chan Chan Route), frequently traversed by aficionados of lead singer Compay Segundo and co.
1Sights & Activities
Most activities can be organized at Villa Pinares del Mayarí or via excursions from Guardalavaca's or Santiago de Cuba's hotels (CUC$92 by 4WD).
Salto del GuayaboWATERFALL
At just over 100m in height, Guayabo (15km from the Villa Pinares de Mayarí) is considered the highest waterfall in Cuba. There's a spectacular overlook and the guided 1.2km hike to its base through fecund tropical forest costs CUC$5 and includes swimming in a natural pool.
Salto de CapiroWATERFALL
A short 2km trail from Villa Pinares del Mayarí brings you to this hidden waterfall in lush forest.
Sendero la SabinaTRAIL
(admission CUC$3)
More flora can be observed on the Sendero la Sabina, a short interpretive trail at the Centro Investigaciones para la Montaña (1km from the hotel), which exhibits the vegetation of eight different ecosystems, a 150-year-old tree – the 'Ocuje Colorado' – and some rare orchids.
Farallones de SeborucoCAVES
Speleologists may want to ask about trips to these ghostly caves, designated a national monument, which contain aboriginal cave paintings.
Hacienda la MensuraFARM
Eight kilometers from Villa Pinares del Mayari is this breeding center for exotic animals such as antelope and guapeti. Horseback riding can be arranged here.
4Sleeping
oVilla Pinares del MayaríHOTEL
(%24-45-56-28; s/d CUC$25/35; pas)S
One in a duo of classic Gaviota Holguín hideaways (Villa Cayo Saetía is the other), Pinares del Mayarí stands at 600m elevation between the Altiplanicie de Nipe and Sierra del Cristal, 30km south of Mayarí on a rough dirt road. Part chalet resort, part mountain retreat, this isolated rural hideaway is situated in one of Cuba's largest pine forests and the two- and three-bedroom cabins, with hot showers and comfortable beds, make it seem almost alpine-esque.
There's also a large restaurant, bar, sports court, gym, sublime pool and a small natural lake (El Cupey) 300m away, which is great for an early-morning dip.
8Getting There & Away
The only way to get to Villa Pinares del Mayarí and Parque Nacional la Mensura outside an organized tour is via car, taxi or bicycle (if you're adventurous and it's not a Cuban one). The access road is mostly a rough collection of holes with the odd bit of asphalt thrown in, but it's passable in a hire car if driven with care. You'll need at least 1½ hours to cover the 30km.
Cayo Saetía
East of Mayarí the road becomes increasingly potholed and the surroundings, while never losing their dusty rural charm, progressively more remote. The culmination of this rustic drive is lovely Cayo Saetía, a small, flat, wooded island in the Bahía de Nipe that's connected to the mainland by a small bridge. During the 1970s and '80s this was a favored hunting ground for communist apparatchiks who enjoyed spraying lead into the local wildlife. Fortunately those days are now gone. Indeed, Cayo Saetía is now a protected wildlife park with 19 species of exotic animals, including camels, zebras, antelopes, ostriches and deer. Bisected by grassy meadows and adorned by hidden coves and beaches, it's the closet Cuba gets to an African wildlife reserve. There is also a gorgeous beach often commandeered by organized catamaran groups from Guardalavaca.
4Sleeping
oVilla Cayo SaetíaCABINS
(%24-42-53-20; d CUC$60-70, ste CUC$85-100; a)
This wonderfully rustic but comfortable resort, on a 42-sq-km island at the entrance to the Bahía de Nipe, is small, remote and more upmarket than the price suggests. The 12 rooms are split into rustic and standard cabañas with a minimal price differential. You'll feel as if you're a thousand miles from anywhere.
The in-house restaurant, La Güira – decked out Hemingway-style with hunting trophies mounted on the wall like gory art – serves exotic meats such as antelope.
8Getting There & Around
There are three ways to explore Cayo Saetía, aside from the obvious two-legged sorties from the villa itself. A one-hour 4WD safari costs CUC$9, while there are also excursions by horse and boat. Though Cayo Saetía is isolated you can secure passage on a bus-boat combo from Guardalavaca via the town of Antilles (CUC$98). If arriving by car, the control post is 15km off the main road. Then it's another 8km along a rough, unpaved road to the resort. A hire car will make it – with care.