experience more

5

Península de Ancón

! G3 Sancti Spíritus

alt image

t Shady parasols on the white sands of Playa Ancón, Península Ancón

About 14 km (9 miles) south of Trinidad, this was one of the first coastal areas in Cuba to be developed for tourism, and foreign visitors have been coming since 1980. It has fine white sand and turquoise water (though not as clear here as along the north coast), with a handful of hotels, bars, restaurants and watersports facilities. Cubans head mainly for La Boca, 4 km (2.5 miles) from Trinidad, near the neck of the peninsula.

Playa Ancón, in the southern part of the peninsula, has 14 km (9 miles) of white sand, comfortable hotels, a splendid beach and a diving school. From the beach by Hotel Ancón, boats take divers and snorkellers out on the coral reef.

Cayo Blanco, 8 km (5 miles) off the coast, promises some fascinating diving. At its western tip is the largest of the black coral reefs found in Cuba, where divers can choose from a number of dive sites. On the rocky coasts near María Aguilar, on the other hand, there are pools where swimmers only need a mask to easily spot a great variety of tropical fish. A few small restaurants and bars are open here in the summer.

Instead of driving along the peninsula, hire a bicycle to get around.

Opposite the peninsula, across the bay, is the old port of Casilda, 6 km (4 miles) from Trinidad, where in 1519 Hernán Cortés recruited the troops that went on to conquer Mexico. Once a prosperous port, thanks to the sugar trade, Casilda has long since declined, and is now above all a place to visit on the way to local beaches.

Sugar production

Sugar cane, introduced to Cuba in 1512 by Spanish settlers, has long been the mainstay of the economy. The cane is first washed, then pressed, treated chemically, filtered and evaporated to get a concentrated syrup. This is then heated to produce crystals of sucrose, which go into a centrifuge to be separated into different byproducts, inclu- ding molasses.

6

Valle de los Ingenios

! G3 Sancti Spíritus £ @ Excursions from Trinidad n At railway station, (41) 993 348; Cubatur, Calle Antonio Maceo, esq Francisco J Zerquera, (41) 996 314

Leaving Trinidad and heading northeast, along the road to Sancti Spíritus, the beauty of the fertile plain is all around, with the green hills of the Sierra del Escambray forming a backdrop as you descend dramatically into the Valle de los Ingenios. Only 12 km (7 miles) separate Trinidad from the valley, whose name derives from the sugar mills (ingenios) built here in the late 18th century, which gave the city its wealth. Most of the cane fields are long gone, replaced by barren patches and motley agricultural plots, interrupted only by towering royal palms.

The valley is rich in history with ruins providing evidence of the time when the sugar industry was at its peak and an insight into the social structure of the plantations. The whole zone, which covers 419 sq km (162 sq miles), includes the ruins of 56 ingenios. UNESCO has declared the valley a World Heritage Site. At the crest of the hill 6 km (4 miles) east of Trinidad is Mirador de la Loma del Puerto Del Valle de los Ingenios. Situated 92 m (630 ft) above sea level, this observation point offers a great view of the whole valley.

A good way to visit the area is to take the train that, when running, departs from Trinidad and covers the entire valley. It stops at the impressive Hacienda Manaca Iznaga sugar plantation, where about 350 slaves lived in the early 1800s. The landowner’s house survives and has been converted into a bar and restaurant. Also still standing are the barracones (slaves’ huts) and a monumental seven-level tower 45 m (147 ft) high. Built in 1830, it symbolizes an assertion of authority over the valley by Alejo Iznaga, a rival to his brother Pedro, also a major sugar producer. The tower also functioned as a lookout for supervising the slaves. Reached via a steep wooden stairway, the top offers lovely, wide-ranging views. At the foot is the bell that once tolled the work hours on the plantation. Today, local women sell their traditional lacework here.

Nearby, Sitio Histórico San Isidro de los Estiladores also has a three-storey bell tower, as well as owner Jesús Nazareño’s hacienda, barracones and other buildings. A nearly complete restoration has turned the once-ruined batey into the principal museum on the colonial sugar industry and slave era. Further towards Sancti Spíritus, south of Caracusey, is the restored Guaimaro, built in 1859. Owner José Mariano Borrel y Lemus commissioned Italian painter Daniele Dell’Aglio, who also designed Teatro Sauto in Matanzas, to decorate the walls of the hacienda with European scenes.

144_foam_museum

t Lacework for sale in front of the tower at Hacienda Manaca Iznaga

Did You Know?

Slavery was abolished in Cuba in 1866 by royal decree.

Experience Central Cuba – East

Stay

Casa Colonial Muñoz

This friendly casa particular runs tours.

! G3 Calle Martí 401, Trinidad casa.trinidadphoto.com

\


Casa Colonial El Patio

A gorgeous colonial home with a leafy patio.

! G3 Calle Ciro Redondo 274, Trinidad § 5359 2371

\


Iberostar Gran Hotel Trinidad

One of the island’s finest hotels.

! G3 Calle Martí y Lino Pérez, Trinidad iberostar.com/en

\


Hotel E del Rijo

This colonial hotel has modern touches.

! G3 Plaza Honorato, Sancti Spíritus islazul.cu/en

\

7

Yaguajay

! A4 60 km (37 miles) NE of Sancti Spíritus (Sancti Spíritus)

144_foam_museum

t The opening of a cave in the Parque Nacional Caguanes, near Yaguajay

An unassuming town on the Circuito Norte coast road, Yaguajay saw a decisive battle in 1958 between Batista’s military and the Rebel Army led by Comandante Camilo Cienfuegos – the story of which is told at the Complejo Histórico Comandante Camilo Cienfuegos. On 28 October, the anniversary of his death, flowers are thrown into a moat.

To the northeast, Parque Nacional Caguanes protects colonies of flamingos and wintering sandhill cranes. Caves here preserve Pre-Columbian pictographs and are populated by mariposa (“butterfly”) bats – the world’s smallest bat species. The park is accessed via Mayijagua and local agencies offer tours.

Complejo Histórico Comandante Camilo Cienfuegos

" Calle Eladio Carlata § (41) 552 689 # 8am–4pm Mon–Sat, 9am–1pm Sun

8

Ciego de Ávila

! B5 Ciego de Ávila k £ @ n Infotur, Calle Honorato del Castillo, esq Libertad; (33) 209 109

alt image

t Bicycles in the colourful centre of Ciego de Ávila

When Ciego de Ávila was founded in 1538 by the conquistador Jácome de Ávila, it was just a large farm in the middle of a ciego (wood). It only became a city in 1840 and occupies an expansive plain where sugar cane and pineapples – the city’s symbol – are farmed. Although it is the provincial capital, Ciego de Ávila is still very much a rural town with two-storey houses fronted with Neo-Classical columns, and streets filled with one-horse carriages.

The centre is worth a stop to visit Parque Martí, the main square. Here, the Museo de Artes Decorativas displays a splendid array of colonial furnishings in a beautifully restored centenary mansion. To the south of Parque Martí, you’ll find the Teatro Principal (dating from 1927), while the Museo Histórico Provincial sits in the former Spanish military garrison northwest of the square. The museum’s four rooms hold documents and photographs as well as models of Sitio Arqueológico Los Buchillones – a Taíno village being excavated near Morón – and La Trocha. This 17-tower line of defence was built by the Spanish during the Ten Years’ War (1868–78) to block the advance of the Cuban nationalists (mambises). Surviving towers include Fortín de la Trocha, on Plaza Máximo Gómez, four blocks west of Parque Martí. In the plaza stands a monument to General Máximo Gómez, who led the independence army.

Despite its relatively small size, Ciego de Ávila’s baseball team, Los Tigres, has for several years dominated the national championship.

Did You Know?

Comandante Camilo Cienfuegos died in a mysterious plane crash in 1959.

9

Morón

! B4 Ciego de Ávila @ n Cubanacán, Hotel Morón, Avda de Tarafa; (33) 504 720

Morón lies on the road north from Ciego de Ávila, a road known for its occupation in 1896 by nationalist rebels after they had breached the Spanish defence. It retains a small, well-preserved colonial centre, and the Museo Municipal has archaeological finds, including the famous Idolillo de Barro – a clay idol.

Only 3 km (2 miles) to the southeast of Morón is the former batey of Patria and Central Patri o Muerte sugar-processing mill. It is now converted into the Museo de la Industria Azúcarera Avileña (Museum of the Sugar Industry), where guided tours include an optional ride on a steam train.

144_foam_museum

t The Neo-Classical facade of Morón's Museo Municipal

Museo Municipal

" ' Calle Martí 374 e/ Antuña y Cervantes § (33) 504 501 # 9am–5pm Tue–Fri, 9am–1pm Sat ¢ 1 Jan, 1 May, 26 Jul, 25 Dec

Museo de la Industria Azúcarera Avileña

" ' Central Abel Santamaría Calle 1ra, 19, Batey § (33) 505 5111 # 9am–6pm Tue–Sat, 9am–1pm Sun

The Cockerel of Morón

“Be careful not to end up like the cockerel of Morón, which lost its feathers as well as its crest.” This Spanish saying dates back to the 1500s, when the governor of Morón de la Frontera in Andalucia, dubbed “cockerel” for his arrogance, was thrashed and thrown out of town. To mark the event, a statue of a rooster was set up in the town. When the villagers emigrated to Cuba in the 1700s, they called their new home Morón and erected a statue of the rooster, replaced in 1981 by a bronze sculpture.

10

Jardines del Rey

! A4–C5 Ciego de Ávila (Camagüey)

alt image

t Playa Pilar on Cayo Guillermo

In the Atlantic Ocean, north of the province of Ciego de Ávila, the Sabana and Camagüey archipelagoes, known collectively as “Jardines del Rey”, include about 400 small islands, most uninhabited.

They were discovered in 1522 by the conquistador Diego Velázquez, who was so struck by them that he dedicated them to the king (rey), Carlos V. They became a hiding place for pirates and, after the official abolition of slavery, a clandestine landing point for slaves.

alt image

t Flamingos reflected in a lagoon in the Jardines del Rey

A causeway 27 km (17 miles) long, built in 1988 as a link between the archipelago and mainland Cuba, makes it easy for visitors to get to the lovely beaches, the coral reef and the beach resorts which are currently concentrated on Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo. Visitors must present their passport at a tollgate on the causeway. Cayo Coco connects to Cayo Paredón Grande, which, at 6 km (4 miles) long, is the largest island in the Jardines. It is worth visiting for the lovely beaches and fine dive sites. An unpaved road leads to the distinctive black-and-yellow Faro Diego Velázquez, a lighthouse built by Chinese immigrants in 1859.

To the west are the gorgeous Cayos de Villa Clara, ringed by unbelievably white beaches and turquoise waters, and home to mangrove-fringed jade lagoons. To the east, Cayo Romano has a marshy coastline inhabited by flamingos and manatees. Cayo Sabinal, the easternmost of the cays is uninhabited except for deer and wild pigs.

144_foam_museum

t The Faro Diego Velázquez in the Jardines del Rey

q

Sierra de Cubitas

! C5 Camagüey

The range of hills that lies 40 km (25 miles) north of Camagüey forms the largest local reserve of flora and fauna, with over 300 plant species. To date, however, this area has no tourist facilities on any scale.

The main attractions are caverns such as Hoyo de Bonet, the largest karst depression in Cuba, and the Pichardo and María Teresa grottoes, where cave drawings have been discovered. Expert speleologists, on the other hand, can visit the Cueva de Rolando, a cave 132 m (435 ft) long with a subterranean lake 50 m (165 ft) across, the bottom of which has not yet been explored.

In the neighbouring Valle del Río Máximo is the Paso de los Paredones, a long, deep ravine with holes caused by water erosion, some as much as 100 m (328 ft) deep and up to 1 km (0.6 mile) wide. The thick vegetation, through which sunlight penetrates for only a few hours, is home to a variety of native birds (tocororo and cartacuba), migratory birds, harmless reptiles and rodents.

alt image

Hidden Gem

In the Pink

The largest breeding flock of flamingos in the Caribbean inhabits the Refugio de Fauna Silvestre Río Máximo – the coastal wetlands and lagoons of the Bahía de la Gloria, southeast of Cayo Romano.

Experience Central Cuba – East

eat

Restaurante Blanco y Negro

Filling traditional criolla staples are on the menu at this homey family-run paladar.

! B5 Calle Independencia 388, Ciego de Ávila § (33) 207 744

\


Restaurante Maité de Qaba

Excellent paladar serving delicious paellas, pastas and Cuban dishes.

! B4 Calle Luz Caballero 40B, Morón § (33) 504 181

\


Restaurant 1800

Choose from Restaurant 1800’s huge buffet and then dine on the cobbled plaza.

! C5 Plaza San Juan de Díos, Camagüey § (32) 283 619

\

12 '

Sierra del Chorrillo

! C6 3 km (2 miles) SE of Najasa (Camagüey)

A limestone upland area about 50 km (30 miles) southeast of Camagüey city, the heavily forested Sierra del Chorrillo comprises semi-deciduous woodland and tropical montane forest ecosystems. The region is protected and is a popular bird-watching site where the Cuban parrot and the national bird, the Cuban trogon or tocororo, are easily spotted.

Visitors arrive at Finca La Belén, formerly a breeding centre for antelope, zebra and other imported species that were once hunted in this farm by the Communist elite. Today, Finca La Belén no longer breeds these exotic animals and instead runs guided hiking, horseback riding and bird-watching tours. It also offers a lovely motel for those wishing to make an overnight visit. The dirt road that passes the entrance to the farm continues eastward to Bosque Fósiles de Najas, Cuba’s only fossil forest, with petrified trees dating back 3 million years.

144_foam_museum

t A colourful Cuban trogon, the national bird of Cuba

Experience Central Cuba – East

drink

Cabaret Cueva

A cave may seem like a strange location for a Tropicana-style cabaret, but the show and disco here are suitably glitzy and attract a young crowd.

! B4 Laguna de la Leche, 6 km (4 miles) N of Morón ¢ Mon–Wed


Casa de la Trova

Traditional son fills the air in this beautiful colonial building.

! C5 Calle Cisneros 171, Camagüey § (32) 291 357


El Cambio

This colourful offbeat dive bar on Parque Agramonte serves draft beer.

! C5 Calles Independencia y Martí, Camagüey § (32) 286 240


Taberna Yayabo

Order a cunyaga – the sublime house cocktail made from lemon drops, sugar cane, honey and aged rum – at this riverside bar.

! G3 Calle Jesús Menéndez 116, Sancti Spíritus § (41) 837 552

13

Playa Santa Lucía

! D5 Camagüey n Cubatur, Ave Turística, Playa Santa Lucía, (32) 336 291 or (32) 365 303

The most famous beach resort in the province offers 21 km (13 miles) of fine white sand lapped by turquoise waves. The large coral reef only 3 km (2 miles) from the shore is good for scuba divers. It shelters the coast from the currents of the Canal Viejo de Bahamas, thus safeguarding calm swimming conditions, as well as creating a good area for watersports.

There are more than 30 dive sites along the reef. One of the best spots is Shark’s Point which offers dives full of romance. You’ll explore the wrecks of pirate and Spanish vessels. For the brave there is also the chance to observe the bull shark (Carcharinus leucas) at close range from February to March and from July to September.

At the Boca de Nuevitas, 6 km (4 miles) west of Santa Lucía, near the tiny seashore village of La Boca, is Playa Los Cocos. This lovely unspoiled beach has fine white sand and clear water, and is a must for visitors to Santa Lucía.

Did You Know?

A family of bull sharks lives in the Boca de Nuevitas, near Playa Santa Lucía.

14

Jardines de la Reina

! A6–B6 Ciego de Ávila (Camagüey) 4 Júcaro, Embarcadero Avalón

alt image

t Bluestripe snapper shoal swimming among the coral in the Jardines de la Reina

This beautiful archipelago was discovered by Christopher Columbus and called Jardines de la Reina in honour of the queen (reina), Isabel of Castile. Established as a National Park in 1996, it is one of Cuba’s largest protected areas, and its islands can be reached by boat from Júcaro.

The great number of unspoiled cayos, mangroves and palm groves are rich with fauna including crocodiles, iguanas, turtles, hutias and tropical birds, and the 200-km (124-mile) coral reef which runs the entire length of the archipelago is a paradise for divers.

Near Cayo Anclita, only about 100 m (328 ft) from the coast, is La Tortuga, a floating hotel reserved for sea anglers, divers and photographers. The waters abound with groupers, snappers, barracudas and Caribbean reef and silky sharks, among many other fish. Tours, diving trips and live-aboard accommodation can be booked via Avalon (7204 7422).

144_foam_museum

t A catamaran on the sand of Playa Santa Lucía

15

Las Tunas

! D6 Las Tunas ~ £ @ n Hotel Las Tunas, Ave 2 de diciembre, (31) 345 014; Ecotur, (31) 372 073

144_foam_museum

t The blue façade of the Museo Histórico Provincial, Las Tunas

Las Tunas was just one of the cities in the old Provincia de Oriente until administrative reform made it the capital of an autonomous province in 1975. The town was founded on the site of two native villages that were razed to the ground by the conquistador Alonso de Ojeda in the early 1500s, but Las Tunas only really began to develop three centuries later. It progressively took on the character of a frontier town between central and eastern Cuba. The historic centre has some colonial buildings, dating from the 16th to 19th centuries, but no major monuments of note.There are some artists’ studios to explore.

The Museo Histórico Provincial, in the town hall, has archaeological finds and documents relating to the history of the province. The Museo Memorial Mártires de Barbados commemorates a terrorist act against Cuba carried out in 1976: a bomb placed by Cuban-Americans Orlando Bosch and Luis Posada Carriles exploded on a Cubana plane headed for Havana, killing 73 passengers and the entire crew.

Every year Las Tunas springs to life on the occasion of the Jornada Nacional Cucalambeana, a festival dedicated to Juan Cristóbal Nápoles Fajardo, known as El Cucalambé, a farmer and poet born here in 1829. Local and other Cuban artists, as well as foreign scholars, take part in a calendar of music and folk events.

16

Puerto Padre

! D5 Las Tunas

This small and peaceful city, 30 km (18 miles) north of Las Tunas, is explored by few visitors. Once a significant player in the export of sugar, the port was the scene of many battles for independence. The Fuerte de la Loma, a small fortress at the southern approach to town, recalls its former importance.

White-sand beaches unfurl northeast of town and Playa La Herradura and Playa La Boca are the best spots.

Experience Central Cuba – East

Stay

Alojamiento Maité

A B&B with a pool and a great restaurant.

! B4 Calle Luz Caballero 40B, Morón § (33) 504 181

\


Hotel E Camino de Hierro

A historic hotel in a superb location.

! C5 Plaza de la Solaridad, Camagüey cubanacan.cu/en

\


Oasis Brisas Santa Lucía

This all-inclusive resort is perfect for families.

! D5 Playa Santa Lucía cubanacan.cu/en

\


El Caballo Blanco

A casa particular with a garden restaurant.

! D6 Calle Frank País 85, Las Tunas § (31) 342 586

\

..................Content has been hidden....................

You can't read the all page of ebook, please click here login for view all page.
Reset
35.153.156.108