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WE SUGGEST THREE ITINERARIES IN THE EAST

	FAVORITE RIDES & ROADS : ::: Bartolomé Maso — Marea del Portillo, 50km : its last (steep) portion redone in 2011 [map] ::: Pilon — Santiago, 127km all along the ocean, unforgettable [map] + [map] ::: The mythical La Farola, Cajobabo — Baracoa, 69km [map] ::: Moa to Mayari, 90km on newly-paved (2011) sections From Baracoa to Moa is a bad stretch of road
	THE ORIENTE • ONE or TWO WEEKS ::: INLAND & COASTS

NORTH COAST ORIENTE 1 - 761km Holguin-Las Tunas 79 Camaguey + 129 Nuevitas/Sabinal + 85 Puerto Padre + 167 Herradura + 51 Las Bocas + 5 Gibara + 70 Banes + 103 Holguin + 70 Extras : Holguin-Biran, 2x60km; Holguin-Guardalavaca, 2x57km LARGE AREA MAP

SIERRA MAESTRA ORIENTE 2 - 596km Holguin-Bayamo 71 Manzanillo + 60 Niquero + 86 Marea Portillo + 46 Santiago + 177 Holguin + 156 Extra : Bayamo-Sierra Maestra, 2x86km SIERRA MAESTRA PAGE HERE + THIS MAP

EXTREME EAST ORIENTE 3 - 442km Santiago-Siboney 16 Baconao + 33 Guantanamo + 47 Baracoa + 133 Moa + 70 Santiago + 140 Extras : Baracoa-Maguana, 25 (50) or Baracoa-Maisi, 25 (50) BAYAMO-SANTIAGO MAP

Links in red underlined

Day 1+2 : Camaguey — Viazul night bus (18h15 arr 01h45 or Ferrocuba night train 10h05 arr 0640) from La Habana — Or Viazul bus from Santiago (18h15 arr 23h50); narrow streets, churches and museums abound; the third largest town on the island is marvelous and chockfull of history; side trip to coast at Nuevitas and the Santa Lucia beach resorts

Day 3+4 : Holguin — Viazul bus leaves Camaguey at 17h35, arr here 3 hours later; lovely park city, most "modern" in Cuba ? - walk up to the Loma; side-trips to unforgettable Gibara or Guardalavaca beach resorts, even down to Biran or Banes and Cayo Saetia. To move on, take the 08h40-09h55 bus going to Bayamo :

Day 5+6 : Bayamo little-known but full of secrets : its main park Independencia is the webmaster's favorite, especially on Saturday evenings; side-trip to Manzanillo by the sea; Bayamo is the gateway to the Sierra Maestra mountains where trekking to Cuba's highest peak can be done in 2-3 days going back down to La Mula on the coast

Day 7+8+9 : from Bayamo by bus, later afternoon 16h04 arr Santiago de Cuba at 20h20; the city is huge but the culture is concentrated on Heredia and around Parque Cespedes; other must-see's include Marti's Mausoleum, Cayo Granma in the middle of the bay. Leave Santiago on the daily 07h45 minibus and take the ride of your life to Baracoa.

Day 10+11+12 : The bus will take you on La Farola road to Baracoa for its beaches, chocolate and coconut, the Rio Miel, El Yunque, the incredible Alejandro de Humbolt park, deserted Playa Maguana, the town's many music spots : the whole region is a living legend ; )

Days 13+14 : afternoon minibus to Santiago (14h15 arr 19h05) and more time to get out of town : El Cobre cathedral nearby, the Gran Piedra, the beach at Playa Siboney

PROVINCES OF THE EAST — CLICK FOR GEOGRAPHY & NATURE				OTHER PARTS & ITINS
ATTRACTIONS Desembarco del Granma • El Cobre • Gran Piedra • Rio Miel • Pico Cristal • Pico Turquino • Sierra Maestra • Sitio de Biran
PLAYAS & SCUBA Cayo Sabinal, Cayo Saetia, Esmeralda, Juragua, Las Bocas, Herradura, Maguana, Santa Lucia, Siboney, Verraco