www.cubacasas.net •|• Baracoa [Guantanamo]

Also in the Oriente

Not easy to reach by road (but what a drive on La Farola, the alpine-like carretera with 107 curves over 35km!), Baracoa is at the eastern end of the country on the north coast of Guantanamo province, some 5 hours from Santiago.

The town was established as the country's capital when Diego Velazquez de Cuéllar arrived from Spain with 300 men in 1511. Isolated from the rest of the island for nearly 450 years, the town was to become the focal point of all the rebels in Cuba's history from the very first, Hatuey to the most famous, the Che to the most enduring, Fidel.

The town and its surrounding area (El Yunque, Maguana, Nava, Toa, Humboldt, Yumuri, Duaba) are to the Cuban universe what Tibet is to the rest of the world and we're barely exaggerating. Most Cubans have never heard of these places. If you've ever been to some island in the South Pacific, you get the idea. If you really like it, don't tell anyone.

Biking down a backroad at night, we saw a tiny "community video room". On its roof, a solar panel : bright minds learning in pitch-black wilderness. Revolutionary.

DISTANCES (km) Boca de Yumuri, 15 Guantanamo, 116 Guardalavaca, 234 Holguin, 253 via Moa La Habana, 1,100 Maguana, 25 Moa, 76 Santiago, 240 Yumuri, 15

MAPS & LINKS

• Map - Guantanamo to Baracoa — La Farola Road

• Map - Municipio of Baracoa and surroundings

• Map - Our casas on map of town center

• Map - The town, the bay and burroughs

• Map - The town and sites

• Map - The coast and area in relief

• Massacre and mutilation of Tainos (illustration)

• Photos - Our galeria of Baracoa and surroundings

• Photos - Our galeria of Maguana

• Panorama (Porto Santo) © Thomassin

• Local weather forecast (Meteorologisk NRK)

• Daily currency exchange rates

• All that's natural on Guantanamo province

• Island-wide bus connections (horariodebuses.com/)

POPULATION 81,677 (2007) in the regional township including 56,000 in Baracoa per se

SEE
Plaza Cacique Hatuey (Parque Central or Independencia) where everybody meets. Saturday nights can be heady. In front of the Catedral the bust of Hatuey, first Cuban internationalist (named here the first Rebel of America, El Primero) who arrived from Hispaniola (Haiti/Dom Rep) like many Frenchmen to warn Cubans the Spaniards were killing anyone who did not believe in God. Before being burnt alive in 1512 for having fomented resistance, he asked if there were religious fanatics (Spaniards) in heaven. When he was told so, he replied he'd rather go to hell. Proof he did, his name is on beer bottles • Museo archeológico Cueva del Paraiso, 300 m from El Castillo • Catedral Nuestra Señora de la Asunción and its Cruz de la Parra, the oldest European relic on the continent. In dire need of repairs, Italian funds are presently used to restore it • Museo Municipal (Fuerte Matachin) with Taino exhibits and photos of La Rusa • Fabrica de Tabaco (cigar factory) • Monumento Antonio Maceo at the end of the airport runway. Majestically laid-out, it marks the beginnings of the revolutionnary forces and the meeting in Baracoa in 1895 of Marti, Maceo, Gomez, Garcia, Sanchez and Echevarria which eventually led to the overthrow of the Spanish colony three years later • Hotel La Rusa (1953), once owned by Magdalena Rowenskaïa (photos at Museo Matachin), a princess during Nicolas II's reign. Che Guevara, Errol Flynn, Fidel Castro et al have slept there. She gave $25,000 to the Barbudos in 1959. They thanked her by building La Farola, the scenic zigzag road which leads here, freeing Baracoa from isolation in 1964. Spasibo, Magda. Her son, a painter, still lives in town • Fábrica de Cucurucho • Fuerte de Seboruco (Hotel El Castillo)

TRANSPORTATION
Bus Astro - From Guantanamo (4 departures daily, 6cuc) La Habana (every 2nd day, 19 hrs travel time (!), 56cuc) • Bus Viazul Leaves Santiago daily at 7:30am and arrive Baracoa 12:30 for 13cuc pp Both terminals share the point by the bay entrance at the end of Maceo Street • Aerotaxi, to/from Santiago (3xweek 28cuc) • Cubana de Aviacion, to/from La Habana (Thu, Fri, Sun 108cuc), Santiago 22cuc

Three niños feet in the fountain on Parque Central in front of the cathedral whose god-fearing priests burned fearless Hatuey : Named Nuestra Dama del Asuncion •|• it harbors the famous and controversial wooden cross cum relic supposedly left by Christopher Columbus © partwish, picasa

Zigging and zagging over 35 kilometers of mountains, this is La Farola •|• Navigating the Toa River, these two kids are looking for current © partwish on picasa.com

Cuba's longest, the rio Toa spreads H2O over 116 kilometers of bucolic beauty : enlarge © partwish, picasa •|• With the Yara mountain as a background, these chicos are hangin 'round the Malecon. © sogestour

The wreck of the Playa Duaba was dragged to the mouth of the bahia to break the waves and protect the port installations •|• Hotel Castillo and its inviting swimming pool dominate the town © partwish, picasa

At the mouth of the Yumuri river, beachcombers can see the silhouette of El Yunque, the anvil-like mountain on the horizon © partwish picasa •|• Hatuey forever facing the institution whose fanatics burned him alive © sogestour

Local chica goin' down Frank Pais on her bicicleta © sogestour •|• The town, the bay, the airport and the sea seen from el cielo © unk

Playa Boca de Miel : agrandir © partwish sur picasa.com

Playa Boca de Miel : enlarge © partwish — picasa.com

SERVICES
Cubatur excursions (see below), calle Maceo 149 Tél. (21) 64-5306 • Other agencies offering "safaris" in nearby nature with local treasures such as the Almiqui, beautiful Polymitas and the mysterious Manati : Agencia Flora y Fauna and Havanatur • Cubana de Aviacion, calle Marti # 181 (21) 64-2171 • Gustavo Rizo Airport (21) 64-2171 • Havanautos (21) 64-3606 • Sala Internet at the Correos de Cuba : bring a sweater, it's freezing in there and the staff is more interested in making private phone calls than helping you, a shame for Etecsa. • Massages in the casa. Professional Miguel Cantillo has 20 years experience Tel. (21) 64-3351 • Money exchange in two banks : calle Martí 166 and Maceo 99; also CADECA, Calle Marti 241 • Clinica internacional calle Marti 239 Tel. 64-1038

Mouseover for the twisting, 107-curve road here : La Farola. Click to enlarge.

PLAYAS
Playa Boca de Miel, at the mouth of the rio of the same name. They say who bathes in it will... Ask someone to tell you the legend. Playa Cruz de Colon (Hotel Porto Santo) Playa Duaba (5 km) La Punta Playa Maguana (25 km) Playa Nava (31 km).

EVENINGS
Casa de la Trova, 485 Aniversario, Casa de la Cultura, Cine-Teatro Encanto, Circulo Social (teenage disco), Disco Noche de Praga, the noisy El Ranchon (up the hill in reparto Paraiso), La Terraza on a roof in town centre. On the first weekend in April, it's party time during the Carnaval de Baracoa.

RESTAURANTS & PALADARES
Caracol, El Colonial, El Parque, La Colonial, La Punta, Hotel Gaviota El Castillo, Hotel Islazul La Rusa (Tel. 21 64-2337), Hostal La Habanera, the new, 10-room, 46cuc/day Cubanacan hotel in town centre, Hotel Gaviota Porto Santo, across the bay.

EXCURSIONS
• Río Toa, 10 km — One of the country's longest rivers, the Toa runs wide and deep with quite a strong current in season. Superb greens, freshwater swimming, memories to last a lifetime • El Yunque, 8 km The famous, mysterious, daunting and irresistible mountaintop can be reached on foot in 2 and a half hours. Stupendous and well-deserved views of the area. The Campismo El Yunque with its wooden cabins is reserved for Cubans. Best is to book a day tour including transportation from Baracoa, leaves at 9h15, returns at 16h for 16cuc, including the trek with guide up the Yunque and 90 mins. swimming in a freshwater laguna. Check with Cubatur in town. Tel. (21) 64-5306 • Finca Duaba, some 5 km on the way to Playa Maguana A typical waterside farm with all you can imagine, even a boat ride up the river and a typical meal. • Boca de Yumuri, 15 km on the way to La Farola Freshwater river, small beach, canyon for trekking and kids selling you escargots. Catch a boat to the village where a local guide will take you up to El Balcón,narrow caves the length of the cliff face : 30 metres above the palm trees with lovely views across the ocean; bathe in a sub-terrain pool and bring a flashlight. Only Cuban place left where a few descendants (with facial features) of its aboriginal Tainos still live. Their hero was Guamá, who set fire to Spanish outposts in 1512, answering Hatuey's call. He was never captured and died of natural causes 20 years later • Playa Maguana and Playa Nava, 28 and 34 km Best, quasi-deserted beaches of the region. Get there for the day or spend a night at Villa Maguana. (See bottom of page.) • Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt, 40 km UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001. Excursions along the coast. An ecosystem with some 905 endemic varieties of flora. Few of its 59,400 hectares are open to the public. A full-day excursion (9h-17h) including 4h30mins in the mountains, 1h30mins to the El Maja waterfall. English-Español guide on hand. 24cuc per person; min. 4 passengers, including transportation from Baracoa by minibus or jeep. Boat ride on the bay of Taco is available on request. Book through Cubatur Tel. (21) 64-5306 • Boca de rio Miel .

Photo © L. Escalona

CUCURUCHO !
In the tiny mountain settlement of Cagüeibaje, 20km before Baracoa on La Farola, there is a lookout point and kiosk where a group of mountain villagers and cooking artesans headed by Sra. Eyder Laffita sell what some say is the best cucurucho in Cuba.

Served in a cone, the cucurucho is basically grated coconut sweetened with pineapple, grapefruit and guanábana, sometimes honey. Strictly natural, it's a sweet like no other.

The group also offers cremas de coco, turrones (nougats), empanadas, fresh juice, wine, vinegar and bocaditos. During the Fiesta de La Farola (end of July), they sell out.

OUR RECOMMENDATIONS
There were about 180 casas renting in town when we stayed here in Nov. 2006. V = suggested by travelers or owners but not verified by the webmaestro. • Try to reserve at least one week ahead; you must reconfirm by phone 24 hours before arrival. Otherwise, your reservation may be cancelled. • Children 16 and under may share parents' bedroom at no charge only if there is an additional bed available. Mention the age of your children when making the reservation. Comments and suggestions webmaster @cubacasas.net

BOOK BY PHONE
Since Dec 06, numbers have 6 digits, a 6 added at beginning.
• From Canada and the USA : 011 53 (add phone # preceded by 21 for Baracoa). Ie, to book Gustavo's : 011 53 21 64-2536

• From Europe, Great Britain, Scandinavia and Mexico : 00 53 (add phone # preceded by 21 for Baracoa). Ie, to book Gustavo's : 00 53 21 64-2536

BOOK BY EMAIL : Click on logo to open a message addressed to that casa in your email application; or right-click to copy address showing at bottom of browser window. Spanish vocabulary here.

Click photos to see each casa's page and description. Locate most casas on this map..

See the casas in sequence.

Move to next casa by clicking this logo.

GUSTAVO y YALINA
Two a-c bedrooms, ensuite bathrooms
Flor Crombet 125, entre Frank Pais y Pelayo Cuervo in town center. Tel. (21) 64-2536

Rates : 20-25cuc per bedroom per night (2 adults max.); breakfasts 4, dinners 7-8cuc

RAFAEL y ADIS
One a-c bedroom, ensuite bathroom
Calle Felix Reúnes 29, entre Coroneles Galano y Céspedes, one block from Casa de la Trova. Tel. (21) 64-3441 cell (5) 310-4984

Rates : 20-25cuc per bedroom per night (2 adults max.); breakfasts 4, dinners 7-8cuc

EDWARD y YIXEL
One a-c bedroom, ensuite bathroom
Calle 1 de Abril # 81 A, corner Libertad, down the hill from Mariana Grajales. Cell (5) 271-5864

Rates : 12-15cuc per night per bedroom (2 adults max.)

CASA ELVIRA
Two a-c bedrooms, ensuite bathrooms
Calle Frank País No. 19, e/ Martí y Maceo, some 50m from Plaza Central Tel. (21) 64-3580 or 64-3634

Rates : 20-30cuc for each bedroom per night (2 adults max.)

CASA ONDINA V
One a-c bedroom, ensuite bathroom
Felix Ruenes N° 12, entre Cespedes y Ciro Frias in town center. Tel. (21) 64-2767

Rates : 20-25cuc for bedroom per night (2 adults max.)

MARILYN NOA HERNANDEZ
One a-c bedroom, ensuite bathroom
Ciro Frias No. 18, e/ Martí y Maceo, opening on to Parque Marti in town center. Tel. (21) 64-3427

Rates : 20-25cuc per bedroom per night (2 adults max.); breakfasts 4, dinners 7-8cuc

ANA ELVIS
Two a-c bedrooms, ensuite bathrooms
Calixto Garcia #162 and 164 entre Cespedes y Coroneles Galano, close to Hotel Castillo. Tel. (21) 64-2754

Rates : 20-25cuc per bedroom per night (2 adults max.); breakfasts 4, dinners 7-8cuc

DARILEIDIS y SARBELIO
One a-c bedroom, ensuite bathroom
Calle Felix Ruenes 7, entre Cespedes y Ciro Frias, one block from La Trova Tel. (21) 64-3735

Rates : 20-25cuc per bedroom per night (2 adults max.); breakfasts 4, dinners 7-8cuc

CASA TROPICAL
Two a-c bedrooms, ensuite bathrooms
Calle Martí 175, entre Moncada y Diaz, directly on Parque Marti in town centre.
Tel. (21) 64-3437

Rates : 20-25cuc per bedroom per night (2 adults max.); breakfasts 4, dinners 7-8cuc

DANIEL SALOMON PAJAN
One a-c bedroom, ensuite bathroom
Céspedes 28, entre Rubert Lopez y Maceo in centro ciudad. Tel. (21) 64-2122 or cell phone in Cuba (015) 291-7413

Rates : 20-25cuc per bedroom per night (2 adults max.); breakfasts 4, dinners 7-8cuc

ISABEL CASTRO VILATO
Two a-c bedrooms, ensuite bathrooms
Mariana Grajales # 35, entre Calixto Garcia y Emiliano Corrales, a 2-min. walk from town center in reparto Playa. Tel. (21) 64-2267

Rates : 20-25cuc per bedroom per night (2 adults max.); breakfasts 4, dinners 7-8cuc

EL MIRADOR
Two a-c bedrooms, ensuite bathrooms
Calle Maceo # 86, entre 24 de Febrero y 10 de Octubre, a block from Parque Independencia. Tel. (21) 64-3592

Rates : 20-25cuc per bedroom per night (2 adults max.); breakfasts 4, dinners 7-8cuc

CASA COLONIAL
Two a-c bedrooms, ensuite bathrooms
Calle Maceo # 92, entre 24 de Febrero y 10 de Octubre, a block from Parque Independencia. Tél. (21) 64-3124

Rates : 20-25cuc per bedroom per night (2 adults max.); breakfasts 4, dinners 7-8cuc

CASA COLONIAL LUCY
Two a-c bedrooms, ensuite bathrooms
Céspedes 29, entre Rubert Lopez y Maceo in town center. Tel. (21) 64-3548

Rates : 20-25cuc per bedroom per night (2 adults max.); breakfasts 4, dinners 7-8cuc

ALFREDO y LILIANA V
One a-c bedroom, ensuite bathroom
Calle Martí No. 69, entre Coliseo y 24 de Febreroin town center. Tel. (21) 64-3172

Rates : 20-25cuc per bedroom per night (2 adults max.); breakfasts 4, dinners 7-8cuc

DENNY RODRIGUEZ GUILARTE V
Two a-c bedrooms, ensuite bathrooms
Calle Ruber Lopez 86, entre Lopez Pena y Limbano Sanchez in town center. Tel. (21) 64-2431

Rates : 20-25cuc per bedroom per night (2 adults max.); breakfasts 4, dinners 7-8cuc

CASA COLONIAL YKIRA MAHIQUEZ V
Two ventilated bedrooms, ensuite bathrooms
Calle Maceo #168A, entre Cespédes y Ciro Frias, one block from the cathedral. Tél: (21) 64-3881

Colonial centrally-located house with comfort and atmosphere in an impeccable layout, around a patio with its medicinal plants.

CESAR LABORI BALGA V
Two a-c bedrooms, ensuite bathrooms
Calle Marti #81, entre 24 de Febrero y Coliseo, two blocks from the Malecon and two from Casa del Chocolate. Tel. (21) 64-2507 or 64-3227

Superb, large colonial with a fully-planted patio. Two large bedrooms with an independent entrance.

Rooftop for sunning or dining under the stars. Great cuisine prepared by Cesar himself, a very welcoming young host.

EUGENIO OÑA ABELLA V
Two indep one-bedroom apts, ensuite bath, terrace
Calle Moncada No.18-B entre Martí y República, 100 meters from beach and 5 blocks from Plaza Central. Tel. (21) 64-3310 SMS (5) 293-9857 eugenioop@toa.gtm.sld.cu

Eugenio rents two independent apartments upstairs; each holds a "minibar" (small fridge), its own ensuite bathroom, aicon, a balcony and a terraza with a sea view.Meals served, large portions.

The family (Eugenio whospeaks very good english, wife and 9 year-old daughter) knows the region pretty well.

Owner 11 March 2007

VILLA MAGUANA
On Maguana beach, some 20 km west of Baracoa over the bridge of the Toa river (Cuba's largest), on the way to Moa.
This is a less well-kept secret since Cuba Handbook and Fodor's sold out the few cognoscenti a couple of years back.

Even if this little jewel is not a casa particular,it is so "particular", we had to put it in. Gaviota, after a few months of renovations, reopened it on Nov. 15 2006, having added three two-storey buildings to the four bedrooms in the original building. Each new building boasts 4 luxurious double bedrooms on two floors and an enlarged dining room for a total of 16 double bedrooms with modern bathrooms, a/c, fridge, hot water of course and satellite TV reception in each room. We took these pictures a few days before the reopening.

The new room rates in High Season are 75cuc per bedroom including breakfast (or 37,50cuc per person); single occupancy, 60cuc. (5cuc less per room in low season). Meals seem reasonably priced at 7 to 9cuc. No sports activity offered although they may still have swim fins and masks available, we forgot to ask.

Villa Maguana © sogestour

© sogestour

The nice 2-km beach next door may be slated for an all-inclusive resort with an international airport being planned for Moa but Gaviota does not plan anything major in the near future, as this area is still officially part of the Alejandro de Humboldt UNESCO World Heritage Site.

So, enjoy this pretty well-done expansion for the moment : it's still a great value for the dollar for those who want to be away from it all.

Tel. (21) 64-5165 Visa and Mastercard accepted. Main res office is in the Porto Santo Hotel of Baracoa (21) 64-5339 castillo @enet.cu

A little slide show, located on our French-version site.
Don't get lost, mileage may vary, batteries not included.

Updated 01.09.2010