Cuba - Sightseeing

White sand and turquoise-blue water as far as the eye can see characterize Varadero. The most famous... Cuban lido stretches over about 20 km on the Hicacos peninsula east of Havana. Varadero offers anything that can be expected from a Caribbean all-inclusive holiday: pleasantly warm water, clean beaches and a plentitude of leisure activities such as jet skiing, deep-sea fishing and scuba-diving; even parachuting is possible. Until the revolution, Varadero had been the refuge of rich Americans, whereas today mainly European and Canadian package tourists enjoy the service of the many resort hotels. In the midst of the hurly-burly, the Parque Retiro Josone at the Avenida Primera seems like an oasis of silence. Little boat trips are offered on its man-made lake, which is surrounded by pink flamingos. Anyone who intends to go scuba diving in Varadero will be enthralled by the Cuban underwater world. More than 25 dive sites wait to be discovered; the most famous of them is Ojo de Mégano, an underwater grotto of 70 m (229.6 ft) depth in the riff of the Cádiz Bay. more

Santiago is Cuba’s metropolis of music. The thriving nightlife is almost as exciting as in Havana,... and when it comes to sights Santiago is hardly inferior to the capital. Strolling through the alleys of the historical core of the city is a unique experience. Some of the most beautiful buildings can be found around the Parque Céspedes in the heart of the city: the massive cathedral, the famous Hotel Casa Granda (with rooftop restaurant) and the historical town house of Don Diego Velázquez, the first governor of Cuba. In the Museo del Carnaval in Calle Heredia, photos, costumes and masks tell about the heyday of the Santiago carnival in the 1930s and 1950s. Calle Heredia is also a focal point of Cuban music; in the legendary Casa de la Trova the sound of live bands fascinate the crowd. El Cobre, the only place of pilgrimage on Cuba, is located 20 km (12.4 mi) northwest of Santiago. On September 9, the saint’s day of the Madonna, to whom the three-towered El Cobre Basilica was dedicated, many Cubans make a pilgrimage to this very place. The annual spectacle has the character of a folk festival rather than a strict religious celebration. more

Even if the suburbs with their industrial character seem less inviting, the port city Cienfuegos is nevertheless... worth a visit. Under Fidel Castro Cienfuegos became an important center of the Cuban sugar cane industry. Anyone who enters the historical core of the city, which has been a UNESCO world culture heritage since 2005, will be surprised by the French flair of the ancient times. Elegant squares, spacious parks and promenades characterize the cityscape. Again and again you walk past fairy-tale private palaces, which rich city dwellers had had built once. The atmospheric Parque Martí, named after the omnipresent Cuban freedom fighter José Martí, is the green heart of the city. A triumphal arc from 1902 reminds of the time of birth of the republic. The Parque Martí is lined with some of the most beautiful buildings of Cienfuegos: on the east side there is the Catedral de la Purísima Concepción with its asymmetrical towers; diagonally opposite, the Teatro Tomás Terry, which was officially opened in 1895, is worth seeing for the splendid ceiling fresco alone. more

Anyone who wants to explore the Valle de Viñales, its picturesque landscapes and hidden grottos more... closely is well advised to leave the car behind. Many hotels of the region offer guided hikes, which make the trip to the valley an unforgettable experience. The receptions provide information on hiking trails as well as suggestions for possible routes that can be taken by bike or on horseback. The enchanting valley in the west of Cuba got its name from Canary settlers, who wanted to grow wine in this area. The magic of the Valle de Viñales especially blossoms in the early morning, when the bizarrely shaped limestone hills glow in soft pink and the wafts of mist still hover over the plains. At midday, the tropical sun shines over the valley. During the day, Viñales is a popular destination for organized bus tours. The strangely fascinating atmosphere does not return to the lusciously green magical valley until evening. more

Surrounded by a dense rainforest, the oldest and at the same time most tropical city of Cuba awaits its... visitors. Baracoa has an eventful history. After Diego Velázquez founded the city in 1512, it remained the capital for a short time. In the following centuries, mainly smugglers and buccaneers lived in Baracoa. Fortresses and not least the adventurous stories of the extremely friendly inhabitants give evidence of the tumultuous past of the city to this day. In order to protect the city against the frequent attacks of the buccaneers, three fortresses were erected, which remained as Baracoa’s landmarks: Fuerte de Seboruco, Fuerte La Punta and Fuerte Matachín. Tourists who would like to explore the roads around Baracoa on their own are well advised to rent a Jeep, especially in the rainy season, as many roads are difficult to pass at this time. The table mountain El Yunque is an attractive destination in this area. more

Cayo Coco or Cayo Guillermo? It is difficult for a number of tourists to decide between the two coral... islands at the northern coast of Cuba. Both lure their guests with wonderful snow-white beaches stretching for miles, azure waters, and hotels that meet the highest standards for holidays. First-class diving sites and other watersports activities are offered as well. Cayo Coco is not named after the coconut tree; it got its name from a native bird, the scarlet ibis, which the Cubans call coco. The island is connected to the main island by a 27-km (16.7 mi) causeway. Access is controlled strictly: only tourists are admitted and, for maintaining the service, Cubans who work in the hotels. The neighboring island Cayo Guillermo can be reached from Cayo Coco via a street through the mangrove swamps. The island with an area of only 13 km2 (8.1 mi²) is more relaxed. Sport fisherman and scuba divers will find extremely good facilities. more

Weather-beaten magnificent buildings, American road cruisers from the 1950s and fiery music: Havana enchants... with an irresistible mixture of the Caribbean love of life and the melancholy of past days. The city’s oldest square, the Plaza de Armas, once marched up by the Spanish military, is crowded by tourists today: chic boutiques invite to go for a stroll and Che Guevara flags and salsa CDs are available almost everywhere. A special gem of Havana’s Old Town, which was declared world cultural heritage, is the Calle Obispo connecting the Plaza de Armas with the popular Parque Central. Numerous elaborately renovated buildings please the eye and nice bars invite for a drink. In a former president’s palace, the Museo de la Revolución shows the course of the revolution of Fidel Castro and his followers against the Batista regime. Vedado, the western part of the town located right at the sea, with its Art Déco buildings dating back to the early 20th century, is worth seeing as well. The legendary Malecón, the esplanade road, which is regarded as the end of the world by the Cubans, runs along the district. more

Cuba’s most precious architectonical treasures can be found between the hills of the Sierra Escambray... and the Caribbean Sea: the baroque town of Trinidad. The palaces and the manor houses of its Old Town demonstrate the wealth of the ancient days: during the 18th century, Trinidad developed into the biggest sugar supplier in the world. The neat town with a great history, declared as UNESCO world culture heritage in 1988, is one of the major attractions of the island. Anyone who would like to experience the magic of Trinidad calmly should be there in the early morning hours or enjoy the soft light of the evening sun on the Plaza Mayor. This impressive plaza in the heart of the old town has hardly changed in the past two centuries. At the north side the Iglesia Parroquial de la Santísima Trinidad, Cuba’s only five-nave church, towers above the city. Left of the church, the Palacio Brunet houses the Museo Romántico. Its exhibits tell the story of the lives of the sugar barons and the rise and fall of the trading town. In the evening, many bars in Trinidad offer fiery live music. more

Cuba’s most famous tropical island lies to the east of Isla de la Juventud, on the eastern end of the... Canarreos Archipelago, and boasts more than 27 km (16.7 mi.) of brilliant white beaches, whose sand stays cool even at the hottest times due to its special crystalline structure. The beautiful sea, which is warm, blue, turquoise, cobalt and azure all year round, laps gently against the beaches. Iguanas, armadillos, sea turtles and hundreds of different species of bird, including hummingbirds, flamingos, seagulls and herons mingle on ‘El Cayo’. Located away from the hotels, numerous secluded bays, beaches, and sandbanks (which are unfortunately lacking in shade) give holidaymakers the chance to sunbathe naked if desired. The coral reefs off Cayo Largo are just as good as the diving sites around Isla de la Juventud. Furthermore, the facilities in Cayo Largo are more modern and the paths to the diving centers are considerably shorter. Windsurfing, jet skis, catamarans, banana boats, glass-bottom boats and snorkeling all contribute to the comprehensive list of activities offered by the island. In the meantime, Cayo Largo is totally shut off from Cuban reality and can only be reached by airplane. more

Founded in 1693 and populated by colonists from the Canary Islands, this city achieved prosperity in... the 18th century thanks to the export of coffee and tobacco. It advanced to become the center of the sugar and slave trade in the 19th century. Many elegant colonial buildings with Doric columned verandas and wrought-iron balconies date from this time. Artists, intellectuals and scientists led Matanzas to become the ‘Cuban Athens’. The city was a center for Afrocuban music and the birthplace of the Danzón. In the late afternoon, people meet up with one another under shady royal palms in the Parque de la Libertad, which is lined with colonial buildings. Located in the south of the city is the Museo Farmaceútico, a pharmacy with flowery faience jugs and porcelain crucibles, which was founded in 1882 and remains true to its original form. Constructed in 1863 and designed in neoclassical style, the Teatro Sauto dominates the beautiful Plaza de la Vigia. Celebrities such as the French actress Sarah Bernhardt and the Russian ballerina Anna Pawlowa have performed here. more

Usually visited by people on their way to the town of Trinidad 66 km (41 mi.) away, the capital city... of the eponymous province was founded in 1514. In the idyllic colonial quarter of Barrio San Juan, visitors believe themselves to have almost been spirited away to Trinidad. The Parroquíal Mayor del Espíritu Santo is located here; it was first constructed in 1522 and then rebuilt in 1680 using the same stones after being repeatedly destroyed by pirates. The tower was added in the 18th century, and the dome was added in the 19th. The church was declared as a national monument together with the medieval-like five-arch Yayabo Bridge, which was constructed in 1825 and is the only remaining arched bridge in Cuba. The Palacio de Valle Iznaga is located just a stone’s throw to the south; this beautiful palace was owned by an 18th century sugar baron, and is now home to the Museo de Arte Colonial, which exhibits period furniture and beautiful glass windows. more

Cuba’s second largest seaside resort has an extremely picturesque beach, which is flanked by high cliffs.... The beach is dotted with coconut palms and shrubs that sway in the wind. A reef that guarantees the best diving conditions sits just 300 m off the coast. The Pesquero diving spot even has numerous black coral colonies. The hotels offer deep sea fishing, catamarans, banana boats and horseback riding. Another tourist enclave has sprung up on the beautiful Playa Estero Ciego (also known as Playa Esmeralda), 6 km (3.7 mi.) to the west of the main beach; the hotels there tend towards luxury. The Parque Natural de Naranjo was established 4 km (2.5 mi.) further on – visitors can go hiking here or take a boat across to a nameless islet with a dolphinarium in order to go swimming with the intelligent sea mammals. Trained staff ensures that the animals are not subject to any stress as a result of this. more

The tallest mountain range in Cuba stretches approximately 240 km (149.1 mi.) from Cabo Cruz in the west... to the east. Coffee is grown on the range’s fertile northern slopes, while its sparse, practically uninhabited southern slopes drop steeply away to the sea. The highest mountain of the Sierra Maestra – and therefore Cuba – is the Pico Turquino (1972 m, 6469.8 ft), which may only be climbed if a guide is also present. Less strenuous is the approximately 3 km (1.8 mi.) hiking trail from Alto de Naranjo to Fidel Castro’s one-time rebel headquarters, the Comandancia de la Plata, which sits at a height of 1,200 m. Photography is not permitted – visitors are only supposed to feel deeply moved by the revolutionary spirit. It isn’t just friends of the Cuban Revolution that travel on the spectacular coastal road from Santiago de Cuba to Manzanillo. Grandiose views are guaranteed, and travelers can also jump into the sea in areas with small bays. The small hotels at Chivirico and Marea del Portillo provide tourist infrastructure which focuses on water sports. A junction to the west of Pilón leads to the Parque Nacional Desembarco del Granma, in whose swamps the revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara debarked from the small yacht ‘Granma’ in order to start the revolution in the Sierra Maestra. more

Though the Guantánamo Bay American marine base is constantly a topic of conversation, the Cuban city... of Guantánamo is almost a blank spot on the tourist map. The best activity for visitors is to sit in the pleasant Café La Indiana, enjoy a ‘Rocio de gallo’ (coffee with a shot of rum), and observe the hustle and bustle on the charming Parque José Martí; this is where the Iglesia Santa Catalina, which dates back to the late 19th century, is situated. Guantánamo’s most interesting building is the extravagant Palacio Salcines from the 1920s. It is located one block to the north of the Parque José Martí. The Centro Provincial de Artes Visuales organizes art exhibitions here. The inhabitants of Guantanamo are mostly descendants of immigrants from Haiti, Jamaica and the Lesser Antilles, and offer a particularly warm welcome to foreigners. Those who wish to take a look at the unloved gringo soldiers must go to Caimanera (23 km or 14.3 mi to the south). One can then stand on a mirador (balcony) and use Soviet binoculars to direct their gaze across the beautiful bay towards this Cold War relic. more

Formerly known as Isla de Pinos, this island off the south coast of Cuba was once the meeting place of... famous privateers such as Sir Francis Drake and Henry Morgan. In the 19th century, the Spanish deported the opponents of the colonial regime here. The Presidio Modelo (‘model prison’), which lies several kilometers to the south of the capital Nueva Gerona, is the most significant tourist spot. The rebels imprisoned Dictator Fulgencio Batista here in 1953; these rebels were under the leadership of a young Fidel Castro, who had tried in vain to attack the Moncada Barracks in Santiago de Cuba. After the victory of the Cuban Revolution, socialist students from all over the world started to modernize the economically less-developed ‘Isle of Youth’. Nowadays, the island is predominantly visited by tourists who have booked diving holidays at the Hotel El Colony on the west coast, one of the best underwater centers in Cuba. The south coast is still entirely secluded: 3,000 year-old old cave drawings made by the original inhabitants of Siboney can be seen in the Cueva Punta del Este, including black concentric circles with humans and animals, which was probably a lunar calendar. more

Located in the south of the Matanzas province, the approximately 3,300 km² (2050.5 mi²) Zapata Peninsula... extends into the Caribbean Sea like a shoe. It borders the Bay of Pigs to the east. A large swath of the peninsula is covered with mangrove swamps, whose unique flora and fauna are protected by the Parque Nacional de la Ciénaga de Zapata. Tourists can visit a crocodile farm and an islet in the Laguna del Tesoro – the Hotel Villa Guamá is located here, which was built in the style of a Taíno village. The birdwatching sites in the swamps can only be reached from the Playa Larga. The Hotel Villa Playa Larga provides guides, which are a strict requirement. The best place to observe the West Indian woodpecker and the Zapata wren, two endemic types of parakeet and sparrow, respectively, is the Observatorio Santo Tomás, which is approximately 30 km (18.6 mi) to the west of the hotel. Due to its beautiful coral reefs, the Playa Larga is also a top attraction for divers; in particular, the veritable world of fish that awaits divers in the 70 m (229.6 ft) deep Cueva de los Peces is fascinatingly colorful. more

Probably the most pleasant climate in Cuba can be found at a height of 700 m (2296.6 ft) in the Escambray... Mountains, located to the north of Trinidad. In Topes de Collantes, Cuba’s most famous health resort was responsible for curing tuberculosis patients in the 1950s; nowadays, the old Topes sanatorium is a hotspot for medical tourism. The Hotel Gaviota Kurhotel Escambray offers diets and beauty treatment, rehabilitation, and anti-stress treatments, though it is also ideal for anybody wishing to hike in the Sierra. It is a 3 km (1.9 mi) hike to the Salto de Caburni, a 62 m (203.4 ft) waterfall that tumbles into the valley below. The health resort organizes horse riding tours to waterfalls, rivers and caves. A network of lakes provides the perfect opportunity to do some fishing. The large Embalse de Lago Hanabanilla reservoir, which is teeming with trout, can be found in the north of the Sierra. At 1140 m (3740.1 ft) in height, the tallest mountain is the Pico San Juan, also known as La Cuca. more

For over forty years, the name of this city has been inextricably linked to the heroic deeds of Che Guevara.... With a force of just 18 men, ‘Che’ attacked an armored train carrying Batista’s soldiers to Santa Clara on 29 December 1958. Four carriages of the military train, which had been derailed by Che Guevara during the battle, can still be seen today. The extensive Plaza de la Revolución can also be found just outside the city center, in the opposite direction. In October 1997, the remains of Che, as well as those of six of his fellow combatants, found their final resting place here after being transferred from Bolivia. The mausoleum is located directly next to an impressive bronze statue of the archetypal guerrilla, wearing his battle dress and carrying his weapon. Che’s motto, “Hasta la Victoria siempre” (‘Until Victory Always’), is inscribed on the base. The moving farewell letter that Che wrote to Fidel Castro before his departure to Bolivia was engraved in its entirety on a marble memorial. More information on Che’s revolutionary activities can be found at the Museo de la Revolución. more

Though the lovely introspective colonial town of San Juan de los Remedios was founded in 1514, it was... destroyed several times by pirates in the years that followed. Remedios has been a national monument since 1979. The Plaza Martí, which was newly built following an earthquake in 1939, is lined by the most important buildings in the town. The Iglesia de San Juan Bautista, located on the eastern side of the Plaza Martí, was initially erected in 1570 and then rebuilt in 1692. The cedar wood altar, decorated with 24-carat gold incrustations, is highly valuable, as is the intricately handcrafted coffered ceiling with its floral pattern made from mahogany. Remedios is famous for its carnival-like processions: the parrandas. more

This city, which has a quarter of a million inhabitants, is still home to many houses with wooden balconies,... sculpted latticework on windows and baroque gateways. Visitors can easily get lost in the labyrinthine alleys that comprise the city’s historical center, which was declared as a World Heritage Site. The most beautiful colonial houses can be found on the Plaza San Juan de Dios. The locals prefer to meet in the Parque Ignacio Agramonte to have a chat on the shady benches. The Catedral Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, built in 1868, towers over the park. The Iglesia Nuestra Señora de la Merced is located on the spacious Plaza de los Trabajadores. This beautiful baroque church, which was constructed from 1747 onwards and rebuilt in the 19th century, is entirely covered in frescos. The most valuable one depicts the entombment of Christ, which was cast from 20,000 melted-down silver coins in 1762. The church also has lovely Neo-Moorish wooden ceilings. Camagüey’s landmarks include the tinajones, namely large, round water jugs made from clay. Foreigners that drink from the tinajones will apparently fall hopelessly in love with the city and stay there forever. more