THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY

Brendan Sainsbury Luke Waterson

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Pinar del Ríop181

Artemisa &Mayabeque

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Ciego deÁvilap307

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City ofHavanap58

Cuba

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Welcome to Cuba . . . . . . . .6

Cuba Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Cuba’s Top 21 . . . . . . . . . .10

Need to Know . . . . . . . . . 20

First Time Cuba . . . . . . . 22

If You Like… . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Month by Month . . . . . . . 28

Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Activity Guide . . . . . . . . . 40

Travel with Children . . . . 49

Regions at a Glance . . . . .51

HAVANA . . . . . . . . . . . 58Downtown Havana . . . . . 59Habana Vieja . . . . . . . . . . . . 62Parque Histórico Militar Morro-Cabaña . . . . 85Centro Habana . . . . . . . . . . 87Vedado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96Outer Havana . . . . . . . . 132Playa & Marianao . . . . . . . 132Parque Lenin Area . . . . . . 142Santiago de las Vegas Area . . . . . . . . . . 143Regla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144Guanabacoa . . . . . . . . . . . 145Cojímar Area . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Casablanca . . . . . . . . . . . . 147Playas del Este . . . . . . . . . 147

ARTEMISA & MAYABEQUE PROVINCES . . . . . . . 153Artemisa Province . . . . 155San Antonio de los Baños . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155Artemisa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156North of Artemisa . . . . . . 157Soroa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158Las Terrazas . . . . . . . . . . . 159Bahía Honda & Around . . 162Mayabeque Province . . 163

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Contents

Playa Jibacoa Area . . . . . . 163Jaruco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165Surgidero de Batabanó . . 166

ISLA DE LA JUVENTUD (SPECIAL MUNICIPALITY) . . . .167Isla de la Juventud . . . . 169Nueva Gerona . . . . . . . . . . 169East of Nueva Gerona . . . 174South of Nueva Gerona . . 176The Southern Military Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177Cayo Largo del Sur . . . . .177

PINAR DEL RÍO PROVINCE . . . . . . . . .181Pinar del Río Area . . . . 184Pinar del Río . . . . . . . . . . . 184Southwest of Pinar del Río . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189Península de Guanahacabibes . . . . . . .191Parque Nacional Península de Guanahacabibes . . . . . . . . 191Valle de Viñales . . . . . . 193Viñales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193Parque Nacional Viñales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198West of Viñales . . . . . . . . . 201The Northern Coast . . . 201

Cayo Jutías . . . . . . . . . . . . 201Puerto Esperanza . . . . . . . 202Cayo Levisa . . . . . . . . . . . . 202San Diego de los Baños & Around . . . . . . 203San Diego de los Baños .203Parque la Güira . . . . . . . . .204

MATANZAS PROVINCE . . . . . . . . 205Northern Matanzas . . . 206Matanzas . . . . . . . . . . . . . .206Varadero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215Cárdenas . . . . . . . . . . . . . .230San Miguel de los Baños & Around . . . . . . . . 233Península de Zapata . . 234Central Australia & Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234Boca de Guamá . . . . . . . . 235Gran Parque Natural Montemar . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236Playa Larga . . . . . . . . . . . . 237Playa Girón . . . . . . . . . . . . 238

CIENFUEGOS PROVINCE . . . . . . . . 242Cienfuegos . . . . . . . . . . 243Parque José Martí . . . . . . 245Paseo del Prado & the Malecón . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247Punta Gorda . . . . . . . . . . . 247Central Cienfuegos . . . . .250Around Cienfuegos . . . 255Rancho Luna . . . . . . . . . . . 255Castillo de Jagua . . . . . . . 256Laguna Guanaroca . . . . . . 257Jardín Botánico de Cienfuegos . . . . . . . . . . . . 257El Nicho . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257Caribbean Coast . . . . . . . . 258

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VILLA CLARA PROVINCE . . . . . . . . 259Santa Clara . . . . . . . . . . 261Parque Vidal . . . . . . . . . . . 261Around Santa Clara . . . 270Embalse Hanabanilla . . . . 270Remedios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272Caibarién . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275Cayerías del Norte . . . . . . 276

SANCTI SPÍRITUS PROVINCE . . . . . . . . 280Sancti Spíritus . . . . . . . 282Southwest Sancti Spíritus Province . . . . . 288Trinidad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288Playa Ancón & Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301Valle de los Ingenios . . . .302Topes de Collantes . . . . . .303Northern Sancti Spíritus Province . . . . . 305

CIEGO DE ÁVILA PROVINCE . . . . . . . . 307Ciego de Ávila . . . . . . . . . .309Morón . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314Florencia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318

Cayo Coco . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318Cayo Guillermo . . . . . . . . . 321

CAMAGÜEY PROVINCE . . . . . . . . 323Camagüey . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325Florida . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336Sierra del Chorrillo . . . . . . 336Guáimaro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337Nuevitas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337Brasil & Around . . . . . . . . 338Cayo Sabinal . . . . . . . . . . . 338Playa Santa Lucía . . . . . . 339

LAS TUNAS PROVINCE . . . . . . . . 342Las Tunas . . . . . . . . . . . . . .344Monte Cabaniguan . . . . . .350Puerto Padre . . . . . . . . . . .350Punta Covarrubias . . . . . . 351Playas La Herradura, La Llanita & Las Bocas . . 351

HOLGUÍN PROVINCE . . . . . . . . 352Holguín . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353Gibara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .364

Playa Pesquero & Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367Guardalavaca . . . . . . . . . .368Banes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372Birán . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374Sierra del Cristal . . . . . . . 374Cayo Saetía . . . . . . . . . . . . 376

GRANMA PROVINCE . . . . . . . . 377Bayamo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379Gran Parque Nacional Sierra Maestra . . . . . . . . .388Manzanillo . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391Niquero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393Alegria del Pio . . . . . . . . .394Parque Nacional Desembarco del Granma 394Pilón . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395Marea del Portillo . . . . . . .396

SANTIAGO DE CUBA PROVINCE . . . . . . . . 398Santiago de Cuba . . . . . . . 401Siboney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425La Gran Piedra . . . . . . . . .426Parque Baconao . . . . . . . . 427El Cobre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431

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Contents

El Saltón . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432Chivirico & Around . . . . . . 433El Uvero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433Pico Turquino Area . . . . . . 433

GUANTÁNAMO PROVINCE . . . . . . . . 436Guantánamo . . . . . . . . . . .438Around Guantánamo US Naval Base . . . . . . . . .444

South Coast . . . . . . . . . . .444Punta de Maisí . . . . . . . . .445Boca de Yumurí & Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . .445Baracoa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .445Northwest of Baracoa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453

Cuba Today . . . . . . . . . . 456

History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458

The Cuban Way of Life 470

Literature & the Arts . . 477

Music & Dance . . . . . . . 482

Landscape & Wildlife . . 489

The US & Cuba . . . . . . . 498

Directory A–Z . . . . . . . . 502

Transportation . . . . . . . .513

Language . . . . . . . . . . . . 523

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 532

Map Legend . . . . . . . . . . 543M

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SURVIVAL GUIDE

SPECIAL FEATURES

exuberant sun-burst motifs such as the Chrysler building in New York and the architecture of the South Beach neighborhood in Miami.

Brought to Cuba via the United States, the nation quickly acquired its own clutch of ‘tropical’ art deco buildings with the lion’s share residing in Havana. One of Latin America’s finest examples of early art deco is the Edifico Bacardí in Habana Vieja, built in 1930 to provide a Havana headquarters for Santiago de Cuba’s world-famous rum-making family. Another striking creation was the 14-story Edificio López Serrano in Vedado, constructed as the city’s first real rascacielo (skyscraper) in 1932, using New York’s Rockefeller Center as its inspiration. Other more functional art deco skyscrapers followed, including the Teatro América on Av de la Italia, the Teatro Fausto on Paseo de Martí and the Casa de las Américas on Calle G. A more diluted and eclectic interpretation of the genre can be seen in the famous Hotel Nacional, whose sharp symmetrical lines and decorative twin Moorish turrets dominate the view over the Malecón.

Eclecticism Eclecticism is the term often applied to the non-conformist and highly experimental architectural zeitgeist that grew up in the United States during the 1880s. Rejecting 19th-century ideas of ‘style’ and categorization, the architects behind this revolutionary new genre promoted flexibility and an open-minded ‘anything goes’ ethos, drawing their inspiration from a wide range of historical precedents.

Thanks to the strong US presence in the decades before 1959, Cuba quickly became a riot of modern eclecticism, with rich American and Cuban landowners constructing huge Xanadu-like mansions in burgeoning upper-class residential districts. Expansive, ostentatious and, at times, outlandishly kitschy, these fancy new homes were garnished with crenellated walls, oddly shaped lookout towers, rooftop cupolas and leering

gargoyles. For a wild tour of Cuban eclecticism, head to Miramar in Havana, Alegre Vista in Santiago de Cuba and the Punta Gorda neighborhood in Cienfuegos.

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HAVANA’S PARISIAN INFLUENCE

French landscape architect, Jean-Claude Forestier added a Parisian flavor to Havana’s modern urban layout in the 1920s. Fresh from high profile commis-sions in the French capital, Forestier arrived in Havana in 1925 where he was invited to draw up a master-plan to link the city’s disparate urban grid. He spent the next five years sketching broad tree-lined boulevards, Parisian-style squares and a harmonious city landscape de-signed to accentuate Havana’s iconic monuments and lush tropical setting. Forestier’s plans were unhinged by the Great Depression, but his Parisian vision was ultimately realized 30 years later with the construction of Plaza de la Revolución and its radiating avenues.

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1. A mint-hued facade,Trinidad (p288) 2. Palacio de Valle (p247), Cienfuegos

BEST EXAMPLES OF ARCHITECTURAL STYLES

Early Colonial Museo de Pintura Mural (p 73 )

Baroque Catedral de San Cristóbal de la Habana (p 63 )

Neoclassical Capitolio Nacional (p 77 )

Art Deco Edificio Bacardí (p 74 )

Art Nouveau Palacio Cueto (p 72 )

Eclectic Palacio de Valle (p 245 )

Modernist Edificio Focsa (p 87 )

Gothic Iglesia del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (p 87 )

Outdoor activities guide . . . . . . . . 40

Travel with children guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Illustrated Old Havana walking tour . . . . . . . . . . 70

Architecture photo essay . . . . . . . . . . . .74

Music & dance essay 482

US & Cuba essay . . . . . 498

UNDERSTAND

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HavanaMildewed architecture

and wild seas (p58)

MatanzasDilapidated buildings hide

soulful secrets (p206)

CienfuegosNeoclassical bayside city

(p243)

TrinidadUnblemished colonial

townscape (p288)

Ciénaga de ZapataThe Caribbean’s largest

swamp (p236)

Las TerrazasTrails, nature and an artists’

community (p159)

Valle de ViñalesCycle through bucolic bliss

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Santiago de CubaThe cradle of Cubandance culture (p401)

Pico TurquinoClimb the nation’s highest

peak (p390)

CamagüeyA labyrinth of narrow streets

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BaracoaThe best food outside

Havana (p445)

Santa ClaraCuba’s edgiest city

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VaraderoRelax in a beach resort

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Cayo GuillermoThe definitive island in the

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It’s your first time in Cuba and you want to see as many eye-opening sights as possible countrywide. Even better, you don’t mind a bit of road travel. This itinerary ferries you between the two rival cities of Havana and Santiago bagging most of the nation’s historical highlights on the way. Víazul buses link all of the following destinations.

Fall in love with classic Cuba in Havana, with its museums, forts, theaters and rum. Three days is a bare minimum here to get

to grips with the three main neighbor-hoods of Havana Vieja, Centro Havana and Vedado.

Head southeast next, lingering in the Bay of Pigs, scene of an erstwhile Cold War battle, but these days better suited to scuba diving. French-flavored Cienfuegos, an architectural monument to 19th- century neoclassicism, deserves a layover. After a night of Gallic style and Cuban music, travel a couple of hours down the road to colonial Trinidad with more museums per head than anywhere else in Cuba. The casas particulares (homestays) resemble historical monuments here, so

The Classic

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stay three nights. On the second day you can break from the history and choose between the beach (Playa Ancón) or the natural world (Topes de Collantes).

Santa Clara is a rite of passage for Che Guevara pilgrims visiting his mausoleum but also a great place for luxurious private rooms and an upbeat nightlife. Check out Club Mejunje and have a drink in dive-bar La Marquesina. Further east, Camagüey invites further investigation with its maze of Catholic churches and giant tinajones (clay pots). Skip over Las Tunas, and hightail it to gritty Holguín for a slice of workaday Cuba and a salt-of-the-earth

bar scene. Laid-back Bayamo is where the Revolution was ignited, and it has an equally sparky street festival called Fiesta de la Cubanía, should you be lucky enough to be there on a Saturday. Allow plenty of time for the cultural nexus of Santiago de Cuba, where seditious plans for rebellion have been routinely hatched. The Cuartel Moncada, Cemeterio Ifigenia and Morro Castle will fill a busy two days. Save the best till last with a long, but by no means arduous, journey over the hills and far away to Baracoa for two days relaxing with the coconuts, chocolate and other tropical treats.

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Varadero has some cheap packages and is a popular gateway into Cuba, but once you’ve pacified your partner/kids and had your fill of the beach, what else is there for a curious Cuban adventurer to do? Plenty.

Víazul or Conectando buses link all of the fol-lowing places.

Take a bus west, stopping for lunch in Ma-tanzas, where Cuban reality will hit you like a slap to the face. Investigate the Museo Farma-ceútico, peek inside the Teatro Sauto and buy a handmade book in Ediciones Vigia. For a slow approach to Havana get on the Hershey train and watch the lush fields of Mayabeque province glide by. Book a night in a fine colonial hotel in Havana and spend the next day admiring the copious sights of the old quarter Habana Vieja. Essential stops include the cathedral, the Museo de la Revolución and a stroll along the Malecón.

The next day, head west to Las Terrazas, an eco-resort that seems a million miles from the clamorous capital (it’s actually only 55km). You can bathe and bird-watch at the same time in the Baños del San Juan and recuperate with a stay over in the Hotel Moka.

Further west is Viñales, Cuba’s primary tobacco-growing area and a stunningly pictur-esque Unesco World Heritage Site. Spend a cou-ple of days in a casa particular, eat some of the best roast pork in Cuba, go for a hike or slump into a rocking chair on a rustic colonial porch.

Going back east, keep on the green theme in Boca de Guamá, a reconstructed Taíno village and crocodile farm with boat trips to and around a tranquil lake. Procure a night of accommodation at Playa Larga, where you can either dive or plan wildlife forays into the Ciénaga de Zapata. A couple of hours east lies the city of Cienfuegos, an elegant last night stopover with some fine boutique hotels and op-portunities for sunset cruises on the bay.

On the leg back to Varadero you can uncover a more secretive Cuba in Colón, back in Ma-tanzas province, and a dustier, time-warped one in half-ruined San Miguel de los Baños, an erstwhile spa. Last stop before returning to your Varadero sun-lounge is Cárdenas, home to three superb museums.

1 WEEK Escape from Varadero

Top: Playa Larga (p237) Bottom: Tobacco plantation in Valle de Viñales (p195)

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The Oriente is a different country; they do things differently there, or so they’ll tell you in Havana. This circuit allows you to bypass the Cuban capital and focus exclusively on the culturally rich, fiercely independent eastern region. With poor transport links, a hire car could prove useful here.

Make your base in Santiago de Cuba, city of revolutionaries, culture and folklórico dance troupes. There’s tons to do here pertaining to his-tory (Morro castle), music (Cuba’s original Casa de la Trova) and religion (Basilica de Nuestra Señora del Cobre). On the second day reserve time to explore east into the Parque Bacanao and the ruined coffee farms around Gran Piedra.

Regular buses travel east into the moun-tains of Guantánamo province. Pass a night in Guantánamo to suss out changüí music before climbing the spectacular ‘Farola’ road into Baracoa for three days – including beach time at Playa Maguana, a sortie into the Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt and a day absorbing the rhythms of the town.

Heading north via Moa is tough, with taxis or rental cars required to get to Cayo Saetia, a wonderful key with a hotel where lonesome beaches embellish a former hunting reserve.

Pinares de Mayarí sits in the pine-clad mountains of the Sierra Crystal amid huge waterfalls and rare flora. Hiking married with some rural relaxation seal the deal at the re-gion’s eponymous hotel.

If you have half a day to spare, consider a side trip to Sitio Histórico de Birán to see the surprisingly affluent farm community that spawned Fidel Castro.

Take a day off in hassle-free Bayamo with its smattering of small-town museums before tack-ling Manzanillo, where Saturday nights in the main square can get feisty. More adventurous transport options will lead you down to Niquero and within striking distance of the largely deserted Parque Nacional Desembarco del Granma famous for its uplifted marine ter- races and aboriginal remains. Spend your last two nights in one of Marea del Portillo’s low-key resorts before attempting the spectacular but potholed coast road back to Santiago.

12 DAYS Around the Oriente

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Top: Street music in Santiago de Cuba (p401)Bottom: Baracoa (p445)

36

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CARIBBEAN SEA

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GULF OFMEXICO

Bahíade Cortés

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CAYMANISLANDS

(UK)

FLORIDA(USA)

Cuba:Off the Beaten Track

A small uninhabited archipelago and national park that is home to birds, turtles, a rare type of tree rat and 22 dive sites. Visit in a diving package with Ecotur. (p176)

CAYOS DE SAN FELIPE

Cave paintings, wild monkeys, deserted beaches and vast swamps characterize the southern half of La Isla de la Juventud, which is both a military zone and a national park. (p177)

THE SOUTHERN ISLA

The towns of central Matanzas province – most notably Colón and Jovellanos – are known for their strong Santería traditions and penchant for rumba. Forget the guidebook; this is a place for independent sleuthing. (p233)

CENTRAL MATANZAS These little-explored hills in northern Sancti Spíritus province are accessible from the town of Mayajigua. There are paths and guided treks led by Ecotur among rivers, semi-deciduous forest and unusual karst topography. (p306)

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Mayajigua

Known mainly for disappearing off the map completely after a 1932 hurricane, this end-of-the-road fishing port, sporting fascinating monuments and a lovely casa, could kick-start a trip to the tranquil cayos of the Jardines de la Reina. (p313)

SANTA CRUZ DEL SUR

Ever wondered what Cuba’s most pristine and bio-diverse protected area (Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt) would look like were it juxtaposed with its ugliest industrial sight (Moa)? Hit this rarely traversed, pothole-ravaged back-road and find out. (p453)

BARACOA TO HOLGUIN – THE BACK ROAD

Starting in colorful, off-the-radar Gibara, things only get more wild as you voyage via boat or bumpy track to desolate beaches with names like Playa los Bajos or Playa Caletones, where there are also cavern systems to explore. (p365)

GIBARA BEACH-BAGGINGReconnoiter Camagüey province’s surprise swathe of serene upland with a stay in a sumptuous old hacienda, a ride on one of Cuba’s finest steeds and a foray to find rare birds or rarer-yet petrified trees. (p336)

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