The province is, with the possible exception of parts of Pinar del
Rio province, the wildest, most uncharted piece of terrritory in the
land.
The main tourist destination of Guantanamo province is the magical
little town of Baracoa, don't miss the oportunity to come there in
the week of 1 April, when heady street parties every night
commemorate the disembarkation of General Antonio Maceo at nearby
Playa Duaba in 1895, marking the beginning of the War of
Independence.
Guantanamo city: Situated 90km east of Santiago and a few
kilometres north of the bay of the same name. The city seems to have
two rather unfortunate unofficial emblems. One is a depot crammed
with rusting buses that have no fuel, the other is an apartment
tower that was to be showcase of efficient, prefabricated
architecture.
The main reason to stop in this city is to visit the lookout at the
American naval base, which is the last colonial outpost remaining on
the island. These days the base is the home to around 7,000 American
servicemen. It is a self-sufficient entity with its own TV and radio
station , water supply, medical, sports and general recreational
facilities.
Baracoa: It is situated on a bay close to the eastern tip of
the island of Cuba where the Caribbean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean.
Founded in 1512 by Diego Velazquez, this is Cuba's oldest European
settlement, things are pretty laid back in this town and the
abundance of palm trees along this coast give it a South Pacific
feel.
The fact that this was an important Spanish outpost is evidenced by
the three impressive forts: Fuerte Matachin, now housing the museo
municipal; Fuerte de la Punta, now refitted with a restaurant; and
El Castillo de Seboruco, which is now a pleasant hotel. |