 The
province of Guantánamo is located
in the eastern part of the country, with
6183 km 2 . It limits in the north with
the province of Holguín and the Atlantic
Ocean, in the south with the Caribbean Sea,
and in the east with el Paso de los Vientos
(The Wind Corridor), and in the west with
Santiago de Cuba.
This is the most mountainous
region of Cuba and also one of the most
beautiful. It is divided in 5 natural regions:
Sagua, Baracoa, Cuenca de Guantánamo,
Sierra Maestra and Valle Central.
Colón arrived in
Bariay on October 27, 1492, and after traveling
the north coast landed in Baracoa where
he was amazed by its rivers, bays and beaches,
and the green terraces that rise along the
coast.
La villa de Nuestra Señora
de la Asunción de Baracoa, founded
by Diego Velázquez in 1511, became
the base for the conquest of the island;
hence, it was here where the first government
of the colony was established. In 1518 Baracoa
reached the rank of City and its church
was declared Cathedral.
Among its picturesque
valleys and vigorous mountains, the most
outstanding ones are el Valle de Guantánamo
and el Yunque de Baracoa, the last one a
National Monument. The Baitiquirí-Maisí
coastal region is a real botanic garden
due to its cacti and xenophiles flora, and
Monte Verde de Yateras is the place of greatest
endemic vegetation in the country. The most
important mountains are Las Cuchillas del
Toa de Baracoa and la Sierra del Purial.
It is in this last mountain where the highest
elevation is found, Loma del Gato, being
1170 meters high.
It is a province rich
in folkloric traditions, derived from the
fusion of several cultures, the Spanish,
the African and the French. The amalgam
of races served as foundation of traditions
that were enriched with the popular imagination
which originated rhythms; such as, la Tumba
Francesa and el Changüí, lately
famous due to the interpretations of Compay
Segundo.
In the mountain area of
Yateras municipality, you can see the most
peculiar zoo in the world, it is made of
stone. This zoo was made by a coffee planter
farmer called Angel Iñigo, who as
a hobby, began to make sculptures polishing
stone using an ax and a hammer. There are
dozens of animals of different species:
horses, bulls, buffalos, lions, elephants,
giraffes, monkeys, gorillas, boas and many
other animals of the Cuban fauna and other
countries as well.
La Farola viaduct is another
attraction of the area. This hanging road
being 30 km long links Baracoa with the
rest of the province. It was finished in
the sixties and it is the terrestrial via
most impressive in Cuba, linked on one side
with the mountain, while on the other side
rests on solid columns fixed to the ground.
From there, majestic views and landscapes
of splendid grandeur can be seen, with steep
green picks and deep depressions. The highest
points of this road constitute real bay-windows,
el Alto de Cotilla is one of the most famous.
The streams that flow down from the mountains
and the Yumurí river that meanders
all the viaduct in its course towards the
north, constitute part of this landscape.
The City of Baracoa, capital
of the province, is located between the
bays of Baracoa and Miel. Their beaches
alternate with beaches and reefs that as
a whole constitute an original beauty. Among
its tourist installations, we can point
out three hotels, La Rusa, El Plaza and
El Castillo.
El Fuerte de Matachín
–a fortress built as strategic defense-
is today the History Museum, which holds
documents and objects that are eloquent
proves of the historical development of
the city.
Lastly, the food
in Baracoa is famous for the preparation
of unique dishes in the country and in the
world. There only you can taste the Tetí,
a tiny little fish that only appears at
the mouth of the rivers Toa, Miel and Nibujón,
as well as the Cucuruchos de Baracoa, a
dessert of great acceptance made of coconut,
honey, orange, and pineapple or banana.
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