BARACOA CUBA

Flamingos of Baracoa Cuba

 Romantic Baracoa Cuba Vacation
 Baracoa Cuba has been named one of the most beautiful hidden gems of Cuba full of dreamy little boutique eco resorts that are prefect for romantic wedding  pirates getaway that is quite simply the most beautiful place in Cuba.

Baracoa is located on Cuba's southeast tip and protected by a deep wave of picturesque mountains. Even though Baracoa takes some time to to arrive their its well worth the trip for Smart Travelers and savvy Eco-friendly tourist who don't like the Luxury all inclusive resort approach to their Cuba holiday vacation.

Baracoa is a favorite hidden tourist resort that is not made for tourist because it has many self-contained and secluded little beaches and romantic Honeymoon resorts  that pulsate with a raw sexy energy that is truly astonishing for such a tiny Cuban resort area.

In the record s of History, Baracoa has the distinction of being the first town officially established by the Spanish Conquistadors in Cuba, founded by Diego de Velázquez in 1511 on a Cuban beach and rock christened Porto Santo in 1492 by Christopher Columbus who planted a cross on the Beach of Baracoa claiming it was the most beautiful beach he had ever seen.

Spanish conquistadors never quite succeeded in eliminating all the local indigenous population yet Baracoa is still the only city in Cuba where direct descendants of the Taíno Indians can still be found.
Cuban Legends around Baracoa natives present several myths and spooky legends constantly repeated to gullible Tourists and Cuban visitors.

BARACOA BEACH

Image via Wikipedia

Baracoa is still as site to see for any Cuban holiday, surrounded by inspiring countryside, cacao trees that make Cuba's famous chocolate manufacturer,local brand Peter's Rum and Havana Club Rum make Baracoa  an absolute must on any Cuban Vacation excursion. Adventurous Tourist can stroll all around Baracoa, enjoying its laid back charm, tour local attractions including an excellent archeological museum with one of Cuba's best collections of per-Columbian artifacts or visit La Cruz de la Parra, the celebrated Gold Cross of Bracoa Cuba to have been built by Christopher Columbus over 500 years ago.

The Golden Baracoa Cross can be found in the picturesque Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, on the outskirts of Eco Parque Independencia, where tourists and local Cuban meet every night for drinks, Cuban Rum and of coarse, hot Salsa dancing on the beaches of Baracoa Cuba. What better way to spend a romantic vacation or even your honeymoon in Cuba.

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BARACOA CUBA GUIDE

Baracoa Restaurant in Cuba

BARACOA CUBA TOURIST
Cuba eastern most city is Baracoa which is the most remote location of the Cuban island. English Bay is a short drive from the city that was discovered by Christopher Columbus over 500 years ago as one of the best chocolate cities in the world. Baracoa has not been influenced at all by large tourism development despite the tranquil location and can be reached by car or boat from Santiago de Cuba  which is about a 4 hours ride or you can fly 2 hours by plane from Havana.  East of Baracoa you will find the Fuerte Matachín  which was built in 1802 where some very old houses and small museums are still open. West of Baracoa are the Fuerte La Punta which was built in 1803 which has a restaurant and beach next door. Also Fort El Castillo with a stunning view of the Baracoa two bays, is now Hotel El Castillo. While visiting Baracoa you must stop by the two music center near the central Parque de Independencia, the touristy Flan de Queso and the more traditional musical Casa de la Flana.

Close to Baracoa are twin rivers Miel and Toa rivers which have lots of beautiful waterfalls, the best known of which is El Saltadero, which is 17 m high. The 600m high mountain top of El Yunque or The Anvil, is 10 km to the west of Baracoa. It is a part of a older plateau and because of its isolation it has several unique species of plants and palms. Baracoa's official climb starts at camp El Yunque for Cubans only where a guide is cost you about 15 euro for personal tours.

Image via Wikipedia

A short ride from Baracoa you can visit Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt located about 22km north then onto Salto Fino which is the highest waterfall in the Caribbean is produced by a sudden drop-off into the Arroyo del Infierno or Hell's stream, a tributary of the Quibijan river. Seventy rivers flow into the Toa river, which is the grandest river in Cuba. The 305-meter-high Salto Fino waterfall is recorded as the #1 Highest Water Fall in Cuba but also the 20th highest water chute in the world.It is a must see when you come visit BaRacoa Cuba.

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BARACOA CUBA TRAVEL

Baracoa Cuba

BARACOA CUBA TRAVEL INFO

Baracoa Cuba with a population of less than 69,000 Cubans is located 200 kilometers east of Santiago, 120 kilometers east of Guantánamo, and is really miles from anywhere. The somnolent town is nestled hard up against the ocean beneath rugged mountains, most notably the great hulking mass of El Yunque, a huge, flat-topped mesa. Baracoa curves around the wide Bahía de Miel (Honey Bay), lined with black-sand beaches.

Isolation breeds individuality, and Baracoa is both isolated and individual, so much so that the town has been likened to Macondo in Gabriel García Márquez’s surrealistic novel One Hundred Years of Solitude. The town looks and feels antique, with its little fortresses and streets lined with venerable wooden edifices, rickety and humbled with age, with red-tiled eaves supported on ancient timber frames.

Baracoans have a good deal of Indian blood, identified by their short stature, olive-brown skins, and squared-off faces.

Getting to Baracoa

Aeropuerto Gustavo Rizo (tel. 021/42216) is on the west side of the bay. Cubana (Martí #181, tel. 021/45374; Mon.–Sat. 8 a.m.–6 p.m., Sun. 8 a.m.–noon) connects Baracoa with Havana twice weekly (CUC128) and with Santiago de Cuba once weekly (CUC30).

Buses arrive and depart the Terminal Interprovincial (Los Mártires, esq. Martí, tel. 021/43880). A Víazul bus for Baracoa departs Santiago de Cuba at 7:45 a.m. (CUC15), and Guantánamo at 9:30 p.m. (CUC9). Astro buses for Baracoa depart Havana on alternate days (CUC43.50 regular, CUC53 especial; 20 hours); and Santiago de Cuba at 6:40 a.m. (CUC9 regular, CUC11 especial).

You can rent cars from Havanautos (tel. 021/4-5343) at the airport; Transtur in Hotel La Habanera; and Vía (tel. 021/45135) at the Hotel Porto Santo and Hotel El Castillo.

 Travel to BARACOA CUBA

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Baracoa Cuba Paradise BeachesBaracoa Cuba

Baracoa Cuba Beach

 BARACOA  LOST PARADISE OF CUBA

In CUBA the quaint city of Baracoa is considered to be the first village of Cuba. Way back when Christopher Columbus discovered this beautiful place on November 27th 1492 he stated to the Spanish conquistadors  that Baracoa was  the most beautiful land human eyes have ever seen because it has a good port, delicious water and plenty of wood.

The Legends of Baracoa

 The Cuban ancestors, like ancient artists had countless dreams about the surrounding world around Baracoa. They decided to give more personality to their forests, streams, mountains, stars and the entire wonderful Cuban universe that could be perceived and visualized. They gave their ancestors a fascinating world of Cuban Legends that have been passed on from generation after generation.
This is an important part of the Cuban culture inherited by this beautiful island of Baracoa Cuba . Your eyes wont believe what natural bountiful treasures they will  see. Visit Baracoa on your next Vacation to Cuba.

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BARACOA TRAVEL INFO

Cuba Baracoa Beach

Peaceful Bay of Baracoa Cuba

BARACOA TRAVEL INFO

Baracoa (pop. 65,000) lies 200 kilometers east of Santiago, 120 kilometers east of Guantánamo, and is really miles from anywhere. The somnolent town is nestled hard up against the ocean beneath rugged mountains, most notably the great hulking mass of El Yunque, a huge, flat-topped mesa. Baracoa curves around the wide Bahía de Miel (Honey Bay), lined with black-sand beaches.

Isolation breeds individuality, and Baracoa is both isolated and individual, so much so that the town has been likened to Macondo in Gabriel García Márquez’s surrealistic novel One Hundred Years of Solitude. The town looks and feels antique, with its little fortresses and streets lined with venerable wooden edifices, rickety and humbled with age, with red-tiled eaves supported on ancient timber frames.

Baracoans have a good deal of Indian blood, identified by their short stature, olive-brown skins, and squared-off faces.

Getting to Baracoa

Aeropuerto Gustavo Rizo (tel. 021/42216) is on the west side of the bay. Cubana (Martí #181, tel. 021/45374; Mon.–Sat. 8 a.m.–6 p.m., Sun. 8 a.m.–noon) connects Baracoa with Havana twice weekly (CUC128) and with Santiago de Cuba once weekly (CUC30).

Buses arrive and depart the Terminal Interprovincial (Los Mártires, esq. Martí, tel. 021/43880). A Víazul bus for Baracoa departs Santiago de Cuba at 7:45 a.m. (CUC15), and Guantánamo at 9:30 p.m. (CUC9). Astro buses for Baracoa depart Havana on alternate days (CUC43.50 regular, CUC53 especial; 20 hours); and Santiago de Cuba at 6:40 a.m. (CUC9 regular, CUC11 especial).

You can rent cars from Havanautos (tel. 021/4-5343) at the airport; Transtur in Hotel La Habanera; and Vía (tel. 021/45135) at the Hotel Porto Santo and Hotel El Castillo.

If driving to Holguín, the coast is deeply rutted and potholed much of the way, with frequent and long sections of dirt and mud.

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BARACOA CUBA VACATION

BARACOA CUBA VACATIONS

In the eyes of many who visit, BARACOA is quite simply the most beautiful place in Cuba. Set on the island's southeastern tip and protected by a deep curve of mountains, its isolation has so far managed to protect it from some of the more pernicious effects of tourism creeping into other areas of the island. Surrounded by awe-inspiring countryside – whose abundance of cacao trees makes it the nation's chocolate manufacturer – Baracoa is fast becoming an absolute must on the travellers' circuit.

On a spot christened Porto Santo by Christopher Columbus, who arrived here in 1492 and, as legend has it, planted a cross in the soil, Baracoa was the first town to be established in Cuba, founded by Diego de Velázquez in 1511. The early conquistadors never quite succeeded in exterminating the indigenous population and direct descendants of the Taíno population are alive today, with Baracoa the only place in Cuba where they survive. Their legacy is also present in several myths and legends that are habitually told to visitors.

Half the fun of a visit to Baracoa is getting there. Before the revolution, the town was only accessible by sea, but the opening of La Farola, a road through the mountains that provides a direct link with Guantánamo, 120km away, changed all that and a flood of cars poured into town. Considered to be one of the triumphs of the revolution, the road was actually started during Batista's regime but was temporarily abandoned when he refused to pay a fair wage to the workers, and work was only resumed in the 1960s. Today, it makes for an amazing trip through the knife-sharp peaks of the Cuchillas de Baracoa mountains.

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BARACOA CUBA HOLIDAYS

Baracoa Beach in Cuba

BARACOA  HOLIDAYS IN CUBA

Baracoa, oldest colonial city in the Americas. Long isolated from the rest of Cuba by the mountains surrounding it Baracoa still resists the frenzy of many touristic towns. Although you'd never know that if arriving by bus. The throng of card waving casa particular boosters at the bus depot can be un-nerving. However we soon found ourselves enamoured of the little town with its quiet hum of bicycle wheels, lush palm forests and friendly inhabitants.

Playa Maguana is a very nice beach, situated in the direction of Moa, about 20km away from the city of Baracoa. This beach is for all Baracoa visitors a must. You can go there easily by bicycle. Other posiblitie would be a taxi. I don't recomend to catch a particular one, because there are frequently police stops and when you go by a particular taxi you will be playing with your time at the beach (I'd like to say that you maybe don't will get to the beach because of the drivers fear...). So catch a oficial taxi. This will cost about 25 CUC both ways. Every hour the driver need to stay you have to pay some 3 CUC more. So I recomend, if you don't like the idea of the bicycle (or a scooter - you can rent them in Baracoa for about 20 CUC a day) to meet with some other people so the taxi don't will cost a fortune. An other posibility: Go there by truck. The trucks in the direction of Moa stop near the beach. But maybe you will spend more time waiting at the border of the road than at the beach...

Río Yumurí. This river ist located between Baracoa and Maisí. It's a quiet place in the middle of the nice nature. You can walk a little bit, have a swim and so one. But be also prepared for some people which want's to sell you coconuts, meals and so on - if you cought the little ship for getting a little bit out of the village they will get fewer.

To get there you can catch also a truck, a taxi or a bicycle - but atention, there are some hills to cross, it's not so terrible easy to go there by his own power... If you go by truck you need to start early and have to go back to Baracoa not later than 17:00, because afterwards there are hardly any trucks. When you go by an oficial taxi I also suggest to meet with other people because the journey isn't very cheap

Río Toa. A big river, about 10km away from Baracoa in the direction of Moa. You can also have a swim in the river and enjoy the nature. There you normally also can easily contact with people, for exemple with farmers of with women washing in the river. I recomend to go by bicycle, the road is in a good condition.

Playa Duaba. A beach near Baracoa, you get there easily by bicycle. If you go to the camping "El Yunque" - you can go by bike, but the road is in very bad condition - you will find marvellous places for having a bath in the river.

Finally, I just recomend to rent for at least one day a bicycle (about 3 CUC a day) for discover the villages, the countryside around Baracoa.

Also don't miss to climb the stairs to the Hotel Castillo or to the restaurant Ranchón, you will enjoy a nice view.

At night the local Rumbos is a meeting point for turists and also for Cubans. Every night there's a band playing tradidtional cuban music (son). I also suggest a visit in the "Casa de la Trova". There are also playing each day local traditional groups. They play in the morning and and at 21:00. In the morning you don't pay entry, but at the night tourists have to pay 1 CUC, Cubanos pay 1 Peso. "La Terraza" is an other place to go at night. It's a open-air discothèque at the roof from which you also enjoy a nice view over the (sleeping) Baracoa. They also organise some shows. As a tourist you pay an entry fee of 1 CUC, Cubans pay 10 Pesos.CUBANPESOS

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