Baracoa (Guantánamo)
The houses in Baracoa (Guantánamo) (18)
The Province of Guantanamo
It is about the easternmost province of Cuba. At first sight, Guantanamo looks like a minor province but it is actually one of the bigger, not only physically. Its name, of aborigenal origin means «Land Between Rivers», it has a rich history and it's the place where the first city of Cuba (Baracoa) was founded by Diego Velázquez. More on this a little later. Further, it is a multicultural land and, as a particularity, it hosts an American military base, just like Rome hosts the Vatican, which is another state and where no stranger could enter. Cuba claims the territory back, but this doesn't negates that the Guantanamo naval base is a curious element of the Guantanamo history.
The province of Guantanamo ends at the South, the North and the East with the sea, while at the West it confines with Holguín (North-West) and Santiago of Cuba provinces (South-West).
The regional capital of Guantanamo is the city with the same name of the province but, as it happens with Trinidad, in Guantanamo, the most important city from the tourist's point of view is Baracoa.
Baracoa, a Ravishing Maritime City
The city of Baracoa is located in the North-East of the Guantanamo province, between the Baracoa Bay and the Miel Bay. The name of the locality etymologically comes from an aborigenal word, which means "in presence of the sea". There are other places in Cuba that are called "Baracoa", for example a small village near to Havana (in the province of Artemisa), is named the same way and, to distinguish it, we call it Playa Baracoa (Baracoa Beach). It is not for nothing that all these place have something to do with the sea. Anyway Baracoa of Guantanamo possesses this name also in direct allusion to its inhabitants and the presence of a marine atmosphere always present that make an agreeable contrast with the mountains and the river streams. Baracoa is also called Passage City, Mountains City, Waters City, Woods City, Coco City and Cacao City. Its nature, involved with mountainous heaps, is adorned with virgin woods, rivers and crystalline beaches. Baracoa definitively possesses a distinctive mark if we compare it with the rest of Cuba.
Baracoa is the most interesting city from the tourist's point of view, Baracoa is the city in Guantanamo with most vacation rentals, a majority that could also be noticed in our web site. Baracoa was founded with the name of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Baracoa, between 1511 and 1512 by Diego Velázquez and it was the first capital city of Cuba. With strong roots which distinguish the city, Baracoa is characterized by the social mood of its inhabitants, the beauties of an urbanity surrounded by mountains and lush vegetation.
Just accessing the site is an adventure, because the travel must be made throughout a very particular road (La Farola), which pass and cross the mountains and eleven bridges, where the higher spot is 600 meters above the sea level, it's about the Altos de Cotilla zone.
The visitors of Baracoa are in an ambiance full of colonial epoch souvenirs, including the famous Cruz de la Parra, a cross made by precious wood, made by the Spanish during their first travel in America. We said that this cross is one of the 29 planted by Christopher Colombus, kept today in the parochial Church of Baracoa and declared in 2012, by Eusebio Leal, the historian of Cuba, as a national monument. The pope Jean Paul II blessed it when he came in Cuba in 1998.
Another interesting place is surely the Seboruco of Santa Bárbara castle, today the El Castillo Hotel, which, aside from its elements of historical interest, also offers a view over the entire Baracoa bay, the Mel cove and the rest of the city as well; the castle from its side, can be seen from anywhere in Baracoa and, even if you pass the night in any of the multiple vacation rentals, this hotel definitively worth a visit. We must also cite the La Punta Fort and the Matachín Fort, which, just like the castle, was destined to the defense of the city.
The historical center of Baracoa is a national monument itself and it has several museums, especially in relation with the Cuba discovery. Finally, there are other places of great interest, like the Chocolate House, being Baracoa a famous producer of coconut and cacao, the biggest of le plus grand de Cuba.
Baracoa receives tourists with three hotels, an hostal and a villa (sort of touristic condominium). This at least talking about governemental touristic institutions, they have now a capacity of 272 people. But, as we have seen, in Baracoa there is a large number of private vacation rentals and it's in these rentals most tourists will stay, being often Baracoa the final destination of a Cuba tour.
Being considered one of the most attracting cities of Cuba, Baracoa constantly wait the arrival of those for which history and traditions of a country are the strong meal of a touristic trip.