Rumbo in eastern Cuba

To travel to the capital and the rest of the country, or east or east of Cuba, and always near the coast, after leaving Cayo Levisa, take the road to Havana, near the north coast , the most beautiful and enjoyable of all, where monotony has no place, for small cross and picturesque villages. Shortly before reaching the town of Bahia Honda and we are in a different coastal stretch with other than a coastal area left behind. There are no keys or mangroves or low cost but a high coast, where it grows and there is no presence of mangrove cays. It is the second installment of the northern coast that it was in the early numbers. The same extends to almost the height of Varadero, which discussed later. So Havana trip is enjoyable and entertaining, along the north coast, along the blue waters of the Straits of Florida, which never fails to observe. At least until the country's capital, the journey by this route has already been described on this site in another of our articles.

By referring to a trip from Havana to Viñales along the North, published in this series. When asked a Cuban address shall be used on any word carefully East. In Cuba it is understood only by the five existing Middle Eastern provinces of the country, that is, Las Tunas, Holguin, Granma, Santiago de Cuba and Guantanamo, which in the old political-administrative division formed the former province of Oriente. Therefore, in common language to fully use the name of the provinces, not the cardinal points. In the capital can stay in any of the many hotels or private homes to visit the two groups of beaches that surround the capital. The same is commonly known as West Beach and Beaches of the East or the North Coast beaches of Havana, referring to Havana. The former are usually rocky and narrow, deep and close to the new hotels in the capital. Are not continuous but are interrupted by stretches of rocky outcrops. Are bordered by urbanization. Some of them can breathe a marine environment and the construction is common to see small boats in small rivers that cross.

Such is the case of the beach Jaimanitas and, more remote, of Baracoa. Others, like Viriato (name little known) and Marianao are small and where the little space is used by swimmers from nearby neighborhoods. They are very popular and are therefore not much frequented by the public but by small groups. Very different are the beaches of the East or the North Coast. These form a continuous sandy space, predominantly shallow and where the rivers that can be crossed without difficulty, being the most illustrative example Boca Ciega river or Justice, whose mouth can cross from shore to shore and the water almost does not gain knees, which creates a system of lagoons near the coast.

The beaches all have different names and are crossed by small rivers. From west to east is the beach of Cojimar, crossed by the river of the same name, which originates before reaching the coast a deep canyon or gorge to reach the sea, because in the north coast are small known heights as Havana-Matanzas. Unfortunately the river is something that is contaminated, although plans for its purification. Here is located the small town of the same name from the river and the beach, Cojimar, famous for it because it was immortalized by Ernest Hemingway in his novel The Old Man and the Sea of ​​course a place to visit is the Museum the Finca Vigia, Hemingway where he lived not far away, in San Francisco de Paula, so it is suggested visit. Cojimar Following the tour is close to the sea, which covers the whole way. The first beach is Bacuranao is crossed by the river of the same name. A curious fact to be noted that both rivers are small towers or fortresses, which were built by the Spanish to protect the nascent Havana against the attacks of corsairs and pirates, as happened in 1762 when the British admirals in command of the Albemarle and Pocock occupied Havana and held for nine months.

Bacuranao is near Tarara Beach, which forms a small small river coming like a small estuary known locally as The Itabo. We follow the Santa María del Mar beaches, Venetian, Boca Ciega (through which the river of the same name) and, finally, Guanabo and Brisas del Mar, the latter being the most famous of all. In fact one beach, very large, with different names. These beaches have the general characteristic that is sheltered to the south by these elevations, which makes it interesting to get to them is to take the road known as White Way, which connects Havana with Matanzas, the Athens of Cuba , a town near the bay of the same name. Only through four intersections can be reached from the Via Blanca on these shores in buses and cars: the first is next to Playa Tarara, the second in Boca Ciega, the third after Jack Green Restaurant, in the street 462 (which descends to the sea in a phased manner across a system of terraces of marine origin, similar to G Street in Vedado, where there are four of these formations up to the Havana seawall), and fourth in the street 506, in the point known as La Conchita.

It's a really beautiful show stopping from any high point of those elevations, especially after spending almost 100m 462 Street, next to the Mirador de Bellomonte. This can be done anytime, but the best time is in the early hours of the morning and late afternoon, where all can see clearly with exceptional conditions for taking pictures at the feet of the observer, particularly along the beach, their wave trains, the different shade of blue of the sea with relation to depth, vegetation and buildings Guanabo and neighboring points. All these beaches, like the rest of Cuba, are public. They communicate among themselves to easily from Guanabo Tarara's unusual for a swimmer begins to enjoy a beach which is at one end and finish off the day at another beach, situated in the other (end). They are almost 10 km. of beaches. Walking is common for all and the other also becomes attractive, which is common to see groups of youths roaming the beaches back and forth several times a day. They all have places where you can get everything you need to enjoy a good day.

As for accommodation there are several hotels from Tarara to Guanabo, seven or eight, such as the so-called Villa Tarara, Villa Harmony, Mirador del Mar and Villa Los Pinos Hotel Atlantic and Aparthotel Las Terrazas, the most famous being the Grand Hotel Arenal or Itabo. At present it is under repair, possibly in all of 2008 and part of next year. But I can think of it as a future option, it is unique in its construction, it is built on one of the gaps formed by the river or Itabo Boca Ciega, without altering the vegetation, something similar to Hotel La Moka, the Reserve Sierra del Rosario Biosphere. But if you want you can stay in Havana, located just 20 km. Guanabo, with numerous hotels and rental houses. The return trip by car is nice, because in the course by the sea offers different views of both outbound and return. Continue east. Other surprises await you.