Eastern Cuba
Oriente, as Cuba’s furthest eastern region is commonly referred to, means “East”. Cuba’s Oriente is so steeped in culture and rich in history that it’s called the “cradle” or the “birthplace” of Cuban history and culture.” Suffice to say that both Fidel and Raul Castro were born here; Jose Marti died here; Christopher Columbus landed here; it holds the shrine to Cuba’s patron saint and features the oldest Spanish colonial cities on the island. A land of discovery, uprising and conflict, many battles have been fought in Oriente through the centuries, from the first guerrilla-style war in 1523 to the Cuban Revolution from 1959. The natural beauty and the diversity of ecosystems in this region range from desert to rainforest, with white powder beaches, pristine coral reefs, waterfalls, lakes and rivers. Eastern Cuba offers lush, tropical mountain ranges teeming with life and a plethora of fauna and flora. The Sierra Maestra is the most impressive of these with the Caribbean’s highest peak, the Pico Turquino. There is a deep and powerful sense of history in Cuba’s Oriente, palpable throughout the many colonial towns and magnificent natural landscape. The sugar and tobacco industries that generated the great wealth of Cuba in the 18th and 19th centuries were born here and the coastal towns still feel like a pirate ship can pull into the harbor at any moment.
Las Tunas
Las Tunas is among the least known provinces, but one of the most authentic in Cuba. In this province located in the eastern part of the country, you will be able to admire unspoiled landscapes and paradisiacal beaches but, above all, you will enjoy authentic Cuban rural life. This lively region known as the “Balcón del Oriente” (Balcony of the East) has 36 luscious beaches, which will impress you with its fine white sands and will allow you to immerse yourself in its crystal clear turquoise waters. Las Tunas also has unique natural landscapes full of fauna and flora. Here you will observe numerous endangered species, as well as the largest reserve of the Acutus or American crocodile in the world. On your way through this region, you should not miss a visit to the cities of Las Tunas and Puerto Padre, two cities of unmatched beauty that will make your visit an unforgettable experience. The city of Las Tunas, capital of the province, also known as the Capital de las Esculturas (Capital of Sculptures) for its more than one hundred works of art that decorate the city. Here you can enjoy how life goes more calmly and will feel the authentic Cuban spirit, the kindness and hospitality of the locals.
Granma
Granma was originally part of Santiago province, and in 1976 a rearrangement occurred, and the new province was created. It lies on the southeastern side of Cuba and harmoniously combines local history and nature. Its present name stems from the Granma Yacht expedition landing that brought Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and 79 followers from exile to resume the armed struggle against Batista in 1956. Its topography encompasses a wide variety of contrasts from the Sierra Maestra mountain range to the country’s longest river “El Cauto”, sugar cane plantations and pasture plains, to deep blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. The Father of the Cuban Nation, Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, was born here and the first war of independence against Spanish colonialism broke out in this area as well. Cuba’s national anthem was composed and sung here for the first time and Cuba’s national hero, Jose Marti, confronted death in 1895 near Dos Rios River during the second war of independence that he had masterminded. UNESCO inscribed the southwestern region of this province in its World Heritage Site List in 1999 due to its well-preserved and varied fauna and flora. The highest elevation point on the island, the Pico Turquino, is easily accessible from any part of this province. Marea de Portillo, the main relaxation tourist destination in the area faces the Caribbean Sea and its setting is worth a chapter in a fairy tale.
Holguín
When Christopher Columbus got his first glimpse of this coastline in 1492, he pronounced it “the most beautiful land human eyes have ever seen.” Cuba’s contradictions are magnified in Holguín, giving the impression that something in the undeniable beauty of the province breeds extremes. Fulgencio Batista, and his ideological opposite, Fidel Castro, were both reared here, as were Reinaldo Arenas and Guillermo Cabrera Infante, the dissident writers who didn’t have a lot in common with either leader. Then there are the dichotomies in the landscape. The environmental degradation around Moa’s nickel mines jars rather awkwardly with the pine-scented mountains of the Sierra Cristal, while the inherent Cuban-ness of Gibara contrasts sharply with the tourist swank of resort-complex Guardalavaca. Holguín’s beauty was first noticed by Christopher Columbus who, by most accounts, docked near Gibara in October 1492 where he was met by a group of curious Taíno natives. The Taínos didn’t survive the ensuing Spanish colonization although fragments of their legacy can be reconstructed in Holguín province, which contains more pre-Columbian archaeological sites than anywhere else in Cuba.
Santiago de Cuba
Santiago Province spans the south-central region of Oriente. It is the second most populated province in the island, but gives the impression of being remote as it is located at the extreme eastern end of the island, in Cuba’s most mountainous region. Santiago has been a hotbed of rebellion and sedition for centuries and it is where the Cuban Revolution was sparked in 1953. Santiago’s cultural influences have often come from the east, imported via Haiti, Jamaica, Barbados and Africa. It is often cited as being Cuba’s most “Caribbean” enclave, with a raucous West Indian–style carnival and a cache of folklóric dance and musical groups that owe as much to Jamaican or French-Haitian culture as they do to Spanish. In the 16th and early 17th centuries, Santiago de Cuba, the capital of the province, enjoyed a brief spell as Cuba’s capital until it was usurped by Havana in 1607. Drive along the coast in either direction from the provincial capital and you’re on a different planet, a land full of rugged coves, crashing surf, historical coffee plantations and hills covered with spectacular endemic vegetation. The natural beauty of Santiago, its rich culture and history, the majestic mountains and the lovely spirited people make Santiago a favorite for Cubans and international visitors alike.
Guantanamo
This easternmost province on the island of Cuba is also the most markedly distinct from the rest of the country. Although there was a Spanish settlement in Guantanamo in the 16th Century, it was settled by French immigrants in the 18th century and mostly developed during the 19th and 20th Centuries. It is best known currently as home to the U.S. Naval base located there. Its topography is marked by heavy contrasts with the only semi-desert area south of the only rainforest in Cuba. It is precisely here where Baracoa city is located, indubitably the main tourist destination in the province since it was the first out of the seven villages founded by Spanish Conquistador Diego Velazquez de Cuellar on the island of Cuba in the early 1510´s, making it the oldest city in Cuba. A spectacular road stretch called “La Farola” separates the barren south coast from the luxuriantly beautiful northern coast vegetation, a road that seems to overlap and languish in the air, a magnificent work of Cuban engineering. Coconut, cocoa and banana plantations cohabit with lush tropical forests while the landmark mountain formation commonly known as “El Yunque” or “The Anvil” because of its unmistakable outline, is home to the Cuchillas del Toa UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.