7 places to visit in Cuba: A Cuban perspective. Part 2

Now I will mention few other equally interesting places to visit in Cuba that are not as easily found in the tourist guides, but they will surely come up to your expectations when you visit them.

Although the roads on the island clearly aren’t the best in the world, especially in the Eastern part of Cuba, I can guarantee that driving across the island is part of the adventure.

Places to visit in Cuba – Baracoa is the first settlement founded by the Spanish settlers when arriving at the island. The city is located in the most Eastern part of the island, where you can enjoy almost pristine beaches and exotic foods. They offer typical dishes of the region, with exclusive recipes, handed down from generation to generation for years and barely known elsewhere in the country itself. There you will find the Casa del Chocolate as well as demonstrative farms where locals can explain you how the chocolate is made, from the harvest to actual chocolate bars and where you can also taste fresh cacao, raw cacao balls, roasted cocoa beans, chorote (which is a mixture of cacao with coconut milk, water and corn/yucca/banana flour). There you can also buy artisan products, such as cocoa butter, a natural cosmetic. Local climate, landscapes, fauna and flora are unique for this region. It’s famous for being one of the most hospitable areas of the island. As a whole, visiting this city is a truly unique experience. Here are some other sites or blogs that refer to this beautiful city (1, 2, 3, 4).

Places to visit in Cuba – Ciénaga de Zapata (Zapata Swamp) is the largest wetland in Cuba, today a protected area. There you’ll find trails for endemic bird watching, the country’s largest crocodile farm in a natural habitat. You can also find several diving areas with an important coral reef and colorful fish, shipwrecks and professionals who give you an initial training and guarantee you safety during the diving session. Also, this region is famous for its white sand beaches, natural pools and caves. Pure nature, history and people who welcome you as if you were part of their family. You can see on other blogs interesting comments on this beautiful place in Cuba (1, 2, 3).

We especially recommend places like:

• Guamá: In this place there’s a reproduction of an Indian village in the middle of a lake. There you can see a large crocodile farm that has contributed to the protection of the species. You can see museums, crocodile breeding and procreation areas, as well as, you can take a boat trip on the lake, have a delicious dinner or picnic by the lake, among other options.

• Playa Girón: Historical place, where a confrontation between the Cuban army and CIA-sponsored paramilitary group occurred. This place has, in addition to the museum on Bay of Pigs Invasion, as well as, a beautiful natural beach and diving centers in the coral reef. There are also trails where you can take photos of nature and enjoy the observation of endemic birds in their natural habitat and exotic plants from the region. We recommend you to find your accommodation in homestays (casas particulares) run by locals. More information on private accommodation in Cuba.

• Cueva de los Peces: This is a natural pool, named after the crystalline waters, where you can observe fish of striking colors without even having to submerge. In this place and in its surroundings, you can practice scuba diving or simply swim with a dive mask or a snorkel.

• Punta Perdiz: This is a recreational, touristic center though not very saturated, spacious and with refreshing breeze. There you can taste exquisite seafood dishes, seasonal salads and tropical fruits, while you can sunbathe on comfortable loungers by the sea, swim in blue waters from the reefs prepared with stairs to facilitate access or practice diving, assisted or not by specialists who advise and guide you to the best areas of observation of corals and shipwrecks.

• Caleta Buena: This is another of the splendid places in the Zapata Swamp area. Here you can stay in direct contact with nature and dive in beautiful salt water pools and have a paradisaical stay swimming  in the crystal clear waters of the south of the island.

Places to visit in Cuba – El Nicho: area of waterfalls and freshwater natural pools, located in the middle of the country, in the midst of the mountains. In this place you are surrounded by nature, lush vegetation and crystal clear waters. You can bathe in the pools or take a tour of deer trails made by the mules that carry coffee grown between the hills. With a very pleasant mountain climate and places to taste most typical meals in Cuban countryside, made by the countrymen born in this region. You can also see some other blogs and learn about this place from another perspective. More places to visit in Cuba.