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Granma
Province - Capital City: Bayamo
The
province named after the famous boat which brought Fidel
and 81 other revolutionairs to Cuba. Before the revolution
this province togetter with 4 other provinces was named
el Oriente.
Granma Province is full of beautiful nature like the Gran
Parque Nacional Siera Maestra mountains, and Parque Nacional
Desembarco del Granma.
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A fantastic
site seeing tour is driving along the Golf of Guacanayabo
and the Caribbean sea starting at Manzanillo - San Ramon -
Media Luna - Pilon … all the way long to Santiago
de Cuba.
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| Cities
Towns Places |
| Babiney |
Barranca |
Bartolome Maso |
| BAYAMO |
Belic
|
Buey Arriba |
| Bueycito |
Cabo Cruz |
Cauto CristoCayo Espina |
| Dos Rios |
El Horno |
El Pozon |
| Guamo |
Guisa |
Jiguani |
| Las Palmas |
Los Horneros |
Mabay |
| Manzanillo |
Marea del Portillo |
Media Luna |
| Pilon |
Puente Guille |
Rio Cauto |
| San Fransisco |
San Ramon |
Santa Rita |
Marea
del Portillo Beach
Marea
del Portillo Beach is a dark-sand beach located on a spectacular
cove, with mountains as a backdrop. A peaceful place with tremendous
natural attractions, it is a part of the Sierra Maestra Natural
Park. It has a profusion of coconut palm trees and is an excellent
place for scuba diving, snorkling and other water sports. There
are 17 scuba diving sites in the area. The seabed has tall hillocks
sepersted by narrow valleys covered with beautiful invertebrate
fossils, forming caves and tunnels where fish, crustaceans and molluks
hide. Its treasures include two very well preserved ships of the
Spanish
fleet that where sunk by the US navy during the Battle of Santiago
de Cuba in 1898.
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Further
west, towards Cruz Cape, there are coral formations, gorgonians,
Common Sea Fans (Gorgonia spp.) and colorfull fish-a tropicalparadise
that's within your reach from the Maria del Portillo Scuba Diving
Center. The area also has marine terraces which reach eight
levels on some places of the coast and extend underwater, as
well. They are the best-preserved such terraces in Cuba and
make dives
in this area even more interesting. |
Location
and How to Get There
Marea del Portillo Beach
is linked to the other part of the Granma province, in southeastern
Cuba, by road. It is over 550 miles (900 km) east of Havana,
near Santiago de
Cuba and Holguin.
Bayamo, capital of
the province, has an airport for domestic flights, and Manzanillo-the
closest city to Marea del Portillo-has an international airport.
The
province also has road
and rail
connections with the rest of the country. The Granma
highway, which links it to Santiago
de Cuba Province, is 130 miles (210 km) in length and
has 32 bridges-one of which is 2690 feet (820 meters) long- that
span the mouths of several rivers and offer some particularly stunning
views.
What
to Do
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Activities
include scuba diving
and snorkling at the coral reef, fishing, other water sports,
going for all-day boat rides to nearby cays, hiking, exploring
the nearby mountains by jeep or on horseback (as you climb,
you can note changes in the lush tropical vegetaion and see
towering peaks, valleys, rivers and virgin forests) and drives
along the coastal highway (with scenes of great beauty). In
addition, there is evening entertainment. |
| Accomodations
and facilities |
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The
3- and 4- star Marea
del Portillo and Farallon del Caribe Hotels
have around 270 air-conditioned rooms, each with satelite
TV. Their services and other features include games rooms;
a swimming pool with special areas for children; several
restaurants and bars; transportation appropriate for use
in the valleys or mountains; equipment for snorkling,
scubadiving and other water sports; a doctor on call 24
hours a day; and shops. |
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| Nearby
Places of Interest |
During
your stay at Marea
del Portillo beach, you can visit Turquino National
Park, in the western part of the Sierra Maestra Mountains.
The park contains the highest peaks in the country. Climb
up to La Plata, where the simple building which was once the
Rebel Army's headquaters has been turned into a museum, or
go down to Las Coloradas Beach, where the water is warm and
there is a museum honoring the 82 men who returned to Cuba
from Mexico aboard the Granma cabin cruiser in 1956 and landed
here to form the nucleus of the rebel army.
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Take
the El Guafe ecological and archeological trail to see
the cave systems in which Cuba's original inhabitants
once lived and still bear signs of that culture. Or go
up to the Yaguas Look-Out Point for a panoramic view of
the mountains and sea; to Cruz Cape, to see its beautiful
marine terraces; or to Hicacos Point, which has nearly
2 miles (3 km) of fine sandy beaches. |
While
in the province, visit its capital, Bayamo
(founded in 1513), where Cuba's
National Anthem was sung for the first time.
The oldest part of the city is well preserved and contains
the Main Parish Church; the house in which Carlos
Manuel de Cespedes (the Father of this country)
was born (now a museum); several hotels,
restaurants and cabarets; and an adequate service infrastructure.
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Other
points wirth visiting include Manzanillo (founded in 1784),
a pictoresque coastal city which has the main port in
the province; the La Demajagua Park, that surroundings
the sugarmill at which Cuba's first War of Independence
began, in 1868; and the Birma Hunting preserve, a natural
preserve with at least 30.000 birds and comfertable accommodations.
A crocodile-breeding center is in the same general area. |
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To
Do in Other Cities and Towns of Granma Province
| Glorieta
del parque Céspedes en Manzanillo |
| Parques
Parque Céspedes,
e/. Maceo y Masó, Manzanillo
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| Memorial
“La Demajagua” |
| Museo
Manzanillo
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| Museo
Casa Natal de Celia Sánchez |
| Ave. Raúl
Podio No. 111,
Manzanillo
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| Birth
Home of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes |
Address:
Calle Maceo # 57, Bayamo
The building survived the burning of the city in 1869. Having
a high historical and patriotic value, the objects belonging
to Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, also known as “The
Father of the Homeland”, are exhibited there. In its
rooms, the visitor will be able to appreciate a retrospective
account from the foundation of the city until Céspedes’
decease.
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| Museo de
las Luchas Obreras |
| Maceo
No. 182, Manzanillo
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| Museo
Municipal de Manzanillo |
| Martí
No. 226, Manzanillo
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| Museo
de las Luchas Obreras |
| Maceo
No. 182, Manzanillo
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| La Jatia |
| Museo
Carretera La Jatia, finca La Jatia,
Jiguaní
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| Museo
Provincial de Granma |
Address:
Calle Maceo # 58, Bayamo
The
visit to this provincial museum turns out to be highly interesting.
It is located across from the park of Bayamo and near the
birth home of the Father of the Homeland, Carlos Manuel de
Céspedes, also a museum. The exhibition provides an
account of the historical burning of the city, when in 1869
its inhabitants preferred burning it down to giving it over
to the Spanish troops. Other documents of the museum are highly
important in the formation of the Cuban nationality. |
Diving
Albacora
Cubanacán Náutica
Playa Marea del Portillo, Pilón
| General
Information |
| Banks |
Banco
de Credito y Comercio
Near Parque Cespedes
Open Mo/Fri 8.30am to 3.30pm
Sat 8 am to 12 am |
Cadeca
(Casas de Cambio) Marti #184 Open Mo/Sat 8am
to 6pm Sun 8am to 1pm |
| Mail |
Post
Office
Marti y Doctor Codina |
| Phone |
Centro
Llamada
Marti #187 |
| Medical |
| Hospital
Celia Sanchez Manduley |
Policlinico
Principal de Urgencia
Marti y Aguilera |
Farmacia
Turno Permanente
Marti y Maceo
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Farmacia
Medicino Naturales Maceo #42 |
Links
& Sources
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