East of Havana City & Beaches

Bacuranao, Megano, Boca Ciega, Santa Maria and Guanabo Beachesthe last two are the largest and most popular-are over eight and a half miles (around 14 km) long, white white sand of coral origin and clear, warm, green-blue water. There are many options for accomodations and services, including the Tarara Marina, which has facilities for scuba diving and other water sports. The adjacent seabed is facinating, with abundant Flower Coral (Eusmilia fastigiata) and Brain Coral (Diploria spp.) and a profusion of vividly colored fish that live near coral.

In the deeper water, you can see turtles, Blue Marlins (Makaira nigrencans), Tuna (Scombridge) and Sword fish (Xiphias gladius). In general, the city's long shoreline is excellent for scuba diving-there are more than 70 diving sites in this area 62 miles (100 km) long and nearly two miles (3 km) wide, including some sunken ships which have been declared a part of Cuba's historic heritage. Four international scuba diving centers serve the capital.

Still farther east, in Havana Province, beautiful Jibacoa, Tropico and Puerto Escondido Beaches continue the series, their white sand bordered on the landward side by lush vegetation and cliffs up to 328 feet (100 m) high and on the seaward side by incredible green and blue water.

- Map of Havana's Playas del Este >>
- Scuba Diving >>

How to get to Guanabo (Playa del Este) according to the Lonely Planet:

"I took the #400 bus to GUANABO beach last Monday and wrote down the instructions for my sister who will visit next April. The current guide books are not current on this bus.

Find the bus shelter on the north side of "Fundicion" between "Compostela" & "Picota" in old Havana . This is east and south of the front of the central railroad station. It is the origin point of this bus and presents the only chance you will have of getting a seat. Find the guy who hands out the little cards for seats, otherwise you WILL STAND the whole way out. Find out who El Ultimo is and follow him/her onto the bus. Lines are RELIGIOUSLY OBSERVED. Do not deviate from his procedure! Sit on the left side to see the shore. Fare is 40 centavos. Frequency in daytime is apprximately 20-30 minutes. Duration of trip is approximately one hour. Other busses serve Playa del Este, but this is the best choice.

- Check out the Viazul bus schedule to get to the Playas del Este >>

Accommodations and Facilities

The beaches have many modern hotels. Havana itself has more than 60 hotels, tourist complexes, inns, villas and spas, most of them of 5, 4 or 3 stars, with air-conditioned rooms, satelite TV, internet, safes and other features, depending on their category. The hotels also have swimming pools, gymnasiums, beauty parlors, massages, saunas and jacuzzis; restaurants with a wide range of cuisine, bars, grills and cafetarias; and dicoteques, clubs, cafe's and cabarets.

The other hotel features include child-care services, doctors on call 24 hours a day, a solarium, art galleries, shops, tennis courts, facilities for other sports, game rooms, buses, rental cars, taxis and other means of transportation. Some of the hotels have special rooms for people with disabilities. There are museums, boutiques, shopping malls, cigar shop, drug stores and facilities for scuba diving and other water sports.

Choose between accommodations on the shore; in the outskirts of the city; or right in Havana-in the oldest part of the city, in one of the residential areas or in areas with plenty of greenery. Havana has several international clinics and drug stores, Houses of Habanos and cigar shops, speciality shops in many spheres and shopping malls. It also has a large network of restaurants, bars and cabarets, discotheques, cafe's and clubs; handicrafts fairs, florist's, jewelry stores, liquor shops, photoservice shops, fashion houses, banks, messenger services post offices and conference centers (the largest and most inportant in havana's International Conference Center, but there are several others, and many of the hotels also have conference halls). For transportation choose among taxis, horse-drawn carriages, rental cars and rental air-conditioned campers.

Artemisa

Artemisa, founded in 1818, is named after the Greek god of fertility, Artemis. Artemisa is the among the most interesting towns on the route between the cities of Havana and Pinar del Río. Artemisa is also the largest, with a population of roughly 160,000.

Artemisa is an attractive and vibrant town with the quintessential Cuban mix of well-preserved neoclassical-style, pastel-painted buildings featuring ornate columns in the Doric and Ionic styles.

The setting of Artemisa is certainly an urban one, but it also provides a rustic taste of Cuban country life, as it is a thoroughfare for farmers on horseback.

Historically, Artemisa has been a strong cultural center, and that tradition continues today. The city is home to one of the province's most active Casas de la Cultura, the state-sponsored facilities for plays, music, and other cultural activities.

Artemisa is home to a number of interesting museums, most of which are dedicated to the 24 Moncada attackers (out of 150 in all) that came from Artemisa.

Bacuranao

The beach is famous for locals and the busiest it will be there in July and August

Batabano

Bananas….bananas and bananas….or in better Spanish, platanos. Watch out for farmers who are protecting their fruit for people who want to steel it and sell the platanos at the black market.

Batabanó is one of the seven cities originally founded in 1515 by Velasquez' men, and was the original Spanish site of Havana. It was actually called San Cristóbal de la Habana for four years before present-day Havana was established about 30 miles north.

Today, Batabanó has a population of about 15,000 people. Like many of the small towns in the southern part of Havana province, Batabanó is a depressing place. Eastern-bloc architecture looms over the swampy landscape, and there is not much in the way of interesting sights to see.

Batabanó does feature excellent sponge diving. Its primary trade is fishing, as it is very near the southern coast. It also serves as the port to Isla de la Juventud (Isle of Youth, also called Isle of Pines).

"Surgidero de Batano" is also famous about the fishing of lobsters and shrimps, so for having a great fishy diner…this is the place to go….lots of good small fish restaurants.

"Museo Municipal", at Calle 64 #7502

Bejucal

In 1835 was this the place where they ended the first railway, build by African slaves, Spaniards from the Canary Islands, and some Irish people. Those people worked for 16 hours a day at that time, for a really lousy salary.

Casablanca

The picture everybody knows, who ever has been in Habana before, of the big white marble statue…"Estatua de Cristo", if you ever want to make the best view picture of Habana city, take a ferry to this side of the city and climb up that hill..

Cojimar

This is where most tourists stop…the fishers village Cojimar is famous because of "Ernest Hemingway", you can find more information on the "Ernest Hemingway" page In 1994 thousands balseros raft across the sea to the US after they heard on a radio broadcast they could get asylum…more about this in the "Balseros page"

El Megano

16 km AFTER Cojimar, the real beaches with sand and palm trees is starting at El Megano.

Guanabacoa

Famous about his African Cuban religious, you can find information about the "Santaria religion". The outside neighborhoods of the center are looking really poor. A great day to be there is on Sunday, when a lot of street merchants try to sell their stuff on the main plaza "Calle Amargura" is famous because of his history about slaves which where brought to their execution. Really worth a visit "Museo Municipal de Guanabacoa" at Marti #108 Iglesia de Guanabacoa. On parque Marti, in the center "Cemetery of Guanabacoa". Another great place to see, a real city of all kinds of beautiful mausoleums "Galeria de Arte Concha Ferrant" atMarti #8. "Casa de la Trova" Marti #111. Great place with daily life music, you find "Casa de la Trova/Musica" all around Cuba

Guanajay

Casa de Carlos Baliño
61 No. 7205, e/. 72 y 88, Guanajay

Güines

Güines exists since the XVII century, since at that time an Indian by the name of "Guzmán" built there the first catholic church, made of straw and mud. The second one, made of wood and with a tiled roof, was built by the Bishop of Havana in 1804. Today's church, made of concrete and of solid construction was started in 1815, but with two towers. In 1870 a hurricane destroyed one of its towers. In 1872, the remaining tower was demolished, and the church was rebuilt with only one tower, the one that exists today, gracious and attractive. The patron saint of Güines is St. Julián, whose feast is celebrated on January 28. Guines website >>

Jaruco

South of Guanabo, a beautiful nature parque, at the highest top, at "Campo Florido", there is a restaurant and a hotel.

Madruga

In this village is a "Santaria" house open for tourists. Madruga is very proud of his original American buildings. North east of Madruga you will find the, started in 1917, sugar factory "Camilo Cienfuegos"

Madruga also has a special "bond" with CJ.com because of the Madruga project. More about this at our Help-Page

Loma de la Gloria
Loma de la Gloria s/n,
esq. a Copey, Madruga

Managua

The town Managua, with lots of traditional houses with patio's full decorated with plants. This area has a lot of military camps. Lots of "Ceiba trees" are growing, some very old ones, holy in some African religions and because of that reason they never will be cut.

Mariel

Established in 1762 as a British naval station during the British occupation of Havana, the port of Mariel has become an important city for commerce and industry on Cuba's northern coast.

During the 18th century, Mariel was the site of a British naval station and academy. The town of Mariel was founded by local fishermen somewhat after the British' arrival. Since the 1959 Revolution, the city Mariel has received considerable attention from the Cuban government, which has helped it to earn the important status in commerce and industry that it holds today.

Mariel houses Cuba's largest cement factory, as well as a relatively new thermoelectric plant, textile factories, and a significant array of shipyards. Besides pouring money into industrial development, the government established many new housing, educational, and medical facilities to improve the workers' standards of living.

In recent years, Mariel was the focus of international attention during the famous Mariel Boatlift and resulting US-Cuban tensions. The crisis occurred when a group of Cubans living in Havana discovered a diplomatic loophole that would allow them to flee Cuba be seeking political asylum in the Peruvian Embassy. They were followed by thousands of anti-Castro dissidents, relatives of exiled Cubans, and others seeking refuge in the U.S.

Then-U.S.-President Jimmy Carter welcomed the refugees warmly, lifting normal restrictions and requirements for their entrance into America. While Castro must have been embarrassed that so many people sought to leave his country, he used the situation to his advantage, getting rid not only of his political opponents, but also sending "undesirable" elements - the mentally insane, violent criminals, as well as others. This move caused President Carter a great deal of embarrassment in the U.S. and placed him in a very submissive position.

Pan-American Village

Very close to Cojimar you find a complex for sport facilities, apartments and a hotel. This area was build for the Pan American games of 1991, the people who builded the place ones are living they're now

Regla

Across the Habana Vieja Harbor, very Afro-Cuban religious area. If you would like to visit a "babalawo" (santaria priest) this is the place to go, although you have to speak Spanish. Go and take a walk along the market (Marti) where you can buy Cuban food for pesos instead of dollars, great place to meet locals. Also in this town the secret men society "Abakua" are living. Cubans call those men "Nanigos". "La Santisma Virgin de Regla", she is the spirit (Orisha) of the ocean, protecting the sailors. You can see her in the "Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de Regla" when you take a ferry across the harbor. At September 7th at this place is a pilgrimage. " Museo Municipal de Regla" at Marti #158

Santiago de las Vegas

"El Cacahual", The final resting place of Antonio Maceo, he was a black general and hero from the first independence war. "El Ricon Santuario de San Lazaro", The most importend western pilgrims center of Cuba In the night of December 16th more then 50.000 Cubans come to visit this place to get rid of evil spirits. On Sundays it can be quiet busy. Aids Sanatorium, between Santiago de Las Vegas and El Ricon. Opened in 1986, Cubans who are HIV positive are treatend here and will stay for a few weeks, after this they can decide to go home, but a lot stay because the health care could be much better here then in their own home town.

The Cuba AIDS Project

Was founded in 1995. Alberto Montano (1953- 1999), as Executive Director, was instrumental in the formation of the Cuba AIDS Project. While in Washington, D.C., in 1995, Alberto met with President Clinton and discussed his plans to help Cuban HIV/AIDS patients. After Alberto's untimely death, current members of the Cuba AIDS Project expanded People To People Contacts between the USA and Cuba in compliance with recent changes in USA policy.

- For more info see: http://www.cubaaidsproject.com >>

Santa Cruz del Norte

The town of the oldest rum factory in Cuba "Ronera Santa Cruz", Havana Club, which is still one of the best Cuban rums. It was in 1878 that the Arrechabala family of Cardenas started this factory in 1919 At the coast, Literal Norte beach, with some rocky swimmingpools, at El Abra and Arroyo Bermejo

San José de las Lajas

Santa Maria del Rosario

A real charming town with high trees, old houses and friendly inhabitants, just off the freeway at El Catao. "Iglesia de Nuestra Senora del Rosario", Also called "Catedral de los Campos de Cuba" (Cathedral of the Cuban Countryside) Best to visit Sunday afternoon at 14.30, when this Cathedral is in action. On the other side of the square is the rebuilded house of the "Count of Casa Bayona", the old owner of the Quiebrahacha sugar factory. "Casa de la Cultura", About the legends of this region