| Guardalavaca,
Playa Esmeralda Beaches & Cayo Saetia
|
The
close to 50 beaches
in Holguin Province cover close to 25 miles (40
km) of coastline. Very intimate, they are among
the most pictoresque beaches in the Caribbean
and have a warm turquoise water that is very calm,
thanks to the protection offered by nearby coral
reefs. They are bordered by thick vegetation which
is typical for thisprovince, which has 12 wildlife
refuges.
|
| Guardelavaca
Beach |
 |
Is
a shell-shaped and over half a mile (almost a km)
long. It is near several sites of great archeological
and natural interest. |
| Esmeralda
Beach |
Which
is over 2950 feet (900 meters) long, is protected
by extensive coral reefs, escarpments, cliffs
and lush vegetation that provides shade. The area
also contains Pesquero Beach,
rich in underwater scenery and good fishing spots;
Don Lino, a beautiful beach which blends open
spaces, architecture and the world of nature in
perfect harmony; and Blanca (White) Beach, another
site with very fine sand and unbelievably beautiful
water near Cayo Bariay, the place where Christopher
Columbus first set food on Cuban soil.
 |
Esmeralda
and Guardelavaca Beaches,
which have an excellent
hotel infrastructure, share an offshore
area around 11 miles (18 km) long which contains
40 scuba diving
sites. The seabed is irregular and complex,
forming high hillocks, caves, small valleys
and cliffs with vertical sides which in some
places descend gently to form terraces covered
with Common Sea Fans (Gorgonia spp.), other
Gorgonians and coral. Many species of colorful
fish live there. |
|
| Cayo
Saetia |
To
the east, near the broad Bay of Nipe, is 16 square
miles (42 square km) in size, and 65 percent of
it is covered with forests. The rest of its territory
concists of meadows where American ostriches,
antilope, zebras, deer, wild boars, hutias and
wild bulls roam at will. It has accommodations
of its own. Activities include swimming, yachting
and going on safaris in jeeps or horseback.
|
| Location
and How to Get There |
| These
beaches are on the northern coast of Holguin Province,
around 500 miles (over 800 km) east of Havana.
Access is by road (both Guardelavaca and Esmeralda
Beaches are linked to the city
of Holguin and to other parts of the province
by a network of roads), air (flights
from other parts of Cuba, Europe and the Americas
put in Holguin's Frank Pais International Airport)
and sea (the Gaviota Puerto de Vita Marina)
|
 |
Activities
at Playa Esmeralda Beach include swimming, sailing
lessons, scuba
diving, snorkling, other water sports, horseback
riding, excursions along the coast and inland, visits
to farmer's houses, miniature golf, tennis and cycling.
At night, choose among the discoteque and other
attractions. |
At
Guardelavaca Beach,
activities include sunning, swimming, scuba
diving, snorkling, other water sports, beach volleyball,
tennis, excursions on yachts, horseback riding, cycling
and hiking.
In
both cases, nearby Naranjo Bay (in a natural park) offers
sea lion and dolphin shows in its aquarium, swimming
with these animals, seafaris, air tours along the shore,
deep sea and surface fishing, seafood and typical Cuban
cuisines, hiking and the services of the Puerta de Vita
Marina.
The
Chorro de Maita archeological digs, the largest aboriginal
cemetery in the Antilles that has been found to date,
is also in the area, with a restored Taino
Indian village near it.
Activities
on Cayo Saetia include water sports, yachting, horseback
riding, seafaris through forests and meadows (accompanied
by experienced guides) to see migratory birds and exotic
species of flora and fauna.
| Nearby
Places of Interest |
| The
City of Holguin is
famous of its profusion of beautiful parks. Attractions
include the straight but narrow streets in the oldest
part of the city; many public squares; the Museum
of History; the Museum of Natural Sciensces; the
San Isidoro Cathedral (dating from the 18th century);
the San Jose Church (built in 1815); the house in
which calixto Garcia, one of the most important
generals in Cuba's Wars of Independence, was born
(now a museum); Cruz (Cross) Hill, an excellent
lookout point, which you reach by climbing a staircase
with 458 steps; and Marqueta Square Cultural Center,
which has a print shop and exhibit and sales areas
for handycrafts, works of art and books.
|
There are several hotels,
cabarets, discoteques
and restaurants
with a wide range of offers.
Close
to the city, Mayabe Valley offers many options for rest
and recreation. Villa El Quinque and Villa El Cocal
are also nearby. These centers are internationally reknowned
for their treatments that combat addictions.
 |
The
province has several points of interest, as well.
Gibara is a quiet, pictoresque fishing village and
port with interesting colonial architecture, a Museum
of Colonial Ambience and a Museum of Natural Sciences
(which has particularly a good butterfly collection).
|
| The
Bariay National Monument Park, at the spot where
Christopher Columbus first set foot on Cuban soil,
celebrates that meeting of Indian and European cultures
that took place over five centuries ago. Banes,
called the archeological capital of Cuba, is the
site of the Bani Indo-Cuban Museum, which has exhibits
of artifacts used by the island's first inhibitants. |
| Dozen
of species of endemic plants and many species of
animals live in Pinares de Mayari, the northeastern
part of the mountains in Holguin. The area also
has 2-star accommodations.
Other natural attractions in the province include
the Alexander von Humboldt National Park, which
UNESCO has declared a world preserve of the biosphere,
the Cuchillas del Toa preserve of the biosphere,
the Sierra Cristal Mountains, the Silla de Gibara
and Yaguajay Hill. |
To
Do
Holguin
|
| Farallón
de Seboruco |
Monument
Mayarí
|
| Bahía
de Bariay |
Sitio
histórico
Rafael Freyre
|
| Cueva
de Sao Corona |
Monument
Cueto
|
| Museo
Casa Natal de Calixto García |
Miró
No. 147, esq. a Frexes,
Calixto García
|
Gibara |
| Museo
Ambiente Cubano |
Independencia
No. 19, Gibara
|
| Loma
Hierro |
Monument
Gibara
|
| Museo
de Artes Decorativas |
Independencia
No. 19,
e/. Luz Caballero y J. Peralta, Gibara
|
Banes |
| Museo
Indocubano Bani |
General
Marrero No. 305, Banes
|
| Museo
del Sitio |
“Chorro
de Maíta”
Cerro de Yaguajay, Banes
|
| Diving |
Coral
Reef
Cubanacán Náutica
Playa Guardalavaca, Banes |
Eagle
Ray
Cubanacán Náutica
Playa Guardalavaca, Banes |
Sea
Lovers
Gaviota
Playa Esmeralda, Banes
|
| Harbors |
Marina
Internacional Vita
Gaviota
Carretera de Guardalavaca, km. 38 Telf: (53 24)
3-0445 al 446
Situación: 21°05’48’’
N, 75°57’36’’ W
Comunicación por radio: VHF 16
|
| Sailing |
Guardalavaca
Cubanacán Náutica
Boca de Samá, Guardalavaca, Banes |
Links
& Sources:
|
