Cities in Cuba

This hilly city sits on the island’s southeastern coast and is sandwiched between warm Caribbean waters and the mighty Sierra Maestra, giving it easy access to nature and trekking routes. But at around 870km from Havana, it receives far fewer tourists. There is no lack of things to explore, however, with the UNESCO-rated sites of San Pedro de la Roca Castle, and the Isabelica Coffee Plantation Museum. History buffs can visit the tomb of Jose Martí, the island’s national hero, in Santa Iphigenia cemetery, as well as the Moncada Barracks, now the Historical Museum of the 26th July. This was the site of Castro’s 1953 attack – and the first attempt at revolution – and the bullet holes can still be seen. The museum tells the story Cuba since the 16th century, with a focus on the revolutionary era of the 1950s.

Until the 1960s, Baracoa was only accessible by boat. This, combined with its isolated location on Cuba’s eastern tip, surrounded by river-filled rainforests, towering mountains, glorious waterfalls and the flat-topped El Yunque mountain, has meant that this city has preserved its unique character. Colombus visited this spot in 1492, and the city was founded just 19 years later – making it Cuba’s oldest Spanish settlement. Interestingly, this is one of the few places on the island where you will find descendents of the Taíno people, the indigenous inhabitants of the Caribbean who were virtually wiped out by the Spanish.