Guantanamo Mango
Looking for new adventures in the east, Juan Carlos and I flew to the City of Baracoa to check out routes of significance. We knew we wanted to spend more time in Baracoa, having been there on many of our Trans Cuba events. The city deserved more attentions we upped our stay in this area to three days. We now sponsor a local racing team and enjoy many friends in this part of Cuba.
On our visit by car we drove to the Faro Maisi, a lighthouse at the easternmost part of the island, unfortunately we discovered a road un-navigable by any support bus. At the light house we were told of a planned new hotel, the conversation got around accessing the hotel and they told us that this road would be re-engineered. Well all is good now and we will visit this remote area for the first time on November the 3rd. of this year. Unfortunately for me I will not be there and Jim Michler will lead the next edition, of Guantanamo Mango, assisted by a guide and mechanic who know this ride very well and haven been on this route for 5 years.
Departing Maisí we venture along a new route which is very hilly, heading out toward the south coast and the town of Cajobabo, where José Martí landed with Maximo Gomez on April 11th. 1895. About three kilometres east of Cajobabo there is an obelisk declared a National Monument. It was built between 1928 and 1929 by members of a society of freemasons from the Mayan town of Guines.
Coming up next is payback time for those hills to the south coast and the ride will take you on a mainly flat ride along the south shore, past Guantánamo Bay and up into the City it’s self. From Guantanamo, you will ride to Cuba’s second largest city, Santiago is a gem and we must spend more time here a very contrasting atmosphere when compared to Havana. Santiago does its own thing as a musical paradise and the home of Bacardi.
Beyond Santiago we visit the basilica de El Corbre, Cuba’s premier cathedral and ride to a very interesting homestead in the village of Biran. This homestead was owned by a Spanish immigrant, Angel Castro, the brothers Fidel and Raul. Stay over night is a surprisingly remote location up the Cristal Mountains, Enjoy lunch at the highest waterfall in Cuba, Salto Del Guayabo. This is all in the region of the town of Mayari and now we head onto the beach at Guardalavaca to wrap up with a nice beach. If you wish to extend this holiday at the beach, let us know and we will arrange this for you. It will be easy to grab a taxi to get to the airport in Holguin, about 60ks away.