- Sailing toward Cuba A cruise journey around the island.
TEEMING WITH LURING NATURAL CHARMS, PLUS ARCHITECTURAL AND CULTURAL VALUES, SEVERAL PARTS OF CUBA’S GEOGRAPHY ARE PORTS OF CALL FOR CRUISES. BEYOND THE BEACHES, THE NATURE AND THE SAFETY THE ISLAND HAS TO OFFER, THE CUBAN PEOPLE STAND HIGH ON THE LIST OF ATTRACTIONS FOR CRUISE PASSENGERS.
Docking in Havana
Near the Avenida del Puerto, as they walk on cobblestoned streets, the Arms Square stands tall, featuring a huge outdoor bookstore. Other highlights are the Palace of Captain Generals packed with the galleries of celebrated painters; the Cathedral Square and the Havana Cathedral, a right on a side street, a must-see for every traveler: the Bodeguita del Medio restaurant. Another nearby plaza is the Square of St. Francis of Assisi. Right behind the Capitol, the Partagas Royal Cigar Factory. The Museum of Rum rubs elbows with the San Jose Warehouses, home to a motley display of Cuban handicrafts.
The Lovely Seaside City
Right in the heart of the island, one of the most sought-after ports of calls is no doubt the Cienfuegos Bay, formerly a safe haven for pirates and corsairs. Just 155 miles from Havana, the so-called Pearl of the South gives cruise passengers the chance to see beaches and a botanical garden that was declared National Monument; the Jagua Castle, a fortress built in 1745 to protect the city from pirate attacks and many other allures single out one of Cuba’s youngest towns.
Cruise vessels dock across from the Rancho Luna beach or right in the harbor next to the historic core –declared World Heritage by UNESCO for the excellent state of preservation of its French-inspired urban layout. A good case in point is the Marti Park; the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Pure Conception and the Tomas Terry Theater, built in the 19th century.
Trinidad: The Third Village Founded by Spaniards
Barely 50 miles from Cienfuegos on a southbound drive, visitors can get to the heritage city of Trinidad, founded by the Spanish Crown in early 1514. These museums are housed in immense mansions of well-heeled families. To top it all off, nothing compares to a good swim at Playa Ancon, standing just a few miles from the historic core.
Holguin: The City of Parks
The same applies when visitors arrive in the eastern town of Antilla in Holguin, a province penciled in as the island’s third travel destination, just trailing behind Havana and Varadero. In addition to lots of allures, this neck of the woods is known as Cuba’s archeological capital. The area is home to the largest Indo-American burial site of the West Indies. Neighboring Cuchillas del Toa Biosphere Reserve and the Alexander de Humboldt National Park were both declared World Heritage by UNESCO.
Another must-see is the Cross Hill that stands 856 feet above sea level. It was named after the wooden cross that sits on top of it. From there, Pope Francis blessed the town of Holguin during his recent visit to Cuba in September.
Santiago de Cuba: The Heroic City
The call in Santiago de Cuba, one of the first seven villages founded by Diego Velazquez –this one in 1515- brings visitors to the city’s historic core, the Santa Ifigenia Cemetery and the Morro Castle overlooking the bay. Santiago de Cuba is also the birthplace of several musical genres, such as son, bolero, traditional trova and choirs. It’s the host city of the Fiesta del Caribe, the Trova Festival and many other international events.
The Baconao Park is just another travel choice, boasting 20 miles of coastlines down the island nation’s southeastern area and dotted with such beaches as Siboney, Daiquiri, Juragua, Sigua, Cazonal, Baconao and others. Sightseeing attractions include museums, an aquarium, a dolphinarium and wildlife safe havens.
The Shrine of Our Lady of Charity del Cobre is Cuba’s most important pilgrimage site, home to the like-name virgin, saint patron of the Cuban people. The church is nestled on a hilltop some 20 miles from the city of Santiago de Cuba.
An Isle Close to the Island
The call in Punta Frances on the Isle of Youth, some 73 miles from the city of Nueva Gerona, is packed with charms of its own. Its name stems from French pirate Francois Leclerc and its top allures comprise the local scenery, its crystal-clear beaches and pristine sea bottoms. The Punta Frances beach is considered one of Cuba’s loveliest and most paradisiacal foreshores in the entire Caribbean Basin.
Westbound
If the port of call is Pinar del Rio, specifically in Maria la Gorda –its waters are balmier, less salty, with crystal-clear waters and power-thin sands- tourists would definitely want to stay longer.
The Maria La Gorda Hotel and its international diving center are perched on the Guanahacabibes Peninsula in Pinar del Rio, just a four-and-a-half-hour drive southwest of Havana. There are fifty different scuba diving sites of see-through and balmy waters.
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