Santiago de Cuba to Baracoa
Santiago de Cuba 2 nights
It's a full day's drive to Santiago de Cuba, passing through Las Tunas and Bayamo, where Cuba's independence struggle was spawned. After lunch at the bodega-themed La Sevillana, take a couple of hours to explore around Parque Céspedes then continue via El Cobre, to visit the Basilica. Arriving in Santiago de Cuba, check into the Hotel San Basilio, in the heart of the colonial quarter (for more sophistication, the Meliá Santiago reaches toward international par). The main downtown sites of interest - Plaza Dolores, Parque Céspedes, Museo Bacardí - can be seen in one day, with enough time also for Cuartel Moncada and Cementerio de Santa Ifigenia. Drive out to Parque Histórico El Morro for the sunset cañonazo and a criollo meal at Restaurante El Morro. Nightlife? The Casa de la Trova is world-renowned venue for son à la Buena Vista Social Club, and the Tropicana cabaret is a blast.
To reach Baracoa from Santiago de Cuba, you'll need to exit the city via the Autopista (the entrance is three blocks east of the traffic circle at the junction of Avenida de las Américas and Avenida Victoriano Garzón). Drive cautiously: the freeway has dangerous potholes and lacks markings of any kind. Take the exit signed for La Maya. The route leads past sugarcane fields and is quite scenic as it dips and rises and winds to Lay May and towards Guantánamo province. About 10 miles west of Guantánamo city, you pick up an arrow-straight section of badly eroded freeway intended to serve as a military runway during any firefight with the U.S. (note the berms at the side of the road intended to house jet-fighters). Keep your speed down, as traffic police (tránsitos) often patrol this section. In town, Avenida 5 del Prado crosses the Río Bano and continues towards Guantánamo.
East of town, the road is little trafficked. You'll pass through a barren region preceding the airport and the entrance to the Cuban military base at Malones (photographs are not allowed) before climbing over a mountain ridge and dropping to the coast at Yaqueritas. This is a lonesome and poor area. There are few services: it's wise to stock up on snacks etc. before leaving Santiago.
At Cajobabo, the road beings a long, snaking ascent over the Sierra del Puriscal. Keep your eyes on the road - La Farola - despite the fantastic vistas. The road is very narrow. Honk your horn on the blind corners. And maintain a safe speed, especially on the downhill section and in rains. Many of the bends have been worked into dangerous corrugations that collect loose gravel - both can cause you to loose traction, especially when braking in the bends.
