Guadalavaca

Guardalavaca ("Guard the Cow" – no–one seems sure of the derivation of this strange name) is a beach resort on the north shore of Holguín province, a one–hour drive from Holguín city. The original resort was developed in the 1980s to serve the Cuban masses. Today it relies almost entirely on foreign, budget–focused package vacationers, while visitors with more money to spend opt for the newer upscale all–inclusive hotels that have recently been built at nearby beaches: Playa Esmeralda, Playa Yuraguanal, and Playa Pesquero. All the hotels offer watersports, and day–trippers will find scuba diving and watersports centers on the main beach.

The sands are gorgeous, with the best beaches being those used almost exclusively by the ritzy resorts west of Guardalavaca proper. Scuba diving is big here. The splendid reef system begins just 200 meters from shore, and there are wrecks to explore. Others attractions are plenty.

Cuba's foremost pre–Columbian site – Museo Aborigen Choroo de Maíta – is a mere seven kilometers east of Guardalavaca, in lovely hills. Here you can peruse many of the 200 skeletons unearthed here, while recreations of Taíno Indian life are performed at the adjoining Aldea Taína. Meanwhile, real–life dolphins perform at Acuario Cayo Naranjo, a marine park in the center of a large bay – Bahía de Naranjo – lined with ecological sites. And railway buffs should put the fancifully named Museo de Industria Azucar y de Locomotora de Vapor (Museum of Sugar Industry & Steam Trains) on their to–do–list, but be warned: it's a dour site, with precious centenary locomotives rusting away in the heat and rain. You can even take a ride into the Grupo de Maniabon mountains aboard a 1920 Baldwin steam train – group excursions are offered through hotel tour desks.

The original resort, with the Brisas Guardalavaca and four hotels under the Cubanacán Atlántico umbrella are entirely Cuban run. A nightclub here draws Cubans. The more upscale foreign managed hotels further west are more solitary and require a taxi or car rental to explore further afield on your own.

This city, 760 km/495 miles southeast of Havana, is busy and not particularly attractive. But if you pass through, look in on the main square for its Art–Deco theatre, art gallery, and eclectic display of historical exhibits inside the Museo Provincial. The fine Carlos de la Torre Natural History Museum, just south of the square on Calle Maceo, in another colonial mansion, has a large collection of indigenous snail shells in dazzling colours. To the west of Holguin is a vantage point, Loma de la Cruz, which offers wonderful views over the city and across the province.

This pristine cay, on the eastern side of the Bahía de Nipes, isn't terribly easy to get to, but if isolated and totally unpopulated, sugar–white cove beaches are of interest to you, it could certainly be worth the effort. An erstwhile exclusive game resort, the cay has an exceptional roster of flora and fauna, which includes not only deer and wild boar, but also a wild collection of exotics like antelopes, ostrich, water buffalo, and zebras. Most excursions include snorkelling, boat rides, jeep safaris, horseback riding, and lunch on the beach.

There's one hotel on the cay, Villa Cayo Saetía, with a half–dozen nice cabanas. Cayo Saetía is about 90 minutes from Guardalavaca by car and just 20 minutes by helicopter (the preferred method of transport). The beach is truly exceptional and must rank in anyone's best beaches in Cuba.

South of Mayari, the Sierra Cristal climbs sharply. Montane rainforest thrives adjacent to pine forests at these cool heights, where mists drift languidly through the branches. Much of the region is enshrined in the recently formed Parque National La Mensure. En route you’ll pass a turnoff to the south for the Farallones de Seburuco, a cavern system where indigenous Indian artefacts dating back 5,000 years have been found.

Meanwhile, real–life dolphins perform at Acuario Cayo Naranjo, a marine park in the center of a large bay—Bahía de Naranjo—lined with ecological sites. And railway buffs should put the fancifully named Museo de Industria Azucar y de Locomotora de Vapor (Museum of Sugar Industry & Steam Trains) on their to–do–list, but be warned: it´s a dour site, with precious centenary locomotives rusting away in the heat and rain.