A Well-Kept Secret Ironique Find out ! but ﬁrst, ﬁnd Banes the Unloved and Unknown

CUBACASAS.NET PRESENTS CUBAN CITIES & TOWNS : BANES BANES

A well-kept secret Ironique Find out ! But ﬁrst, ﬁnd Banes the unloved and unknown. Banes is a town full of irony. It is where Fidel Castro was married and Fulgencio Batista was born.

The place was from 1898 to the late Fifties, a company town, owned and operated by the in- famous United Fruit Company (Chiquita bananas). So its colonial past is not Spanish, but ra- ther American.

Stories say the cane cutters (cor- tadores), who worked for UFC only during the three months of the zafra would cut off a finger to collect insurance and thus receive a regular revenue.

There are long-term plans from Gaviota S.A. to build resorts on presently-deserted Peninsula de Ramon, something in the order of 5 to 7,000 rooms (in lots of 500), eventually including a horseback riding DISTANCES (km) center, 6 golf courses and a Biran, 94 TRANSPORTATION port for cruise ships. Cayo Saetia, 100 Bus service from Holguin 6 times a Gibara, 103 day (no Viazul or Astro busses run- You can drive from here Guardalavaca, 30 ning). • If casas are all full, try to El Ramon to enjoy Holguin, 76 (via Baguano) the Motel Oasis (tel. 3447) : 28 its pristine nature. La Habana, 800 bedrooms, bar and dining room. It's about a 55km Las Tunas, 149 via the village of Mayari, 60 POPULATION 89.730 Antilla. Santiago, 205

SEE, DO, DISCOVER • Casa de la Cultura, one of the town's • Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de la Caridad nicest buildings with its marble ﬂoors, its where, on October 12 1948, the mayor's patio and pink and gold walls daughter, Mirta Diaz-Balart, got married to • Museo Indocubano Bani, also unique in someone named Fidel Castro Ruiz the country for its pre-Columbian arte- • Museo Aborigen Chorro de Maita (27 km facts, its collections on the aboriginal on the way to Guardalavaca) with a collec- Araucos : engravings, statuettes and a tion of some 60 skeletons of Spaniards large collection of 800-year old necklaces from the 1490 to 1540 era, dug up in 1986 • Museo de Historia for its icons of he- roes of the Revolucion

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SEE, DO, DISCOVER PLAYAS• Morales, 12 km, EXCURSIONS from the name of the little Parque Nacional La Mensura town of fishermen. Guide- (25 km southwest of Maya- books are only just starting ri) • Parque Natural Cayo to mention this place so try Saetia (100 km, via Maya- to keep it a secret... Puerto ri). An isolated, green-co- Rico, further up the coast. vered, 42 sq km key with Largely deserted beach imported fauna (antelopes, where the palm trees pro- aras, ostriches, buffalos, vide shade while you feast camels, iguanas, tapirs and on seafood. • Guardalava- zebras) for the all-day pho- ca, 35 km, via Cañadon • to safaris sold in the Guar- Corintia, 129 km, via Maya- dalavaca all-inclusive re- ri, past Cayo Saetia : sup- sorts. Clients arrive in heli- posedly one of the best copter or in jeeps. Some beaches in the area • Ga- prefer staying at Villa Cayo viota, Almendra and Penon Saetia, a Gaviota resort Tel. on Cayo Saetia. (24) 9-6900 with 12 bedrooms and 5 cabins RESTAURANTS & PALA- (100cuc/day 3 meals) Top Sti too many pobre casas. DARES El Paladar Familiar, which lead to three lovely Bottom Quiet streets with no cars or Calle Bayamo 107, e/Igna- deserted playas : Gaviota, busses (non-existent in these parts) cio Agramonte y general Almendra and Penon. :make it ideal for walking or cycling. Moncado.

EXCURSION IN THE COMANDANTE’S CHILDHOOD

Since Nov. 2002, travellers can Originally leased in 1910 from the United Fruit Company it was managed, then visit the farm, in Biran, where owned, by Angel Castro y Ariz (1875-1956), his father, a penniless immigrant Fidel Castro was born on August from Galicia (España). 8 1926 and where he grew up.

During the rise of the re- The site called Sitio Histórico volution, in 1956, to make de Birán is spread over 13 000 a point that rich Cubans hectares. The original farm, should share natural re- Finca Mañacas, once covered sources, Fidel had his fa- twice that much. ther's sugar cane fields burned.

(As seen on film, his mo- ther did not seem to ap- preciate her farm being made an example...)

Visitors see a small community unchanged from that era, including the original house and a small community built by his father for his children and employees.

De Alto Cedro voy para Marcané, llego a Cueto, voy para Marayi. Biran is 20 km SW of Mayari, 60 km southeast of Holguin and 94 km SW of Banes via Cueto. Open Tuesdays-Sundays, 9h-12h and 13h30-16h Fee : Tourists 10cuc (20 with camera; Cubans : 10 pesos MN, double with camera.

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COLONIAL GUEST HOUSE Gilma Quiñones Hernandez and her dad SERGIO Pablo Vazquez Naranjo Calle H #1526F, e/ AGUILERO Veguita y Francisco Franco, at town entrance. Calle Iglesia Tel. (24) 8-2204 4089, a bit passed the In the back of a large casa colonial built in center, in re- 1920 by Gilma's granddaddy, a large ventilated parto (bur- bedroom (double and single beds) with private rough) Nica- bathroom, balcony and comedor. ragua. Small living room with tv, large rooftop terrace with a shade-providing glorietta. Modest ame- Tel. (24) 8-2472 nities but Gilma and her old dad are so sympa- ticos. Two aircon bedrooms with private bathrooms, mini bar, parking, shaded patio; generator (in Our first choice, case of power failures. Attentive hosts. even without air-conditioning. In 2005, almost in front of this casa, the for- mer imposing private club of the UFC (with a Rate : 25cuc (2 unique wooden staircase, etc) transformed into adults max.) a cultural community centre since the Revolu- cion, went down in flames.

EVELIN FERIA DIEGUEZ JULIO Y OMAYDA DANTA ODALIS PEREZ BACALLAO Calle Bruno Merino 3401-A Calle Roble #85 A, e/7ma y et son mari MANOLO Calle H e/ Delfin Pupo y Jose Maria 8va at entrance to the town #77, e/ avenida de Cardenas Heredia Tél. (24) 8-3150 from Guardalavaca, near the y Pisonero, on the street lea- hospital, one block from the ding down to center. Tel. (24) In town centre, two ventila- main town-crossing road. 8-3120 ted bedrooms with private Neighbour to Nancy, below, baths along an upstairs ter- shared phone numbers. Tel. In her nice little casa, Odalis race. (24) 8-3243 or 8-3648 rents two aircon bedrooms with private bathrooms. Small Meals served downstairs in Two aircon bedrooms with living room, comedor, patio. the open air patio. Secured private bathrooms, patio, parking across the street. ranchon, meals served.

NANCY BACALLAO DRIGGS Calle Roble #85 A, e/7ma y 8va in reparto Silva. Neighbour to Julio, above, shared phone numbers. Tel. (24) 8-3243 or 8-3648

One aircon bedroom with private bathroom, lovely living room, balcony, meals served : breakfasts, 3cuc, meals 6cuc (filet of pargo, etc).

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pey - Guacacoa - Dos Ríos - La Cejas de Melones Natural protected areas Bahía de Naranjo - Cayo Saetía - Península de Ramón Protected natural elements Cerros del Norte de Holguín Fauba Reserves Bahía de Sa- gua de Tánamo and its cayos - Balsas de Gibara - Boca de HOLGUIN PROVINCE • Longest river Mayarì Cananova - Hacienda La Ca- 110km Largest artifical lake labazas - La Españita - Vo- Area 9300,5 km2 • % de Cu- Nipe 112.000.000 m3 Caves ceadero ba 8,4 • Urban areas 143,3 Tanques de los Cristalitos de km2 • Population 1.030.400 Papaya (largest underwater Protected Spaces Cuchillas • Density 110 hab/km2 • cave). Holguin province del Toa (World Biosphere Birth rate 13,8 • Death rate boasts : 34 rivers and Area, 127.500 ha.) 6,1 • Growth rate 7,7 streams, 6 waterfalls, 19 historical & cultural sites, 21 Casas particulares Banes, Capital Holguin Pop. 263,300 caves, 135 archeological si- Gibara, Holguin. Towns of importance Banes tes, 6 thalassatherapy cen- (44,300), Mayari (61,800), ters, 12 protected ecological Moa (56,400) areas and 41 beaches, mo- Also in the Oriente : stly located in natural envi- Regional municipalities Gi- ronments where 30 percent of Cuba's endemic species bara, Banes, Antilla, Bágua- HOLGUIN CITY AREA nos, Holguín, Calixto García, grow. Holguin is perfect for Cacocum, Urbano Noris, Nature Parks Alejandro de cyclists and walkers : it’s Cueto, Mayarí, Frank País, located on a plateau. Sagua de Tánamo, Moa Humboldt - La Mensura/Pilo- tos - Pico Cristal Natural Re- Natural bay Nipe 21,7 x16,8 serves Cerro Galano km; Banes 11 x 9 km; Gibara GIBARA LA BLANCA 3 x3,3 km Ecological Reserves Caleto- nes Flora Reserves Cabo Lu- Attractive and quiet with museums, colonial and post- • Summit Pico Cristal 1231m crecia Punta de Mulas - Cayo Rey - Cerro Miraflores - Cu- revolucion buildings and a great bay.

BAYAMO & ITS SIERRA Reasons to like Bayamo : calm, history, liberacion and patriotismo.