Villa Clara Province % 42 / Pop 803,690
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©Lonely¨Planet¨Publications¨Pty¨Ltd Villa Clara Province % 42 / pop 803,690 Why Go? Santa Clara .................261 He wasn’t born here, never lived here and died in the dis- Around Santa tant Bolivian mountains, but Che Guevara is synonymous Clara .......................... 270 with Villa Clara, for liberating its capital, Santa Clara, from Embalse Batista’s corrupt gambling party. Yet, the patchwork of misty Hanabanilla ............... 270 tobacco fields and placid lakes wedged between the Sierra del Escambray and Cuba’s northern keys offers reasons Remedios .................. 272 other than Che to drop by. Caibarién ................... 275 The city of Santa Clara is an important junction for cross- Cayerías del Norte .... 276 country travelers, with a cutting-edge nightlife and some palatial casas particulares, while nearby the Escambray peaks glimmer with adventure possibilities centered on the mirror-like Hanabanilla lake. Best Beaches Picturesque Remedios is the region’s oldest settlement, ¨¨playa Ensenachos (p277) and its somnolence is annually shattered by a frenzied fire- ¨¨playa Las Salinas (p277) work party, Las Parrandas. Northeastward, on Villa Clara’s coveted coast, beach life revolves around the archipelago of ¨¨playa El Mégano (p277) the Cayerías del Norte, Cuba’s fastest-growing resort zone. ¨¨playa Santa María (p276) The presence of an adjacent Unesco Biosphere Reserve has meant development has been relatively sustainable – so far. Best Local Life ¨¨parque Vidal (p261) When to Go ¨¨La Marquesina (p268) ¨¨It’s hard to conceive of a better time to take a trip to Villa Clara than December. The 24th, specifically. That’s right. ¨¨La Casa de la Ciudad Swap a boring Christmas for one of the Caribbean’s hottest (p263) street parties in Remedios. ¨¨Centro Cultural las ¨¨Head over to the Cayerías del Norte for the start of the Leyendas (p274) high season, which runs December through March, when the ¨¨Caibarién (p275) chances of the skies raining on your beach parade are as low as they get. 260 e e e e C C C in in in V V V Pro Pro Pro Clara Clara Clara Villa Villa Villa S t H lig H Hig nce ovi R P ara Cl Villa Clara Province Highlights 1 trace the legend at Santa 2 tour Santa Clara’s 3 Plug into the electric 5 People-watch from the at ramshackle yet heart- Clara’s monument to Ernesto cigar factory, Fábrica de nightlife in Santa Clara’s Club plaza’s cafes in the colonial warming Caibarién (p275). Che Guevara (p264) and Tabacos Constantino Pérez Mejunje (p269). pocket of Remedios (p272). 7 Bask on the balmy Monumento a la Toma del Carrodegua (p263), followed 4 Hike the trails and soak 6 See the villa Clara the beaches of the Cayo Santa Tren Blindado (p264). by sublime coffee atLa up the solitude of Embalse tourist board forgot to mention María (p276). Veguita (p263). Hanabanilla (p270). Baños de Hotel & Cárdenas Río la PalmaElguea Spa Elguea Cayo las (26km) Martí Picuas Corralillo 0 20 km A T L A N T I C 0 10 miles O C E A N Jovellanos Cayerías (20km) del Norte Sagua la Quemado de Grande Los Arabos Güines Cayo Colón Embalse Fragoso Alacranes Cayo Santa María Carretera Centra Cayo Cifuentes Francés Cayo Matanzas Santo Guillermo Playa Girón l Encrucijada Bahía Province Domingo Río Sagua Las Brujas (61km); Havana la Chica Buena Vista (166km) Abel Caibarién Airport Santamaría n Airport El Pedraplé Camajuani Santa Remedios Nacional Esperanza Clara Boca del Róbalo Bahía de Autopista Dolores Perros Aguada de Embalse Punta de Pasajeros Minerva Zulueta Judas Ranchuelo El Estero Máximo Rodas Buena Yaguajay Gómez Cienfuegos Cruces Vista Real Province Placetas Ciego Autopista Mayajigua de Ávila Potrerillo Nacional Jarahueca El Salado Yaguaramas Palmira Province Iguará Chambas Laguna de Rí la Leche Cumanayagua o El Rincón Cienfuegos Manicaragua Sancti Morón El Salto del Spíritus Fomento Zaza Florencia San Antón Sierra del Hanabanilla Tamarindo Caleta Escambray Güinia de Province Buena Miranda Cabaiguán To Ciego de Playa Embalse Guayos Marroquí C A R I B B E A N Hanabanilla Ávila (30km) Girón (8km) S E A El Naranjo & Topes de Meyer Sancti Jatibonico La Punta Arriba Collantes Spíritus Majagua Condado Caracusey Río Tayaba Ciego de Ávila Carretera Central Iznaga La Güira Banao Trinidad Aeropuerto Sanguily Casilda Alberto Venezuela.