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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.
Casilda Alberto Venezuela
Aeropuerto Sanguily Trinidad
Iznaga
La Güira La Banao
Carretera Central Carretera
Río Tayaba Río Ciego de Ávila de Ciego
Caracusey
Condado
Collantes
Majagua
La Punta Arriba Punta La Spíritus
Topes de Topes
Jatibonico Meyer El Naranjo & Naranjo El Sancti
S E A E S
Girón (8km) Girón
Hanabanilla
Ávila (30km) Ávila C A R I B B E A N A E B B I R A C
Guayos Marroquí Playa Embalse
To Ciego de Ciego To
Buena Miranda
Cabaiguán
Escambray
Province Caleta Güinia de Güinia
Hanabanilla Tamarindo
Sierra del Sierra
San Antón San
Zaza Florencia Fomento
El Salto del Salto El s Spíritu
Morón
Cienfuegos El Rincón El Manicaragua Sancti Sancti
Cumanayagua
la Leche la
o Rí
Chambas
Laguna de Laguna
Iguará
Yaguaramas
Province Palmira
Jarahueca
El Salado El
Nacional Potrerillo
de Ávila de Autop Mayajigua ista
Province
Ciego
Placetas
Cienfuegos
Vista
Real
Cruces
Gómez Yaguajay
Rodas
Buena
El Estero El
Ranchuelo
Máximo
Pasajeros Zulueta Minerva
Judas
Aguada de Aguada
Embalse
Punta de Punta
Perros Dolores
Autopista
Boca del Róbalo del Boca Nacional
Clara
Esperanza Bahía de Bahía
Santa Remedios
Camajuani
El Pedraplé El Airport
Santamaría
n
(166km)
n Caibarié
Abel
Airport
Buena Vista Buena
la Chica la
(61km); Havana (61km);
Province
Domingo
Río Sagua Río
Las Brujas Las Bahía
Encrucijada
Playa Girón Playa l o Guillerm Santo Matanzas
Cifuentes Cayo
Francés
Carretera Centra Carretera
Cayo
Santa María Santa
Alacranes o Cay
Colón
Fragoso Embalse
Güines
Los Arabos Los
Cayo
Quemado de Quemado
Grande
Sagua la Sagua
(20km) del Norte del
Jovellanos Cayerías
O C E A N A E C O
10 miles 10 0
A T L A N T I C I T N A L T A
20 km 20 0
Corralillo
Martí (26km)
Picuas
Río la Palma la Río Elguea Spa Elguea Spa
Cárdenas
Cayo las Cayo
Hotel & Hotel Baños de Baños
Veguita Hanabanilla (p263). (p270).
María Tren Blindado Tren La La (p276). Embalse Embalse (p264). by sublime coffee at at coffee sublime by up the solitude of of solitude the up tourist board forgot to mention mention to forgot board tourist
Cayo Santa Santa Cayo Monumento a la Toma del del Toma la a Monumento Carrodegua Hike the trails and soak soak and trails the Hike illa Clara the the Clara illa V the See beaches of the the of beaches (p263), followed followed (p263), 4 6
Bask on the balmy balmy the on Bask 7 Che Guevara Che Tabacos Constantino Pérez Pérez Constantino Tabacos Remedios (p264) and and (p264) (p272). of pocket Mejunje (p269).
Caibarién (p275). warming monument to Ernesto Ernesto to monument Fábrica de de Fábrica Club Club Clara’s Clara’s cigar factory, factory, cigar nightlife in Santa Clara’s Clara’s Santa in nightlife plaza’s cafes in the colonial colonial the in cafes plaza’s
the legend at Santa Santa at legend the race T our Santa Clara’s Clara’s Santa our T Plug into the electric electric the into Plug People-watch from the the from People-watch at ramshackle yet heart- yet ramshackle at 1 2 3 5 Villa Clara Province Highlights Province Clara Villa
vince Cl ara Province Highlights
Villa Clara Pro 260