©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Granma% Province 23 / POP 836,400 Includes ¨ Why Go? Bayamo . 372 Few parts of the world get named after yachts, which helps Gran Parque Nacional explain why in Granma (christened for the boat in which Sierra Maestra . 381 Fidel Castro and his bedraggled revolutionaries clambered Manzanillo . 384 ashore to kick-start a guerrilla war in 1956), Cuba’s viva la Media Luna . 386 Revolución spirit burns most fiercely. This is the land where José Martí died and where Granma native Carlos Manuel Niquero . 386 de Céspedes freed his slaves and formally declared Cuban Parque Nacional independence for the first time in 1868. Desembarco del The alluringly isolated countryside helped the revolution- Granma . 386 ary cause. Road-scarce Granma is one of Cuba’s remotest Pilón . 388 regions, with lofty tropical mountains dense enough to have harbored a fugitive Fidel Castro for over two years in the 1950s. Its isolation has bred a special brand of Cuban identity. Best Hikes Granma’s settlements are esoteric places enlivened with ¨ Comandancia de la Plata weekly street parties (with outdoor barbecues and archaic (p382) hand-operated street organs), and provincial capital Bay- amo is among the most tranquil and clean places in the ¨ El Salto (p389) archipelago. ¨ Pico Turquino (p383) ¨ Morlotte-Fustete (p388) When to Go ¨ Pockets of Granma have a balmy climate and during Best January and February Marea del Portillo is the warmest place Revolutionary in Cuba. Sites ¨ Bayamo’s biggest celebration is the Incendio de Bayamo on January 12. ¨ Alegria del Pio (p388) ¨ In the far wetter Sierra Maestra mountains, March and ¨ Comandancia de la Plata April are the driest times for hiking, with bearable nighttime (p382) temperatures. ¨ Casa Natal de Carlos ¨ December 2 is the anniversary of the Granma landing, Manuel de Céspedes (p373) which is celebrated with a ceremony at Los Coloradas. ¨ Museo las Colorados (p387) ¨ Museo Histórico la Demajagua (p384) 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 Las Tunas Holguín Laguna de D HOLGUÍN \# 0 20km \#Guamo (35km) (25km) D e# 5555Leonero 5 PROVINCE Urbano 0 10miles to R 5555Cau 5 Miradero \# ío Noris ío \# \# Cauto C R Embalse auto 55555 Río Cauto Cristo 5555Laguna5 las Cauto del Paso \#Babiney Las \# Playas Carlos Manuel G o l f o d e 55555 Palmas Dos Ríos de Céspedes \# G u a c a n a y 55a b o 555 Airport 5555Sierra Maestr5a \# Corralito #– Embalse Protesta 55555 Jiguaní Airport #5 #^6 Bayamo #\ de Baraguá 5555Manzanillo Rí 5 Mabay #] o Ya \# \# El Horno #\ Baire ra Veguitas Villa \# \# Contramaestre \# Santa \# Museo Histórico \# Bayamo Barranca Rita Embalse la Demajagua #7 \# \# \# #– Ya ra \# Carlos Manuel La Demajagu5 a Guisa Palma San \#El Pozón Bueycito\# Jardín de Céspedes ]# Campechuela \# Botánico de#æ Soriano \# Rí Francisco Bartolomé San Ramón \# Cupaynicu San Luis o Masó Buey \# \#Victorino G \# \# Los u Cayo Arriba Media Luna \# á \# Horneros Espino Cayos Santo #÷ S i e r r a M a e SANTIAGO Santiago Balandras Domingo Gran Parque s t r a DE CUBA de Cuba #4 Nacional Sierra Pico ^# Maestra R \# La Alcarraza PROVINCE Niquero\# Cinco Comandancia Bayamesa Parque Nacional #æ t r a (1730m) Palmas e s de la Plata Chivirico Desembarco del a Pico Turquino Playa Mar\# #– M R R #\ \# í #2 (1972m) Verde Granma a Marea del o \# Playa Sevilla Antonio Maceo Playa las \# r Alegria Sevilla r M \# \# \# e Portillo El Uvero International Coloradas i a del Pio S c Las Ocujal Ù# Belic \# \#1 í Airport 5 3 # o Museo las # El Plátano \# \# Pilón Cuevas Colorada5s â# #Ý #æSendero Arqueológico Cayo Blanco \# Natural El Guafe Cabo Cruz Ensenada C A R I B B E A N S E A de Mora Granma Province Highlights 1 Enjoy one of Cuba’s balmiest 3 Investigate marine terraces Parque Nacional Sierra 6 Relax by the river with 7 Visit the site where the microclimates in secluded and archaeological remains in Maestra’s bucolic entrance . the bayameses (people from Cubans uttered their first cry Marea del Portillo (p389) . Parque Nacional Desembarco 5 Immerse yourself in the Bayamo) in Parque Chapuzón of independence in Museo 2 Trek up to Fidel’s wartime del Granma (p386) . unique Bayamo party spirit (p375) . Histórico la Demajagua headquarters at Comandancia 4 Get a dose of mountain with pork roast, street organs, (p384) . de la Plata (p382) in Gran air and customs in Santo and a chess game in the Fiesta GRANMA PROVINCE PROVINCE PROVINCE PROVINCE GRANMA GRANMA GRANMA ghl HI CE N PROVI S T GH Parque Nacional Sierra Maestra . (p382) at Gran I (p379) . Domingo de la Cubanía 371.