|
|
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| General
Information |
 |
The International Tourism Fair of Cuba is
the most important event in the Cuban tourism calendar. It promotes Cuba
as a tourist destination for various kinds of tourism. The 30th
International Tourism Fair of Cuba will be held in Havana between May 3
and 8, 2010.
The 30th Fair will focus on the eastern part of
Cuba—the region consisting of Camagüey, Las Tunas, Granma, Holguín,
Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo Provinces—which has impressive mountain
systems, beaches with clear water and other natural settings typical of
the tropics.
A warm and hospitable land, it features many places,
traditions and people who embody joyousness. Its heritage cities contain
mysteries, legends and historic sites, all of which are part of the Cuban
people’s legacy that is handed down from generation to
generation.
There are many natural settings of great beauty, some
of which have been declared to be world biosphere preserves or world
heritage sites. The area is also unique for the recipes, place names and
terms inherited from its original inhabitants.
Here, in eastern
Cuba, you will see fertile plains, marvelous scenery and delightful
beaches endowed with excellent conditions for water sports. With its long
coasts and towering mountains, the eastern part of Cuba offers you a world
of activities and mysteries to discover.
Cuba flings wide the doors
of this area, where the Cuban essence was born and which still retains the
eternal spirit of the tastes, colors and rhythms of this island, giving
you an opportunity to savor life to the full. Welcome! |
|
|
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| Camagüey-Santa Lucía |
|
Founded as Santa María del Puerto
del Príncipe in 1514, what is now the city of Camagüey was one of the
first Spanish settlements in Cuba.
In 2008, UNESCO declared the
original nucleus of the city to be a part of world heritage. It is the
largest such nucleus in Cuba, with imposing mansions, public squares (such
as San Juan de Dios Square) and beautiful churches (such as the Main
Parish, Nuestra Señora de la Merced and Sagrado Corazón de Jesús
Churches).
Nearby Santa Lucía Beach is the main beach resort in the
province, but there are many intimate beaches along the northern coast
with prodigious marine and land fauna, all protected by the longest coral
reef in the Americas (it is the second longest in the world, surpassed
only by Australia’s Great Barrier Reef), which lies less than three miles
(five kilometers) offshore.
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| Holguín |
|
Holguín contains Bariay, the place where
Christopher Columbus first set foot in the Americas, whose beauty led him
to exclaim that it was the most beautiful land that human eyes had ever
seen.
Known as “the city of parks” because of the many parks within
its limits, the city of Holguín is also the archaeological capital of Cuba
because of nearby Chorro de Maíta, which features an Indian burial ground
and Museum of Archaeology.
Holguín also has a glittering array of
stunning beaches, including Guardalavaca, Estero Ciego, Esmeralda, Don
Lino and Pesquero. Guardalavaca—a perfect combination of fine sand and
sea, with nearby mountains and lush green vegetation—is one of the best
beaches in eastern Cuba. Its natural attractions are complemented by a
first-class hotel infrastructure.
At Saetía, the lush green
vegetation begins just a few steps from the sea. Here, the Cuban
countryside offers settings in which the intense blue of the sea combines
with the greens of the valleys and mountains, creating excellent habitats
for birds and other fauna, including Cuba’s national bird, the Cuban
Trogon (Priotelus temnurus), and other, local species.
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| Santiago de Cuba |
|
Founded in 1515, Santiago de Cuba is the
Cuban city with the most markedly Caribbean ambience. Its architecture
displays a Spanish touch, and there are many museums. Its most notable
buildings include the Basilica of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, patron
saint of Cuba, and the house that was built for Governor Diego
Velázquez—the oldest residence still standing in Spanish America.
Many important events in Cuba’s history and culture have taken
place in Santiago de Cuba’s steep streets, which has led to the city’s
being called a heroic city and “the capital of Cuba’s history.”
The Sierra Maestra Mountains, the largest mountain system in the
country, was where the 1956-59 Revolutionary War, Cuba’s final struggle
for real independence, was waged. Other sites of great importance include
San Pedro de la Roca Castle, which UNESCO has declared to be a part of
world heritage in recognition of its being the most complete and
best-preserved example of Spanish military architecture in the Americas;
the ruins of the first coffee plantations in southeastern Cuba, which
UNESCO has also declared to be a part of world heritage; and Baconao Park,
which UNESCO declared to be a world biosphere preserve in 1987, because of
the high quality and perfect conservation of its ecosystem.
The
most important treasures of this province, however, are its people, whose
joyous approach to life and unassuming friendliness and solidarity make
them very special, indeed.
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| Granma / Bayamo |
|
Granma Province is in the
southwestern part of eastern Cuba. It is a land of great contrasts, where
man and nature have worked together harmoniously. Here, you will find
steep cliffs, broad plains, beautiful beaches, waterfalls on the sides of
majestic mountains, coral reefs and impressive caves (such as Samuel and
Fustete).
Bayamo is the capital of this province. Rich in
traditions and history, it has been declared a national monument and is
known as “the cradle of Cuban nationality,” because it was where Cuba’s
National Anthem was first sung.
A part of the Sierra Maestra
Mountains, the largest mountain chain in Cuba, is in this province. It
contains forests, peaks and mountain valleys with lush
vegetation—beautiful scenery which is exceptional both for its variety and
for its high degree of preservation. Rivers and springs cool your ascent
to the three highest elevations in Cuba: Turquino Peak, “the roof of
Cuba,” 6470 feet (1972 meters) above sea level, and Cuba and Suecia
(Sweden) Peaks, 6017 and 5682 feet (1834 and 1732 meters) above sea level,
respectively.
The Desembarco del Granma (Landing of the Granma)
and Turquino Nature Parks have beautiful scenery featuring locally endemic
flora and fauna. Regions such as Cruz Cape—which UNESCO has declared to be
a part of world natural heritage because of the impressive marine terraces
that have been preserved there—alternate with delightful beaches, such as
Hicacos and Las Coloradas.
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| Las Tunas |
|
The city
of Las Tunas is also known as “the capital of sculpture,” because of the
tremendous sculptors’ movement that has developed in this province, which
also hosts the famous Iberian-American Festivals of Ten-Line Country
Verses and traditional Meetings on “El Cucalambé” (Juan Cristóbal Nápoles
y Fajardo, the greatest singer and composer of ten-line country verses in
Cuba’s history).
History is also a part of this city’s
attractions. Such places as the former Cavalry Garrison, La Loma Fort,
Salcedo Castle and the house where Major General Vicente García González
was born (now a museum) date from Cuba’s Wars of Independence. Other
attractions include its parks and other public areas, fountains,
monumental sculptural groups and a boulevard that is unique in Cuba.
Covarrubias Beach is on the northern coast. It has magnificent
morphological conditions: practically virgin vegetation and sandy beaches
that average a little over 26 feet (8 meters) wide. A coral reef around
3.7 miles (6 kilometers) long lies a little less than a mile (1.5
kilometers) off the coast. The underwater seascapes are an added
attraction, with a wall of black coral and a great variety of sponges.
Truly, Las Tunas is a fascinating option to explore.
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| Guantánamo / Baracoa |
|
Santa Catalina de Guantánamo, in the
middle of Guantánamo Valley, is a fertile area in which many sugar mills
were built, powered by three important rivers: the Bano, Jaibo and
Guaso.
The valley also contains the city of Baracoa, the first
Spanish settlement in Cuba, which has a strong appeal for all who love
natural beauty and simplicity. It still retains the air of a provincial
town that remembers its agricultural roots and has long
traditions.
Many natural attractions, including the Yunque, a
flat-topped mountain that is the symbol of this city; its aboriginal
ancestors; and its most valuable relic—the Parra Cross, which Christopher
Columbus brought to Cuba on his first voyage—make Baracoa a place of pure
enchantment.
Just getting to Baracoa is an adventure if you come
by road, for this involves taking La Farola, a cliff-hanger of an
engineering achievement that makes its precarious way up through the
mountains and will leave you breathless.
The Spanish conquerors
built several military installations here: El Castillo and La Punta Forts
and the Joa and Cementerio Towers.
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . | |
|
