Turquoise water. Sugary white sand. Lush tropical trees stretching back into a wide mountain range. When Christopher Columbus swung his ships into the arced bay of Cuba’s eastern end in 1492, a view nearly identical to this one likely greeted him. “I was so astonished by the sight of so much beauty that I can find no words to describe it,” Columbus wrote to his royal Spanish patrons.
“[It was] so enchantingly beautiful that it surpasses all others in charm and beauty.” Fast-forward more than 520 years, and surprisingly, this area’s allure hasn’t diminished, nor has the coastline changed much from what Columbus originally observed. In this forgotten corner of the island, you won’t find big resorts or even much tourism at all – for now.
The colourful coastal city of Baracoa
The hub of Cuba’s eastern end is the tiny city of Baracoa, which has some powerful claims to fame. Not only is it the spot where Christopher Columbus likely first landed on the island, but it was Cuba’s first capital and oldest Spanish settlement.
Nevertheless, Baracoa’s isolation has kept it from becoming a more celebrated place. The hilly and windy La Farola road, linked from Guantanamo 120km to the west, serves as the sole pipeline in – and it was only finished as recently as 1965. Today, a rickety fleet of small planes fly from Havana twice a week; otherwise, the only way to get there is by boat. The lack of infrastructure is hardly a bad thing, though, as it’s allowed Baracoans to develop traditions, tastes and attitudes that are uniquely their own.
Baracoa’s sea-thrashed Malecón
Baracoa’s sea-thrashed MalecónOn one side of the Malecòn – a term synonymous with boardwalk – stands an endless swath of Atlantic Ocean. On the other, El Yunque mountain rises behind a jumble of scruffy 18th to 20th Century buildings. During the day, it’s tranquil as people saunter along or sit on the stone wall beside the sea; at night, groups gather under the dim beams of scattered streetlights to stage impromptu music jams or play ball.
The unlikely flavours of eastern Cuba
The unlikely flavours of eastern CubaThe standing joke in Cuba is that the food is better in Miami, since every dish on the island is seen as a repetitious round of rice and beans, beans and rice. Not so in Baracoa, where the locals bring their own creative twists to the locally-grown cuisine, with a nod to the area’s indigenous Taíno, French and Haitian influences.
On the savoury side, there’s lechita, a mixture of coconut milk, tomatoes, garlic and spices that’s often poured over seafood, as well as tetí river fish, a Baracoan delicacy (available August through December) that’s often fried into omelettes or served dried as a snack. On the sweet side, the area around Baracoa is ground zero for Cuban cacao production, and chocolate is everywhere. Look for chorrote, a thick hot chocolate sometimes found in cafes or made by campesinos (country people) at their homes, as well as homemade squares of the rich stuff sold on nearly every corner.
The Baracoan taste-test standoutYou won’t find cucurucho anywhere else. While it looks like an ice cream cone, the sweet treat – cleverly packaged inside a rolled palm frond complete with a carrying handle – won’t melt and typically consists of shaved coconut, sugar, honey, nuts, guava and papaya. You simply scoop up the paste with your fingers, and then devour it. Locals claim that campesinos make the best versions, which they sell along the roadside.
The table top mountain in the distanceLooming just outside of Baracoa is the flat top mountain El Yunque (the Anvil), whose 575m plateau summit can be ascended in one long, sweaty day. From the top, views span from the Bay of Baracoa, out to the neighbouring Unesco Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt (named for the famous German scientist), and down to the Toa, Yumurí, Miel and Duabarives rivers, which are some of the widest in the Caribbean. Those who are lucky can spot the endemic bee hummingbird, which holds the title of smallest bird in the world.
Into a lush paradise
Into a lush paradiseStarting at the Sagua-Baracoa mountain range, the national park’s greener-than-green forests stretch straight down to the ocean. According to Unesco, it’s “one of the most biologically diverse tropical ecosystems in an island setting anywhere on Earth”, and it hosts a lengthy list of endemic species that includes more than 1,000 flowering plants, mangroves and palm, cacao and banana trees within its borders.
Emerging from the forest
Emerging from the forestFlanked by mangroves, palms, ferns, bromeliads, pineapple plants and cacao trees, the peaceful Bahía de Taco (or Taco Bay) is the gateway to the national park. The most famous resident here is the endangered West Indian manatee, known to frequent the bay in the summer months.
Pristine, never-crowded beaches
Pristine, never-crowded beachesJust north of Baracoa, placid Maguana beach is one of the area’s sublime stretches of sand, and is an easy taxi or leisurely bike ride from town. Scattered beach huts offer the catch of the day and freshly squeezed juices, while just a handful of hotels (such as Villa Maguana host the few travellers who venture out this way. Unlike the extremely desirable crowded sands snapped up by luxury resorts on Cuba’s northern coast, this shoreline wins as a private paradise.
The “River of Honey”
The “River of Honey”Just east of Baracoa’s main town beach, Playa Boca de Miel, lies the gentle and beautifully named Rio Miel, or River of Honey. According to local folklore, anyone who bathes here will be drawn back to Baracoa – and if it stays as untouched as it is now, who wouldn’t want to return? It’s only a matter time before the secret of Cuba’s beautiful eastern end is out. Until then, travellers curious enough to make the journey are likely to fall in love with it as surely as Christopher Columbus did.
