Page 152 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Cuba

150  CUBA REGION B Y REGION

The jetty at María La Gorda, the departure point for boats taking people to dive sites
0 María La Gorda and a warm, translucent sea q Guanahacabibes
a real tropical aquarium. The Reserve
Pinar del Río. n Hotel María La Gorda
Diving Centre, (48) 778 131, 778 077. reefs are also easy to reach, Pinar del Río. n Estación Ecológica,
lying just a short distance La Bajada, (48) 750 366. 8
The best-known bathing spot from the shore (the coral
on the southwestern coast and fish can even be seen The peninsula of Guanahacabibes,
owes its name to a sad legend. without swimming named after a Pre-Columbian
A few centuries ago, a plump under water). ethnic group, is a strip of
(gorda) girl named María was From the jetty opposite land 100 km (62 miles)
abducted by pirates on the the diving area, a boat long and 6–34 km
Venezuelan coast and then takes divers twice a day (4–21 miles) wide.
abandoned here. In order to to the various dive sites. In 1985 it was declared
survive, she was forced to sell Areas of particular a world biosphere
herself to the buccaneers who interest include the reserve by UNESCO,
passed by. The place still bears so-called Black Coral to protect the flora
her name today. Valley, a wall of coral and fauna. Access
The extraordinary beauty of over 100 m (328 ft) A cotorra, a species to the inner zone,
the coral reefs – populated by long, and the Salón de of parrot seen in in the vicinity of
sea turtles, reef sharks and other María, a sea cave at a the reserve La Bajada, is therefore
rare species of tropical fish – depth of 18 m (60 ft), limited. Permission
makes these 8 km (5 miles) of which is the habitat of rare to visit is granted by the park
coastline with fine white sand species of fish. rangers at La Bajada, and
visits to the park are made
in visitors’ vehicles and then
on foot with a local guide.
The mixed forest of decid-
uous and evergreen trees
contains about 600 species
of plants and many animals,
including deer, boar, reptiles
and jutías, rodents similar to
opossums that live in trees.
Among the bird species are
woodpeckers, parrots, hum-
ming birds, cartacuba and
tocororo (see p22).
Cabo San Antonio, the
western tip of Cuba, is
identifiable by the 23-m
(75-ft) high Roncalli light-
house, built in 1849 by the
Spanish governor after
Cabo Corrientes at the southern end of the Guanahacabibes reserve whom it was named.
Harvesting tobacco in the Valle de Viñales

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