Page 224 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Cuba

222  CUBA REGION B Y REGION

0 Manzanillo
Granma. Road Map E4. k “Sierra
Maestra”, 8 km (5 miles) south of town.
£ @ Bayamo, Camagüey, Havana,
Pilón, Yara.
Built along the Caribbean Bay
of Guacanayabo, Manzanillo
is a charming seaside town.
It was founded as Puerto Real
in 1784, and reached its
apogee in the second half of
the 19th century, thanks to
sugar and the slave trade.
Memories are still strong
of the feats of Castro’s rebel The Glorieta Morisca de Manzanillo, where the municipal band plays
forces in the nearby Sierra
Maestra, especially those of bands was opened on 25 June Céspedes, include the Neo-
Castro’s assistant Celia Sánchez, 1924. The so-called Glorieta Classical Iglesia de la Purísima
who organized a crucial rearguard Morisca gained its name for Concepción, built in the 1920s;
here. She is honoured by a its Arab-influenced decoration, the atmospheric Café 1906, the
striking monument in the town. designed by José Martín del 19th-century town hall, now
In Parque Céspedes, the Castillo, an architect from the Asamblea Municipal del
central square, a brickwork Granada. Other monuments Poder Popular; and the Colonia
bandstand for concerts by local in town, all near the Parque Española, a social club for

q Towards Santiago via Cabo Cruz

This fascinating route by road to Santiago skirts the high
slopes of the Sierra Maestra which, along the south coast,
forces the road into the sea in places, especially after
hurricanes. The scenery is unspoiled and at times wild,
and conceals several places of historical significance.
The route can be covered in a long day, but for a more
relaxing drive visitors could consider staying in Marea del 1 La Demajagua
Portillo or Chivirico. Céspedes’s estate still has
sugar-making equipment,
such as these calderas used
for making molasses.
0 km 15
0 miles 15

3 Playa Las Coloradas
It was near here that 82
rebels landed aboard the Niquero
Granma in December Punto Nuevo
1956 (see p52).

Bélic
4 Parque Nacional
Desembarco del Granma
This park is rich in local
flora, including some
extraordinary orchids.
There are also various Cabo Cruz
sites commemorating
the journey of the 5 El Guafe
revolutionaries following This archaeological site has Pre-
their arrival on the Granma. Columbian finds displayed in caves.

For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp262–3 and p275

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