A shell-shaped beach, views of Bahía de Nipe and a two-kilometre trail through a rock crevice mark three distinct natural attractions in Banes. They range from the coast to a viewpoint and a route featuring birdwatching and a climb. This raises a specific question when choosing a destination: should the focus be the beach, the bay views or the trail to Mirador Bello Horizonte?

Coast and views in Banes

Playa Guardalavaca is located in the municipality of Banes. The shell-shaped beach has fine white sand that reaches into the clear water. Its shape and the transition from sand to water give the coastal landscape a distinctive character. Loma de la Lima, also in the municipality of Banes, offers a different perspective: views of Bahía de Nipe. A distinctive beach and a viewpoint overlooking the bay are thus two separate landscape attractions to choose from.

La Grieta: birdwatching and a climb

The 2 km Sendero La Grieta trail runs along Cerro de Yaguajay, opposite Bahía de Naranjo. Endemic and migratory birds can be spotted along the trail, including the Carta Cuba, Tocororo and Carpintero. The trail passes through a rock crevice on its way up to Mirador Bello Horizonte. La Grieta thus combines a specified distance with birdwatching, a climb and a named viewpoint. This combination offers a different focus from Guardalavaca Beach or the view from Loma de la Lima: here, both the trail and its destination are part of the natural experience.

Holguín in the regional context

The wider destination of Holguín adds its own natural and cultural themes to the picture of Banes. Pico Cristal and La Mensura National Parks are located in Holguín Province. La Mensura is home to Salto del Guayabo, considered one of Cuba’s highest waterfalls.

Vegetation typical of rocky coasts can be found at Bahía de Naranjo; the landscape consists mainly of scrubland interspersed with forest. Well-preserved mangroves grow in the low-lying, swampy interior of the bay. Hiking, horseback riding and rural tourism are also listed as activities at Bahía de Naranjo. Thus, Holguín’s regional natural landscape encompasses a variety of coastal habitats and activities, as well as national parks and a waterfall.

The wider destination of Holguín also has its own historical points of interest. Five chronologically arranged rooms at the La Periquera Provincial Museum of History present key periods in the history of the area. The name La Periquera refers to the colour of the Spanish troops’ uniforms; they were quartered in the building during the siege of Holguín by the Mambises.

Loma de la Cruz is a viewpoint in the city of Holguín. According to tradition, Fray Antonio de Alegría erected a large cross there on 3 May 1790 to drive away demons and establish a Catholic pilgrimage. Chorro de Maíta is described as the largest indigenous cemetery in the Antilles. These regional attractions complement Banes’s coastal and natural landscapes with their own historical and cultural themes.

Discover more destinations: Playa Guardalavaca, Rafael Freyre.

View the wider travel guide: Holguín.