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This territory contains 48% of all the historical sites of
the Cuban archipelago and its own capital city, Bayamo, was
awarded the condition of National Monument.It was the second
villa founded by the Spanish colonizers (1513); and had the
privilege to be declared the capital of the Republic in Arms,
only ten days after of the beginning, in La Demajagua, of the
Cuban war for independence (October 10, 1868).
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With the menacing possibility of falling
in the hands of military forces of the metropolis, its inhabitants decided
to burn it (January 12, 1869) to leave them only the ashes of the brave
villa.
Bayamo must indeed be toured on one of the carriages pulled by horses,
which are the transportation means of excellence of a city that preserves
in its historic center the plaza (October 20, 1868) where the National
Anthem was sung for the first time; the house of Cuban Nationality,and
the Parroquial Church of San Salvador de Bayamo, which preserves with
jealousy the only fresco in any of the churches of the Island inspired
in a patriotic event, and where the Chapel of Dolores (1740) remains open
for visitors to see its baroque altarpiece, one of the most beautiful
in the country.
The natal house of the Father of the
Homeland, Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, the Santo Domingo Convent,
or the well-known Ventana de la Luz de Velázquez, where the first
Cuban Trova Song, La Bayamesa, was sung; are some other attractions of
a place where a nearby monument, in Dos Ríos, reminds us of the
exact place where our National Hero, died in combat on May 19, 1895.
In the outskirts of the town of Guisa, the
Botanical Garden of Cupaynicú extends an invitation for
the visitors, while the ruins of the Sugar Mill La Demajagua
call for a stop on the way to Manzanillo, coast city washed
by the waters of the Gulf of Guacanayabo, surrounded by stories
of pirates, and whose Moorish plaza constitutes without a doubt
its most distinctive characteristic.Two National Parks: Desembarco
del Granma and Sierra Maestra meet at the limits of this province.
The first one covers 27 545 hectares and its main attraction
is the best preserved system of marine terraces of the archipelago
and is recognized by UNESCO as one of the most representative
ones at the international level.The Hoyo de Marlotte (Hole of
Marlotte) -77 meters deep and 52 meters wide- and the Cave of
Fustete are two of the biggest attractions of this park,
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where there are more than 200 species
of plants (10 are exclusive of this place), and where one of the few virgin
forests of the country is preserved in the Royal Cove.Eight, natural and
historical, espeleoarcheological pathways and routes have been opened
in areas of this National Park. One of them covers 22 kilometers between
the mangrove swamp of Las Coloradas and the sugar cane plantations of
Alegría de Pío, which led the way of the crew members of
the Granma Yacht who, under the command of Fidel Castro, disembarked in
this area on December 2 of the year 1956.
In the great National Park of Sierra
Maestra (527 000 hectares) you can visit the main tourism resort of Granma:
Marea del Portillo, a beach of quiet and clean waters, and gray sand,
located in a cove that shows its beauty under the protection of the mountains
of La Sierra Maestra and the surrounding coconut and palm trees.
There are in Marea del Portillo 17 diving
sites, out of which, the most attractive ones are located in the area
of Cape Cruz. Nevertheless, to fully enjoy the stay at this place, besides
taking baths of sun and sea, it is imprescindible to walk along the pathways
that lead to the waterfalls of Rivers
Cilantro and Las Yaguas, and plan an
excursion to Cayo Blanco, a very small isle located only 500 meters away
from the beach. This key is considered by those who have seen it, a perfect
place for romantics and lovers.
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