Cuba has become one of the most coveted destinations in recent years since the talks between Obama and Castro opened a new thread of hope between the Caribbean island, the world, and therefore also with tourism. For that reason, travel to Cuba currently It also requires an ace up its sleeve when it comes to discovering less crowded, more authentic and inexpensive places. My personal option includes the city of Remedios and its proximity to the idyllic Cayo Santa María. Are you coming to discover the hidden wonders of Cuba?
Remedies: life between parties and colors
© Alberto Legs
Any good route through Cuba that boasts passing through places like Havana, Viñales or Trinidad, although others still lie in a certain anonymity that makes them the most recommended attractions as we pass through the island of cigars, rum and sauce.
One of those places is Remedios, a small city located north of the province of Villa Clara whose presence begins to appear in tourist itineraries for many reasons: it is colorful, has an immense cultural heritage and is the closest place to the Cayo Santa Maria, where the only accommodation option is the resorts. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Founded in 1513, many experts claim that Remedios is the second oldest settlement in all of Cuba, although it appears like the eighth in the official list. Its initial "bad" fame was preceded by the constant presence of pirates who looted its streets, which is why the wealthiest families in Remedios ended up moving to the nearby city of Santa Clara, leaving a town among ruins that, with the Over time, it has managed to maintain its essence in the form of eroded alleys, colored facades and what is the only square with two churches in all of Cuba, the Plaza Martí. Yellow and glorious they shine the Parish of Our Lady of Good Trip, the smallest and currently undergoing renovations, and especially the Parish of San Juan Bautista de Remedios, a church whose history is the most epic.
It is said that during the years when pirates looted Remedios and entered its churches, the priests were hidden in an underground tunnel that crossed the Plaza Martí and connected both churches. With the passage of time the tunnel was demolished, leaving as vestiges these two churches that have become two of the greatest prides of this town in which boutique hotels have begun to proliferate in the last two years. The reason? Many, but especially the celebration of the feast of The parties.
Considered of national interest and famous for attracting thousands of visitors each year, Las Parrandas is a celebration that takes place every December 24 (in 2016 they were postponed due to the death of Fidel Castro), in which two sides, El Carmen and San Salvador, they face in a creative combat wearing a float through the streets of the town. The symbol of El Carmen is a hawk, and that of San Salvador a rooster, elements present during a party that culminates with the choice of the best float and a party that lasts until dawn on the 25th.
A show of pyrotechnics, music and color that has earned Remedios its status as a festive and joyful capital, but also quiet if you travel at any other time of the year. In the streets of Remedios there are hardly any tourists and people go about their life quietly, between narrow streets, looking out of colored windows and around a square where restaurants such as Las Arcadas (and its delicious Cuban rice) or el mythical Louvre, according to many the oldest bar in all of Cuba.
When it comes to staying, one of the best places is the Lizeth's private house, just ten meters from Plaza Martí and the best option if the day after your arrival in Remedios you want to visit that paradise called Cayo Santa María.
50 blue kilometers in Cayo Santa María
© Alberto Legs
In 1988, and while Cayos Guillermo and Coco began to attract tourists, Cayo Santa María was a barely penetrable coast of mosquitoes in which various works began to be carried out in order to take advantage of its beaches while respecting the environment, its many species of birds. and its dream beaches.
Although the key currently has places like Villa Brujas, the main stronghold of the resorts, as well as one of the few nudist beaches in Cuba, you will have to go 50 kilometers through the famous The Pedraplén, the road that crosses the key, to get to my favorite place in the area: Las Gaviotas beach, a semi-virgin place where the waters are turquoise, some small palm huts are used to store your belongings and the absence of deckchairs, hotels and crowds make this paradise a blessing.
To get to this area of Cayo Santa María, the best thing is to rent a shared taxi. The global price for the round trip to Las Gaviotas costs 50 CUC (about 48 euros), a more than reasonable price if you especially travel there with other friends or travelers. If you travel by rental car, try to pay attention to the signs and do not miss the opportunity to stop to admire the flamingos that look out onto the road from the Buenavista Biosphere Reserve.
En Remedios and Cayo Santa María You will find the perfect combo for a few days full of color, culture and beaches in the north of Cuba.
Are you planning to travel to Cuba in the next few months?