Guantánamo

Guantánamo City - Other Cities and Attractions

Basic Information
Area: 6,178 sq. km
Capital: Guantánamo
Population: 507,300

Cuba's easternmost province is one of the least visited yet most interesting of all the country's municipalities. The city of Guantánamo, located in the south of the province is best known for being the site of the US Naval Base, actually situated on Guantánamo bay a few km north of the city.

The US military is holding at Guantánamo more than 500 people detained during the 2001 US war to Al Qaeda and the ruling Taliban from Afghanistan and in other operations in the US war against terror.

The province is, with the possible exception of parts of Pinar del Rio province, the wildest, most uncharted piece of terrritory in the land.

The main tourist destination of Guantánamo province is the magical little town of Baracoa. In the week of April 1, every night, street parties commemorate the disembarkation of General Antonio Maceo at nearby Playa Duaba in 1895, marking the beginning of the War of Independence.

Guantánamo's architecture and culture is unlike the rest of Cuba. The province is only 80 km away from Haiti. Guantánamo also has a high number of immigrants from Jamaica, meaning that many buildings are comparable to those of the French Quarter of New Orleans in the US state of Louisiana.

The Nipe-Sagua-Baracoa mountains dominate the province, dividing both climate and landscape. The northern coast, battered by prevailing winds, is the wettest part of the country, while the south, sheltered and dry, is the hottest. The north is characterized by rainforests, while the south is arid and has much cacti.