Península de Zapata

Matanzas - Matanzas City

The peninsula is a huge natural reserve for all manner of wildlife including local and migratory birds, lizards, crocodiles and rock crabs, you can see penned reptiles at the crocodile farm at La Boca.

A more appealing project is picturesque Guama (it is a group of tiny islands connected by wooden bridges). The area is also home to one of the largest underground cave and lake systems in Latin America.

To the east of the peninsula lie a number of good and relatively secluded beaches, the most popular of which are Playa Larga and Playa Giron, one major attraction is the excellent Museo Playa Giron, which serves as an emotive memorial to the unsuccessful Bay of Pigs invasion.

Playa Giron

Playa Giron, on the eastern side of the famous Bay of Pigs (Bahia de Cochinos), 48 km south of Boca de Guama, is named for a French pirate who frequented the area centuries ago. The CIA-sponsored landing here on April 17, 1961, was defeated within 72 hours, as a museum and many monuments proclaim. In all, 200 invaders were killed, 1197 captured, and 11 hostile planes shot down. You really get the feel of reliving history by coming here, and the clear Caribbean waters washing these shores make Playa Giron a favorite destination for scuba divers and snorkelers. A lasting legacy of 1961 is that the entire Bay of Pigs area is strictly out of bounds to cruising yachts.
Playa Giron's main resort is rather pleasant, and a huge seawall provides a protected swimming area. Long, white Playa Los Cocos, where the snorkeling is good, is just a 5-minute walk south along the shore.

The rocky soils of this region are of little use for agriculture and the population is sparse. Distances are long and public transportation is poor, so unless you've rented a car, you'd better be prepared to rough it.

Playa Larga

Continuing south from Boca de Guama you reach the famous Bay of Pigs at Playa Larga after 13 km. US-backed exiles tried to invade Cuba through this bay on April 17, 1961. The main museum dedicated to these events is at Playa Giron, which is 35 km father south. The rather unappealing little village of Playa Larga makes a good base for visiting the adjacent nature reserves in Gran Parque Natural Montemar.