Cuba - Lonely Planet [149]
Sleeping & Eating
Hotel Colony (Gran Caribe; 39-81-81; s/d incl breakfast, CUC$56/84) This hotel on the Ensenada de la Siguanea, 46km southwest of Nueva Gerona, originated in 1958 as part of the Hilton chain but was confiscated by the revolutionary government before it got off the ground. Today the main building’s a bit run down but the newer bungalows are in good shape; clean, bright and airy. You might save a few cents by taking a package that includes three meals and scuba diving. The water off the hotel’s white-sand beach is shallow, with sea urchins littering the bottom. Take care if you decide to swim. A better (and safer?) bet is the Colony’s pleasant pool. A long wharf (with a bar perfect for sunset mojitos) stretches out over the bay, but snorkeling in the immediate vicinity of the hotel is mediocre. The diving, however, is to die for. A Havanautos car-rental office is at the hotel.
Getting There & Away
Transport is tough on La Isla and bus schedules make even the rest of Cuba seem efficient. Try bus 441 from Nueva Gerona. Otherwise, your best bet to get to the hotel is by taxi (approximately CUC$35 from the airport), moped, or rental car (Click here).
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THE SOUTHERN MILITARY ZONE
The entire area south of Cayo Piedra is a military zone and to enter you must first procure a one-day pass (CUC$12) from Ecotur ( 32-71-01; Martí btwn Calles 24 & 26; 8am-5pm Mon-Sat) in Nueva Gerona. The company will provide you with a Spanish-/English-/German-/French-/Italian-speaking guide, but it is up to you to find your own 4WD transport for within the zone itself. This can be organized with Havanautos in Nueva Gerona. Traveling in the military zone is not possible without a guide or an official pass, so don’t arrive at the Cayo Piedra checkpoint without either. As the whole excursion can wind up rather expensive, it’s an idea to split the transport costs with other travelers. Good places to fish around for other people are Hotel Colony and the Villa Isla de la Juventud. Both of these places also have tourist information offices that can give you more up-to-date advice on the region.
Cueva de Punta del Este
The Cueva de Punta del Este, a national monument 59km southeast of Nueva Gerona, has been called the ‘Sistine Chapel’ of Caribbean Indian art. Long before the Spanish conquest (experts estimate around AD 800), Indians painted some 235 pictographs on the walls and ceiling of the cave. The largest has 28 concentric circles of red and black, and the paintings have been interpreted as a solar calendar. Discovered in 1910, they’re considered the most important of their kind in the Caribbean. Smaller, similar paintings can be seen in the Cueva de Ambrosio in Varadero. The long, shadeless white beach nearby is another draw (for you and the mosquitoes – bring insect repellent).
Cocodrilo
Cocodrilo, 50km southwest of Cayo Piedra, is a friendly village of 750 residents, still untouched by tourism. Through the lush vegetation beside the potholed road one catches glimpses of cattle, birds, lizards and bee hives. The rocky coastline, with its natural inlets and small, white sandy beaches lapped by crystal-blue water, is magnificent. One kilometer west of this tiny settlement is the Sea Turtle Breeding Center (admission CUC$1; 8am-6pm), where visitors can view rows of green-stained glass tanks that teem with turtles of all sizes. While not quite as captivating as watching the creatures nesting in the wild, the breeding center does an