Cuba - Lonely Planet [314]
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PICO TURQUINO
Towering 1972m above the azure Caribbean, Pico Turquino – so named for the turquoise hue that colors its steep upper slopes – is Cuba’s highest and most regularly climbed mountain.
Carpeted in lush cloud forest and protected in a 140-sq-km national park, the peak’s lofty summit is embellished by a bronze bust of national hero José Martí, the work of Cuban sculptor Jilma Madera (Madera also fashioned the famous Christ statue that stands on the eastern side of Havana harbor; Click here). In a patriotic test of endurance, the statue was dragged to the top in 1953 by a young Celia Sánchez and her father, Manuel Sánchez Silveira, to mark the centennial of the apostle’s birth.
Four years later, Sánchez visited the summit again, this time with a rifle-wielding Fidel Castro in tow to record an interview with American news network, CBS. Not long afterwards, the rebel army pitched their permanent headquarters in the mountain’s imposing shadow, atop a tree-protected ridge near La Plata.
Best tackled as a through trek from the Santo Domingo side, the rugged, two- to three-day grind up Turquino starts from Alto del Naranjo near La Plata and ends at Las Cuevas on the Caribbean coast. Guides are mandatory and can be arranged through Flora y Fauna employees at Villa Santo Domingo or at the small hut at Las Cuevas. The cost varies, depending on how many days you take. If you organize it through Cubanacán in Bayamo Click here, bank on CUC$45/65/99 per person for two/three/four days. You’ll also need to stock up on food, warm clothing, candles and some kind of sleeping roll or sheet. Even in August it gets cold at the shelters, so be prepared. Sufficient water is available along the trail.
The trail through the mountains from Alto del Naranjo passes the village of La Platica (water), Palma Mocha (campsite), Lima (campsite), Pico Joachín (shelter and water), El Cojo (shelter), Pico Joachín, Regino, Paso de los Monos, Loma Redonda, Pico Turquino (1972m), Pico Cuba (1872m; with a shelter and water at 1650m), Pico Cardero (1265m) and La Esmajagua (600m) before dropping down to Las Cuevas on the coast. The first two days are spent on the 13km section to Pico Turquino (overnighting at the Pico Joachín and/or Pico Cuba shelters), where a prearranged guide takes over and leads you down to Las Cuevas. As with all guide services, tips are in order. Prearranging the second leg from Pico Cuba to Las Cuevas is straightforward and handled by park staff.
These hikes are well coordinated and the guides efficient. The sanest way to begin is by spending the night at Villa Santo Domingo and setting out in the morning (you should enter the park gate by 10am). Transport from Las Cuevas along the coast is sparse with one scheduled truck on alternate days. Arrange a taxi in advance.
Click here for a description of the Las Cuevas–Pico Turquino leg.
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Getting There & Around
There’s no public transport from Bartolomé Masó to Alto del Naranjo. A taxi from Bayamo to Villa Santo Domingo should cost from CUC$30 to CUC$35 one-way. Ensure it can take you all the way; the last 7km before Villa Santo Domingo is extremely steep but passable in a normal car. Returning, the hotel should be able to arrange onward transport for you to Bartolomé Masó, Bayamo or Manzanillo.
A 4WD vehicle with good brakes is necessary to drive the last 5km from Santo Domingo to Alto del Naranjo; it’s the steepest road in Cuba with 45% gradients near the top. Russian trucks pass regularly, usually for adventurous tour groups, and you may be able to find a space on board for approximately CUC$7 (ask at Villa Santo Domingo). Alternatively, it’s a tough but rewarding 5km hike.
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MANZANILLO
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Bayside Manzanillo might not be pretty but – like most low-key Granma towns – it has an infectious vibe. Sit for