Cuba - Lonely Planet [364]
HOTELS
Hotel El Castillo (Gaviota; 64-51-64; Loma del Paraíso; s/d CUC$42/58; ) You could recline like a colonial-era conquistador in this historic place housed in the hilltop Castillo de Seboruco, except that conquistadors didn’t have access to swimming pools, satellite TV or a room maid who folds towels into ships, swans and other advanced forms of origami. While the 34 rooms at this fine Gaviota-run hotel might be a little dilapidated and damp, the jaw-dropping El Yunque views and all-pervading Baracoan friendliness more than make up for it.
Hotel Porto Santo (Gaviota; 64-51-06; Carretera del Aeropuerto; s/d CUC$42/58; ) On the bay where Columbus, allegedly, planted his first cross, this well-integrated low-rise hotel has the feel of a small resort. Situated 4km from the town center and 200m from the airport, there are 36 more-than-adequate rooms all within earshot of the sea. Lie awake with the windows open and let the ethereal essence of Baracoa transport you. A steep stairway leads down to a tiny, wave-lashed beach.
Hotel La Rusa (Gaviota; 64-30-11; Máximo Gómez No 161; r CUC$49; ) Khrushchev wasn’t the first Russian to hedge his bets with Fidel Castro. Long before the Bay of Pigs sent the Cubans running into the arms of the Soviets, Russian émigré Magdalena Rovieskuya was posting aid to Castro’s rebels up in the Sierra Maestra. Rovieskuya – known affectionately as ‘La Rusa’ – first came to Baracoa in the 1930s where she built a 12-room hotel and quickly became a local celebrity receiving such esteemed guests as Errol Flynn, Che Guevara and Fidel Castro. After her death in 1978, La Rusa became a more modest government-run joint that was all but washed away in Hurricane Ike. It was undergoing a thorough renovation at the time of writing.
Hostal La Habanera (Gaviota; 64-23-37; Antonio Maceo No 126; r CUC$49; ) Atmospheric and inviting in a way only Baracoa can muster, La Habanera sits in a restored pastel-pink colonial mansion where the cries of passing street hawkers compete with an effusive mix of hip-gyrating music emanating from the Casa de la Cultura next door. The four front bedrooms share a street-facing balcony replete with tiled floor and rocking chairs, while the downstairs lobby boasts a bar, the 1511 restaurant, and an interesting selection of local books.
Eating
After the dull monotony of just about everywhere else, eating in Baracoa is a full-on sensory experience. Cooking here is creative, tasty and – above all – different. Local delicacies include cucuruchu (grated coconut mixed with sugar, honey and guava, wrapped in a palm frond), fish with coconut sauce, bacán (pulped plantain and coconut milk) and teti (a tiny red fish indigenous to the Río Toa). To experience the real deal, eat in your casa particular.
PALADARES
Paladar El Colonial (José Martí No 123; mains CUC$10; lunch & dinner) The town’s only surviving paladar has been knocking out good food for years with an exotic Baracoan twist. Still run out of a handsome wooden clapboard house on Calle José Martí, the menu has become a bit more limited in recent times (less octopus and more chicken), though you still get the down-to-earth service and the delicious coconut sauce.
RESTAURANTS
Casa del Chocolate (Antonio Maceo No 123; 7:20am-11pm) It’s enough to make even Willy Wonka wonder. You’re sitting next to a chocolate factory but, more often than not, there’s none to be had in this bizarre little casa just off the main square. The quickest way to check out Baracoa’s on-off supply situation is to stick your head around the door and utter the word ‘chocolate’ to one of the bored-looking waitresses. No hay equals ‘no,’ a faint nod equals ‘yes.’ On a good day it sells chocolate ice cream and the hot stuff in mugs. For all its foibles, it’s a Baracoa rite