Fuerte Matachín

Baracoa

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Baracoa is protected by a trio of muscular Spanish forts. This one, built in 1802 at the southern entrance to town, houses the Museo Municipal. The small but beautiful building showcases an engaging chronology of Cuba's oldest settlement, including polymita snail shells, the story of Che Guevara and the chocolate factory, and the particular strand of music Baracoa gave birth to: kiribá, a forefather of son.

There are also exhibits relating to Magdalena Menasse (née Rovieskuya, 'La Rusa'), after whom Alejo Carpentier based his famous book, La consagración de la primavera (The Rite of Spring).

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • El Yunque

    El Yunque

    5.24 MILES

    Baracoa's rite of passage is the 8km (up and down) hike to the top of this moody, mysterious mountain. Views from the summit (575m) and the flora and…

  • Parque Natural Majayara

    Parque Natural Majayara

    1.21 MILES

    Southeast of town in the Parque Natural Majayara are a couple of magical hikes and swimming opportunities plus an archaeological trail in the grounds of a…

  • Playita de Cajobabo

    Playita de Cajobabo

    18.79 MILES

    Cajobabo's main beach is stony and flanked by dramatic cliffs, but nonetheless makes a good snorkeling spot. Follow the road's eastern end over a headland…

  • Río Toa

    Río Toa

    4.13 MILES

    Ten kilometers northwest of Baracoa, the Toa is the third-longest river on the north coast of Cuba and the country's most voluminous. It's also an…

  • Finca Duaba

    Finca Duaba

    3.81 MILES

    Five kilometers out of Baracoa on the road to Moa and then 1km inland, Finca Duaba offers a fleeting taste of the Baracoan countryside. It's a verdant…

  • Playa Duaba

    Playa Duaba

    2.55 MILES

    Heading north on the Moa road, take the Hotel Porto Santo/airport turnoff and continue for 2km past the airport runway to a black-sand beach at the river…

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Nearby Baracoa attractions

3. Bust of Hatuey

0.5 MILES

Facing the cathedral is the Bust of Hatuey, a Taíno cacique (chief) who was burned at the stake near Baracoa in 1512 after resisting Spanish colonization…

4. Poder Popular

0.54 MILES

On triangular Plaza Independencia (this being Baracoa, they couldn't have a square plaza) is the neoclassical Poder Popular, a municipal government…

5. Casa del Cacao

0.58 MILES

Baracoa, you will quickly ascertain (via your nose), is the center of Cuba's chocolate industry; cacao is grown hereabouts and subsequently chocolate-ized…

6. Castillo de Seboruco

0.6 MILES

Baracoa's highest fort was begun by the Spanish in 1739 and finished by the Americans in 1900. Barely recognizable as a fort these days, it serves as…

7. Fuerte de la Punta

0.96 MILES

This Spanish fort has watched over the harbor entrance at the northwestern end of town since 1803. The super thick, hurricane-resistant walls now hide a…

8. Parque Natural Majayara

1.21 MILES

Southeast of town in the Parque Natural Majayara are a couple of magical hikes and swimming opportunities plus an archaeological trail in the grounds of a…

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