Follow the Cuba today becomes already so common, how to fly to Turkey or Egypt. Meanwhile, Cuba is completely special, well, very atmospheric. And very beautiful. Santiago de Cuba is located in the south-east of the island. This, by the way, to say, the second largest city of Cuba! Almost 500 thousand people live here. The city can be considered quite old, it was founded exactly 500 years ago. Moreover, a few years after the foundation, the city was the capital. And here's another, Santiago de Cuba, we have a city-twist Piter! In general, the city is interesting and beautiful, I repeat, and that's what you can see.
Fortress Castillo del Morro
As you know, Santiago is located next to the Caribbean Cove, so the city has long been considered an active point of trading. Therefore, pirates, greedy before mining, often attacked the town. Therefore, in the 17th century, the authorities decided to strengthen the borders of Santiago. This is how Castillo del Morro appeared. By the way, the fortress is listed in the UNESCO cultural heritage lists. The fortress can be called "exhausted." They built it almost 63 years old, and so configured that no pirates, no one would break there. Someone from important personalities then said that for the defense of this fort there is enough single soldier and one dog. Therefore the fortress is perfectly preserved to the present day. Still: Bridges, towers, thick walls, ambrusuras with guns. Behind the walls of the fortress is the only Museum of Piracy History all over the world. Tempting, yes? This is a 9-way Jack Sparrow: Pirate outfits, weapons, treasures, parts of pirate ships, paintings of battles and much more. If you went to Cuba with children, they will squeeze from delight! If you want to stay closer to the fortress, select Hotel Balcón Del Caribe.
The abode of the Major De La Caridad)
This place is especially revered on Cuba. Basilica considers hardly the most important miraculous shrine of Cuban Christians. It is located 18 km from Santiago de Cuba, in the tiny village of El Cobre, where one rudople and their families live. Temple with snow-white walls as it will boil over thick forest. The way in this basil was the image of the patroness of Cuba, is for many a real manifestation of a miracle. There is a beautiful legend that at the beginning of the 17th century, the two Indian boys were sent to their master in search of salt on the shores of the Bay Nipie. However, a terrible storm broke out, which prevented them from performing an order. And when the storm seems to come, and the boys sat in the boat, they noticed how to boys swims. The boys launched a bundle and discovered inside a dimensional statuette of 30 cm with a sign that was reading "Yo Soy La Virgen de La Caridad", which means "I am the Most Merchant Mercy." In the left hand of Virgo kept a baby, right raised for blessings. The boys brought their find to the owner, who ruled the workers on copper mines. This owner found the phenomenon of this figurine miracle and ordered to build a small temple, where this shrine would be kept. And then the little church was completed to the luxurious basilica, by which we can see today.
It is rumored that somewhere at the beginning of the last century near the church on the slope one little girl was healed from a terrible ailment when I saw the Lick of the Virgin Mary. So faith in a statuette was strengthened, and the locals did not regret the construction and decoration of the temple. Even Ernest Hemingway himself, when he received the Nobel Prize, sacrificed the Gold Medal of the Temple, however, with the purpose of remembered, but then the abbot decided not to remember the medal, and today it can be seen in the same form. In the sense, it is exposed to review the visitors of the temple.
In general, the church is very beautiful and majestic, and pilgrims from all over Latin America rise to the monastery on the knees, and the hope of healing and let go of sins.
Gran Piedra National Park
This park you can find a little northeast of Santiago de Cuba. The place, of course, is just a luxurious. Mountains, brown vegetation, doves sea. Beauty! The park covers an area under 3.5 hectares. And it is called so, because the forests are covered with a huge rock with the same name. The Grand Piedra, by the way, is translated as a "big stone", and in fact, on this rock and it looks like. About how this boulder appeared here, they are still arguing. It weighs a stage of 65 thousand tons. In the height of the boulder - about 25 meters, in length - 50 meters, in width - 30 m. This stone even add to the Guinness Book as the third largest natural monolith. On this mountain love to climb climbers, tourists walk on it. And all because from the top of this boulder offers a luxurious look.
It is said that if the day was clear, you can even see Jamaica and Haiti. But in general, the rise is quite complicated - 452 steps - this is not a joke.
However, it is exactly worth it. And the park is very beautiful. Tropics, exotic birds, animals. The "floor" of the park stood fern, which here is more than 200 species, and more beautiful orchids. Can you imagine how beauty? And kiparis, pines, eucalyptus, peaches, apple trees, and if all this is more fruit, then the roof simply demolides fragrances and beauty. For visiting the park will have to make a small fee (or only for the rise on the boulder, something like that). Anyway, next to the park there is a tourist center and numerous coffee plantations, however, now abandoned.
Park Bakono
This is a very unusual place and, probably, the most original amusement park in the surrounding area. The reserve is under the protection of UNESCO. The park spread out 50 km between the Caribbean Sea and the mountains of Sierra Maestra. From Santiago de Cuba to go for long, about 20 km. What is this park famous? With its prehistoric valley, the meadow of sculptures and Lagoon Bakono. The area of the reserve is about 11 hectares. And here you can admire the sculptures of 200 prehistoric animals of the Stone Age. I mean, dinosaurs, mammoths, and other grains. All in a natural value, so the sensations are directly indescribable. Better, of course, go to this park with a guide, let him tell about all dinosaurs. And yes, take a hat with you, the sun here flies mercilessly. And the tenaks come here infrequently.