Sights in Caribbean Islands
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ExpoCuba
A visit to Parque Lenin can be combined with a trip to ExpoCuba at Calabazar on the Carretera del Rocío in Arroyo Naranjo, 3km south of Las Ruinas restaurant. Opened in 1989, this large permanent exhibition showcases Cuba's economic and scientific achievements in 25 pavilions based on themes such as sugar, farming, apiculture, animal science, fishing, construction, food, geology, sports and defense. Cubans visiting ExpoCuba flock to the amusement park at the center of the complex, bypassing the rather dry propaganda displays. Don Cuba, a revolving restaurant, is atop a tower. The Feria Internacional de la Habana, Cuba's largest trade fair, is held at ExpoCuba in the…
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Roaring River Park
If you’re looking for a brief escape from the fun-in-the sun ethos of Negril, spend an hour or two down the caves at Roaring River Park. This natural beauty spot contains mineral waters that gush up from the ground in a meadow full of water hyacinths and water lilies. A stone aqueduct takes off some of the water, which runs turquoise-jade. Steps lead up a cliff face gashed by the mouth of a subterranean passage lit by electric lanterns (you can enter the caves only with guides from the cooperative). Inside, a path with handrails leads down to chambers full of stalagmites and stalactites. Take your swimming gear to sit in the mineral spring that percolates up inside the…
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La Savane
This large central park sports grassy lawns, tall trees, clumps of bamboo and lots of benches. The harborside of La Savane has souvenir stalls, a newsstand and statues dedicated to early settlers and fallen soldiers. The park is the center of the action during Carnival and other major events.
At the park's north side, near bustling Rue de la Liberté, is a statue of the Empress Josephine holding a locket with a portrait of Napoleon. You can't miss it - years ago the statue's head was lopped off and red paint splashed over it. No real efforts have been made to repair the damage. Evidently the empress is not highly regarded by islanders. Many believe she was directly…
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Casa Blanca
First constructed in 1521 as a residence for Puerto Rico’s pioneering governor, Juan Ponce de León (who died before he could move in), the Casa Blanca is the oldest continuously occupied house in the western hemisphere. For the first 250 years after its construction it served as the ancestral home for the de León family. In 1779 it was taken over by the Spanish military, then with the change of Puerto Rico’s political status in 1898, it provided a base for US military commanders until 1966. Today it is a historic monument containing a museum, secluded grounds, a chain of fountains and an Alhambra-style courtyard. The interior rooms are decked out with artifacts from…
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Corporación Piñones Se Integra
The Corporación Piñones Se Integra is a community based nonprofit organization that is involved in improving the facilities in Puerto Rico’s poorer barrios, particularly Loíza. Concurrently, they are working hard to keep the island’s traditional Afro-Caribbean culture alive. Headquartered in the Centro Cultural Ecoturístico de Piñones situated to the right of Rte 187 immediately after you cross the bridge at Boca de Cangrejos, the organization promotes some of Puerto Rico’s best bomba y plena performances at its on-site Café El Búho at 9pm on the second and last Friday of each month. You can also arrange traditional dancing and percussion lessons here (phone…
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Iglesia de San José
What it lacks in grandiosity it makes up for in age; the Iglesia de San José in the Plaza de San José is the second-oldest church in the Americas, after the cathedral in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Established in 1523 by Dominicans, this church with its vaulted Gothic ceilings still bears the coat of arms of Juan Ponce de León (whose family worshipped here), a striking carving of the Crucifixion and ornate processional floats. For 350 years, the remains of Ponce de León rested in a crypt here before being moved to the city’s cathedral, down the hill. Another relic missing from the chapel is a Flemish carving of the Virgin of Bethlehem, which came to the…
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Estación Experimental Agrícola Federal
Strolling is an attraction at the Estación Experimental Agrícola Federal, the tropical agricultural research station of the US Department of Agriculture. and in the adjacent city park known as Parque de los Próceres. These grounds lie just southeast of the RUM campus. At the agricultural station you will see plantations of yams, plantains, bananas, cassavas and other tropical ‘cash crops’ as researchers evaluate new hybrids and species introduced to the island (including a cinnamon tree from Sri Lanka). The gardens have one of the largest collections of tropical plants in the world known to have beneficial effects on human health. The Parque de los Próceres, on the…
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Rancho la Guabina
A former Spanish farm spread over 1000 hectares of pasture, forest and wetlands, the Rancho la Guabina is a jack of all trades and a master of at least one. You can partake in horseback riding here, go boating on a lake, enjoy a scrumptious Cuban barbecue, or even see a cockfight. The big drawcard for most, though, is the fantastic horse shows. The Rancho is a long-standing horse-breeding center that raises fine Pinto Cubano and Apaloosa horses, and mini-rodeo-style shows run on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10am to noon and from 4pm to 6pm. Agencies in Viñales and Pinar del Río run excursions here starting at CUC$29, or you can arrive on your own. It's a great place…
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Rio Nuevo
The Rio Nuevo meets the ocean 8km east of Ocho Rios. In 1658 the bluff west of the river's mouth was the site where English forces fought the decisive battle against the Spanish, sending them scampering off to Cuba with their collective tail between their legs.
A plaque records the events: 'On this ground on June 17, 1658, was fought the battle of Rio Nuevo to decide whether Jamaica would be Spanish or English. On one side were the Jamaicans of both black and white races, whose ancestors had come to Jamaica from Africa and Spain 150 years before. The Spanish forces lost the battle and the island. The Spanish whites fled to Cuba but the black people took to the mountains…
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Museo de la Música Puertorriqueña
This spacious pink villa designed by Juan Bertoli Calderoni, father of Puerto Rico’s neoclassical style, offers Ponce’s best museum experience, and is a must for those interested in the sound of the island. A guided tour of the museum showcases the development of Puerto Rico’s music, allowing hands-on demonstrations of the island’s indigenous instruments. The collection of Taíno, African and Spanish instruments – especially the handcrafted four-string guitar-like cuatros and three-sting trios – and careful explanation of Puerto Rican musical traditions are highlights. The museum also hosts a three-week seminar on drum building in July, and holds traditional…
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La Guancha Paseo Tablado
One of Ponce's most successful urban beautification projects of the last couple decades was the boardwalk La Guancha Paseo Tablado, commonly known as 'La Guancha,' which lies about 3 miles south of the city center near the relatively lonely Ponce Hilton. Built in the mid-1990s, it's a haven for picnicking families and strolling couples to watch yachts slide in and out of the harbor.
Its chief points of interest include a concert pavilion, a handful of open-air bars and food kiosks, a couple of fine-dining restaurants, a well-kempt public beach and a humble observation tower. Monday and Tuesday are slow, but on the weekends the place picks up with a breezy, festive…
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Monumento Ernesto Che Guevara
The site of many a Che pilgrimage, this monument, mausoleum and museum complex is 2km west of Parque Vidal via Rafael Tristá on Av de los Desfiles, near the Víazul bus station. It's in a vast square spanning both sides of the carretera, guarded by a bronze statue of El Che. The statue was erected in 1987 to mark the 20th anniversary of Guevara's murder in Bolivia, and can be viewed any time. Accessed from the statue's rear, the sublime mausoleumcontains 38 stone-carved niches dedicated to the other guerrillas killed in the failed Bolivian revolution. In 1997 the remains of 17 of them, including Guevara, were recovered from a secret mass grave in Bolivia and reburied in…
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Colina Lenin
From the museum, head straight (south) on Martí past Parque Guaicanamar, and turn left on Albuquerque and right on 24 de Febrero, the road to Guanabacoa. About 1.5km from the ferry you'll see a high metal stairway that gives access to Colina Lenin. One of two monuments in Havana to Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (better known to his friends and enemies as Lenin), this monument was conceived in 1924 by the socialist mayor of Regla, Antonio Borsch, to honor Lenin's death (in the same year). Above a monolithic image of the man is an olive tree planted by Bosch, surrounded by seven lithe figures. There are fine harbor views from the hilltop.
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Ripon Nature Park
Ripon Nature Park, dating to 1730, in Mile Gully, produces citrus, flowers, coffee and cocoa and is being developed into a bird sanctuary, wild garden and ecopark by Derek O’Connor, owner of Kariba Holidays & Leisure Tours in Mandeville. The 5-hectare garden has more than 500 endemic species, including orchids. A palm-lined driveway leads to the vast and varied garden, accessible by trails and open for picnics. Fruit trees include giant plums. The hillsides are carpeted in ferns, and feature benches for quiet contemplation. Meditate among the fern-carpeted hillsides or check out the new hummingbird and butterfly garden, then cool off in the pool. A children’s play park…
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Balneario Escambrón
Balneario Escambrón. Imagine it - a sheltered arc of raked sand, decent surf breaks, plenty of local action and the sight of a 17th-century Spanish fort shimmering in the distance. But, hang on a minute. Are you really still only a stone's throw from Old San Juan and the busy tourist strip of Condado? Balneario Escambrón is almost too good to be true, which is probably why a lot of people miss it.
Perched on the north end of the slither of land that is Puerta de Tierra and abutting majestic Parque del Tercer Milenio, this palm-fringed yet rugged beach just might be one of the best municipal options offered anywhere. Adding convenience to enchantment, there are…
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Museo Hemingway
The villa’s interior has remained unchanged since the day Hemingway left (there are lots of stuffed trophies), and the wooded estate is now the Museo Hemingway. Hemingway left his house and its contents to the ‘Cuban people, ’ and his house has recently been the stimulus for a rare show of US-Cuban cooperation. In 2002 the Cubans agreed to a US-funded project to digitalize the documents stored in the basement of Finca La Vigía, and in May 2006 Cuba sent 11,000 of Hemingway’s private documents to the JFK Presidential Library in America for digitalization. This literary treasure trove (including a previously unseen epilogue for For Whom the Bell Tolls ) was finally…
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Punta Higüero Lighthouse
Nicknamed El Faro, the Punta Higüero Lighthouse dates from 1892 and rises almost 100ft above the terrain. It was restored in 1922 after being severely damaged by a tsunami set off by the devastating 1918 earthquake. The 26,000-candlepower light has been automated since 1933 and still helps ships navigate the Pasaje de la Mona. The lighthouse park is a popular attraction in Rincón.
There are picnic tables, the odd food kiosk and a small museum inside the lighthouse building that displays artifacts from shipwrecks and relays anecdotes from the area's maritime history. The principal reason to come here, however, is for the view. Five great surf breaks are nearby, and…
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Green Grotto Caves
This impressive system of caves and tunnels, 3km east of Discovery Bay, extends for about 16km. The steps lead down into the impressive chambers, where statuesque dripstone formations are illuminated by floodlights. Pre-Columbian Arawaks left their artwork on the walls. Much later, the caves were used as a hideout by the Spanish during the English takeover of the island in 1655. Runaway slaves in the 18th century also took refuge here, and between the two world wars, the caves were used by smugglers running arms to Cuba. The highlight is Green Grotto, a glistening subterranean lake 36m down. The entrance fee includes fruit punch and a guided one-hour tour. Your guide will…
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Parque De Bombas
Ponceños will claim that the eye-popping Parque De Bombas is Puerto Rico's most frequently photographed building - not too hard to believe as you stroll around the black-and-red-striped Arabian-style edifice and make countless, unwitting cameos in family photo albums. Originally constructed in 1882 as an agricultural exhibition hall, the space later housed the city's volunteer firefighters, who are commemorated in a small, tidy exhibit on the open second floor.
Since 1990, the landmark has had a perfect function as a tourist information center - even the most hapless touristo can't miss it - where a pleasant, bilingual staff will sell you tickets for a trolley and point…
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Peter Tosh Monument
One kilometer south of Bluefields lies the tiny inlet of Belmont, birthplace of reggae superstar Peter Tosh, who was murdered in 1987. You can pay your respects at the Peter Tosh Monument, a small mausoleum with a modest array of memorabilia. A casual place with few visitors, it’s in stark contrast to the tourist maelstrom surrounding fellow Wailer Bob Marley’s mausoleum in Nine Miles. Run by the Tosh family – his nonagenarian mother still lives on the property – the site also includes a gift shop selling cassettes and CDs as well as a small garden. In mid-October the annual Peter Tosh Birthday Bash, an informal local affair, features live roots reggae music…
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Parque Zoológico Nacional
One of the larger zoos in all Latin America, the Parque Zoológico Nacional is a dismal collection of cramped, bare enclosures that will leave you fearing for the future of the natural world. The collection of animals is extensive: rhinos and chimps, flamingos and the endangered solenodon, an extremely rare, rat-like creature endemic to the island. Located in a somewhat seedy neighborhood in the northwest corner of the city (the makeshift homes of the slum perched just above the zoo appear as if they’re likely to collapse onto the property at any moment), it’s a bit hard to find. A taxi here from the Zona Colonial costs around US$6; definitely be sure to arrange a return…
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Monestir de Montserrat
The Monestir de Montserrat was founded in 1025 to commemorate a vision of the Virgin on the mountain. Wrecked by Napoleon’s troops in 1811, then abandoned as a result of anticlerical legislation in the 1830s, it was rebuilt from 1858. Today a community of about 80 monks lives here. Pilgrims come from far and wide to venerate La Moreneta (Black Madonna), a 12th-century Romanesque wooden sculpture of Mary with the infant Jesus that has been Catalonia’s official patron since 1881. A bit like children refusing to believe claims that Santa Claus does not exist, Catalans chose to ignore the discovery in 2002 that their Madonna is not black at all, just deeply tanned by…
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St Peter's Church
Built in 1725 of red brick, this church is handsome within, despite its faux-brick facade of cement. Note the floor paved with original black-and-white tiles, and the beautifully decorated wooden organ loft built in 1743 and shipped to England in 1996 for restoration. The place is replete with memorial plaques. The communion plate kept in the vestry is said to have been donated by Henry Morgan, though experts date it to later times.
Most intriguing is a churchyard tomb of Lewis Galdye, a Frenchman who, according to his tombstone, '…was swallowed up in the Great Earth-quake in the Year 1692 & By the Providence of God was by another Shock thrown into the Sea & Miraculously…
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Playa Isla Verde
Resort pluggers will tell you that Playa Isla Verde is the Copacabana of Puerto Rico with its legions of tan bodies and dexterous beach bums flexing their triceps around the volleyball net. Other more savvy travelers prefer to dodge the extended families and colonizing spring-break hedonists that stake space here and head west to Ocean Park. Whatever your subjective view, this broad mile-long wedge of sand that lies between Punta Las Marías and Piñones is an undeniable beauty.
The downside - if there is one - is access. Cutting in front of the towering condos and plush hotels of Av Isla Verde, the beach is completely obscured from the road and, as a result, lacks the…
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Paseo de la Princesa
Emanating a rather distinctly European flavor, the Paseo de la Princesa is a 19th-century esplanade situated just outside the city walls. Lined with antique street lamps, shade trees, statues, benches, fruit vendors' carts and street entertainers, this romantic walkway culminates at the magnificent Raíces Fountain, a stunning statue/water feature that depicts the island's eclectic Taíno, African and Spanish heritage.
The Paseo is an ideal place to indulge in that most refined of Latin pastimes, the evening stroll - an activity best enjoyed at sunset when the breeze blows stiffly off the bay, the fountain shimmers under haunting colored lights and assorted vendors tempt…
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