Los Buchillones


Tucked away on Ciego de Ávila Province's northwest coastline, this significant archaeological site was originally excavated during the 1980s after fisherfolk began discovering implements such as ax handles and needles in the surrounding swamps. The mud at the bottom of the shallow lagoon preserved these Taíno artifacts so well that the site has yielded the most significant stash of pre-Columbian relics anywhere in the Greater Antilles.

Los Buchillones had been the location of a sizable Taíno settlement of 40 to 50 houses, predating European arrival in the region. Everything from cemíes (Taíno deities to gods of rain, cassava and the like) to canoes to house structures have been recovered from the excavation site, most of which remains a waterlogged work in progress.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Museo Municipal de Chambas

14.36 MILES

Contains pre-Columbian artifacts from the nearby Los Buchillones archaeological site. The museum is in the town of Chambas, 10km northeast of Florencia.

2. El Pueblo Holandés

16.47 MILES

A small community with 49 red-roofed, Dutch-style dwellings, El Pueblo Holandés is on a hill next to the highway, 4km north of Laguna La Redonda. It was…

3. Laguna de la Leche

17.58 MILES

Laguna de la Leche (Milk Lake), named for its reflective underwater lime deposits, is Cuba's largest natural lake (66 sq km). Its water content is a…

4. Playa Pilar

17.61 MILES

This much sought-after strip of sand is regularly touted as Cuba's (and the Caribbean's) best beach, courtesy of its diamond-dust white sand and rugged…

5. Ganado Santa Gertrudis

17.75 MILES

Santa Gertrudis cattle are bred at this large Isla Turiguanó farm, on the main road just before you enter the causeway to Cayo Coco. The adjoining stadium…

6. La Presa de Florencia

17.88 MILES

The Florencia area's focal point is an artificial lake called La Presa de Florencia, formed when a dam was built on the Río Chambas in 1991. The lake and…

7. Laguna La Redonda

18.14 MILES

Anglers, listen up: 12km north of Morón, off the Cayo Coco road, this mangrove-rimmed, 4-sq-km lake has the island's best square-kilometer density of bass…

8. Parque Agramonte

20.54 MILES

Small park in the northern part of Morón with a small church and an old theater. The access road to Laguna de la Leche branches north from here.