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 Banes is a town full of irony. It is where Fidel Castro was married and Fulgencio Batista was born. The place was from 1898 to the late Fifties, a company town, owned and operated by the infamous United Fruit Company (Chiquita bananas). So its colonial past is not Spanish, but rather American. Stories say the cane cutters (cortadores), who worked for UFC only during the three months of the zafra would cut off a finger to collect insurance and thus receive a regular revenue. There are long-term plans from Gaviota S.A. to build resorts on presently-deserted Peninsula de Ramon, (west of Cayo Saetia; see maps) something in the order of 5-7,000 rooms (in lots of 500), eventually including a horseback riding center, 6 golf courses and a port for cruise ships. You can drive from here to El Ramon to enjoy its pristine nature. It's about a 55km via the village of Antilla. POPULATION 89,730
SEE • Casa de la Cultura, one of the town's nicest buildings with its marble floors, its patio and pink and gold walls • Museo Indocubano Bani, also unique in the country for its pre-Columbian artefacts, its collections on the aboriginal Araucos : engravings, statuettes and a large collection of 800-year old necklaces • Museo de Historia for its icons of heroes of the Revolution • Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de la Caridad where, on October 12 1948, the mayor's daughter, Mirta Diaz-Balart, got married to someone named Fidel Castro Ruiz • Museo Aborigen Chorro de Maita (27 km on the way to Guardalavaca) with a collection of some 60 skeletons of Spaniards from the 1490 to 1540 era, dug up in 1986 PLAYAS • Morales, 12 km, from the name of the little town of fishermen. Guidebooks are only just starting to mention this place so try to keep it a secret... • Puerto Rico, further up the coast. Largely deserted beach where the palm trees provide shade while you feast on seafood. • Guardalavaca, 35 km, via Cañadon • Corintia, 129 km, via Mayari, past Cayo Saetia : supposedly one of the best beaches in the area • Gaviota, Almendra and Penon on Cayo Saetia. EXCURSIONS • Parque Nacional La Mensura (25 km southwest of Mayari) • Parque Natural Cayo Saetia (100 km, via Mayari). An isolated, green-covered, 42 sq km key with imported fauna (antelopes, aras, ostriches, buffalos, camels, iguanas, tapirs and zebras) for the all-day photo safaris sold in the Guardalavaca all-inclusive resorts. Clients arrive in helicopter or in jeeps. Some prefer staying at Villa Cayo Saetia, a Gaviota resort Tel. (24) 9-6900 with 12 bedrooms and 5 cabins (100cuc/day 3 meals) which lead to three lovely deserted playas : Gaviota, Almendra and Penon. RESTAURANTS & PALADARES El Paladar Familiar, Calle Bayamo 107, e/Ignacio Agramonte y general Moncado. SERVICES • Bus service from Holguin 6 times a day (no Viazul or Astro busses running). • If casas are all full, try the Motel Oasis (tel. 3447) : 28 bedrooms, bar and dining room. RECOMMENDATIONS V = not yet visited by cubacasas.net. Check in person or by phone. There were about a dozen casas offering rooms for rent in March 06. Children 16 and under may share parents' bedroom at no charge only if there is an additional bed available. Mention the age of your children when making the reservation. Comments, suggestions webmaster @cubacasas.net |
 Larger map on click.  Calle Veguita © sogestour  In the Fifties, these wooden houses were for UFC's North American staff.  Statuette at Museo Indocubano •|• Interior.  Scene on calle H •|• Zoom to the alturas © sogestour  Beach on Cayo Saetia •|• Cabin at Villa Cayo Saetia •|• hold-click : interior of cabin. © photobucket.com |
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| BOOK BY PHONE • From Canada and the USA : 011 53 (add phone # preceded by 24 for Banes). • From Europe, Great Britain, Scandinavia and Mexico : 00 53 (add phone # preceded by 24 for Banes). |
 BOOK BY EMAIL : Click on logo to open a message addressed to that casa in your email application; or right-click to copy address showing at bottom of browser window. Spanish vocabulary here.  |
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See the casas in sequence.
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COLONIAL GUEST HOUSE Gilma Quiñones Hernandez and her father Pablo Vazquez Naranjo Calle H #1526F, e/ Veguita y Francisco Franco, at the entrance to town center. Tel. (24) 8-2204 In the back of a large casa colonial built in 1920 by Gilma's granddaddy, a large ventilated bedroom (double and single beds) with private bathroom, balcony and comedor. Small living room with tv, large rooftop terrace with a shade-providing glorietta. Modest amenities but Gilma and her old dad are so sympaticos. Our first choice, even without air-conditioning. Rate : 25cuc (2 adults max.) |
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ING. SERGIO AGUILERO Calle Iglesia 4089, a bit passed the center, in reparto Nicaragua. Tel. (24) 8-2472 Two aircon bedrooms with private bathrooms, mini bar, parking, shaded patio; generator (in case of power failures. Attentive hosts. In 2005, almost in front of this casa, the former imposing private club of the UFC (with a unique wooden staircase, etc) transformed into a cultural community centre since the Revolucion, went down in flames. |
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ODALIS PEREZ BACALLAO and spouse MANOLO Calle H #77, e/ avenida de Cardenas y Pisonero, on the street leading down to center. Tel. (24) 8-3120 In her nice little casa, Odalis rents two aircon bedrooms with private bathrooms. Small living room, comedor, patio. |
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EVELIN FERIA DIEGUEZ Calle Bruno Merino 3401-A e/ Delfin Pupo y Jose Maria Heredia Tel. (24) 8-3150 or 8-2561 In the centre of town, this place is run by a remarkable woman who takes the space, makes it better and hands it to you with attention and kindness. Two ventilated bedrooms with private baths along an upstairs terrace. Meals served downstairs in the open air patio. Secured parking across the street. Listed in Petit Futé 2007-2008 |
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JULIO Y OMAYDA DANTA Calle Roble #85 A, e/7ma y 8va in reparto Silva, at the entrance to the town from Guardalavaca, near the hospital, one block from the main town-crossing road. Neighbour to Nancy, next, shared phone numbers. Tel. (24) 8-3243 or 8-3648 Two aircon bedrooms with private bathrooms, patio, ranchon, meals served. |
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NANCY BACALLAO DRIGGS Calle Roble #85 A, e/7ma y 8va in reparto Silva, at the entrance to the town from Guardalavaca, near the hospital, one block from the main town-crossing road. Neighbour to Julio, above, shared phone numbers. Tel. (24) 8-3243 or 8-3648 One aircon bedroom with private bathroom, lovely living room, balcony, meals served : breakfasts, 3cuc, meals 6cuc (filet of pargo, etc). |
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MARCIA PUPO ZALDIPAR V Calle Thelmo Esperance No. 1119, e/ Bayamo y Maximo Gomez Tel. (24) 8-3329 " The bedroom is air conditioned with a private bathroom and a fridge full of drinks. Bedroom and bathroom are cleaned daily. " Marcia serves delicious meals which are more than affordable : for a week, it cost me just 11cuc. " 15-25cuc for bedroom per night (2 pers. max.) " depending on season and frequency of visits ". Listed in Petit Futé 2007-2008 Ref. by Kim & Stéphane 31.08.05 |
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SR. ALFREDO SERRANO PROENZA V Calle Delfin Pupo 1105, entre Bruno Meri y J.M. Gomez, Reparte Cardenas Tel. (24) 8-2464 |
One of the nicest in Banes, so they say. Without meals, but there is a paladar nearby. Alfredo and his wife Esther are lovely folks. |
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VILLA LA ESCONDIDA Alberto Martinez In Cañadon, past Quatro Caminos, some 6km from Guardalavaca on the way to Banes. Tel. (24) 41-9174 Two aircon bedrooms in the back patio in an separate building; each with private small bathroom; dining room and living room. Alas, the short dirt road leading to and in front of the casa, is bordered with trash. Alberto (absent when we visited) is either blind or careless ... This casa is also on our page « One-offs ». |
 Mouseover for living room, held click for bedroom © sogestour |
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