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 Small seaside village 5 km from Trinidad in the province of Sancti Spiritus, here's La Boca. Boasts a beach, a small restaurant and bar, a couple of snack counters, a hotel exclusively for government workers, fishing boats and fishermen. Most of all, the sea in front of your eyes. Its little beach is at the mouth of a narrow river, the Guarabo, where the barcas are parked. When we went by here annually since 01, we saw a beach that was in mala estado, eaten up by the undercurrents and covered in pebbles. In 2005, casa owner Manolo Menendez and his neighbors transported sand and started planting trees : it's almost in its original state. Choose from our suggested casas as they're close to the beach, but most important, they're away from the nightly loud music emanating from nearby the govt-run hotel, a few hundred meters away. GETTING THERE Map from Trinidad here. Map of surroundings here. TRANSPORTS • Rent a bike to ride to Playa Aguilar or further Playa Ancon (seaside flat easy road but without shade) or all the way to Trinidad (gradual, gentle uphill to go; easy going down to return). • Localement : cocotaxis (yellow-cabined covered motorcycles), 3 pass. max. From here to Trinidad, 3 to 5cuc per person. • By taxi to Trinidad, from Havana, 3 hrs 30 minutes, (via autopista nationale and Cienfuegos) : figure 25cuc per person, minimum 4 passengers. • By Viazul a/c bus to Trinidad from La Habana : 4 heures, 25cuc. POPULATION 1,500 (mas o menos) DISTANCES Camaguey, 257 Ciego de Avila, 148 Cienfuegos, 88 Guama, 302 Guardalavaca, 513 Hanabanilla, 103 Holguin, 458 La Habana, 339 Puerto Casilda, 5 (turnoff at Curva de Alfredo) Manicaragua, 26 Pinar del Rio, 636 Santa Clara, 89 (124 via Sancti Spiritus) Santiago de Cuba, 654 Sancti Spiritus, 74 Soroa, 535 Topes de Collantes, 23 Varadero, 266 PLAYAS Right here, the small, renovated beach ; Aguilar, (4km), Ancon (6km). PALADARES AND RESTAURANTS In La Boca Small seaside terrazza, further down the road, another on Aguilar Beach and a couple k's further yet another at La Curva de Alfredo (where the road from Casilda stops). In Trinidad La Estela or the Sol y Son. Othersl : Colonial, Daniel, Don Antonio, El Jigue, El Meson del Regidor, La Cachancharra, La Coruña, Plaza Mayor. SEE IN LA BOCA • No cultural site (we know of). Actually, consider the whole small town as a cultural curiosity... SEE IN TRINIDAD • Convento San Francisco de Asís otherwise named the : Museo de Lucha contra los Bandidos (its yellow tower is the city landmark). A quiet small park in front. • Iglesia Santísima Trinidad, superbly and recently restaured. • Museo Arquitectura Colonial • Museo Romántico (Palacio Brunet) • Palacio Cantero (Museo de Historia). OUR RECOMMENDATIONS Prefix for phone. La Boca - Trinidad is now 41 (was 419) Phone numbers have now 6 digits, starting with 99 (International 53 + 41) Share your discoveries webmaster @cubacasas.net Daily exchange rate here |
 Barcas on rio Guanabo, facing our casas. © sogestour  The beach in front of the casas. © mario bourassa
• Autocars Astro and Viazul 41 99-44-48, • Café Internet Las Begonias angle Maceo et Rosario. 2cuc = 10 mins. 8h-20h infobegonias @yahoo.es • Weather : Forecast • Cupet 24 hrs, snacks and petrol 41 99-64-28 • Sala Internet Etecsa, Parque Central, 7h-18h. Coded card sold : 6cuc = 60 mins., the remainder can be used some other time or elsewhere in Cuba. telepunto.com RENTALS IN TRINIDAD : AUTOS, MOTOS, BIKES • Cubacar 41 99-62-57 • Gaviota Rentacar 41 99-63-88 • Havanautos 41 99-63-01 • Micar 41 99-64-95 • Transautos 41 99-53-14, • Transtur Taxis 41 99-64-54 • Transtur Autos 41 99-66-33 • Scooters/vespas Cubatur 41 99-63-14, • Bikes Terminus Viazul 3cuc/day 41 99-22-14 EVENINGS IN TRINIDAD : MUSIC, DANCE, SHOWS • Artex (daily dance lessons) • Casa de la Trova (group and dancing the son) • Casa de la Musica Egrem (most popular with three stages near Iglesia Santisima) • Casa de la Musica (daily dance lessons) • Ciné Romelio Cornelio Parque Central • Disco Las Cuevas (extraordinary cave) • Las Ruinas (of Teatro Brunet) : open sky • Palenque de Congos Reales (afro-cuban rythms). EXCURSIONS • Cayo Blanco, off Ancon : transport by bus and boat, scuba, playa, meal, cocktail : 27cuc + 30cuc for diving with tank. 419-62-05 • Playa Ancón : Three all-onclusive hotels reserved for paying guests only but the beaches are public. Before getting there, about 3 km out of town along the beach road : Grill Caribe (beach, veranda, parasols, langosta for 28cuc, no thanks !). • Playa Aguilar, a small public beach with home-made parasols run by a parking attendant. • Cuba Falls (Salto) go by horseback from Trinidad centre, 10cuc Photos Parque El Cubano here • Topes de Collantes in the mountains of the Escambray : trekking towards waterfall (salto) of Caburni, horseback, swimming in freshwater lagunas. Our page here. • Valle de Los Ingenios (San Luis Valley) by motorized or steam train. Our page here. |
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| BOOK BY PHONE • From Canada and the USA : 011 53 (add phone # preceded by the town's area code, 419). • From Europe, Great Britain, Scandinavia and Mexico : 00 53 (add phone # preceded by the town's area code, 419). |
 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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HOSPEDAJE VISTA EL MAR Manolo Menéndez Calle Real (the seaside road) 47. Tel. (41) 99-37-16 or (41) 99-41-34 Besides offering a beautiful view of the sea and the beach where the Guarabo river joins the sea, Manolo and his spouse rent two air conditioned bedrooms, each with private bath. Superb is the veranda with the dining table. The couple is working on improvements and will eventually move to a casita in the yard, leaving the main house to their guests. |
 Click for our pix. © sogestour |
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VILLA RIO MAR Nestor Manresa and Odalys Abram Calle San Jose No. 65, entre Rio y Real. Immediate neighbors of Buenavista (see below), about 20m from the beach, almost by the rio Guanabo. Tél. (41) 99-31-08 o Colonial columned villa o Superb verandas, immaculate floors o Two large air-conditioned bedrooms o Shared bathroom o Phone and laundry service o Parking on premises. o The live-in cat is happy : good sign ! Rates : room 25cuc (max. 2 adults), breakfasts 3cuc, dinners 8cuc. Their web site here.
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 Click for our pix. © sogestour |
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HOSTAL BUENAVISTA Guillo and Viola Calle San José #3, e/ Real y Rio. facing the beach, 10m away. Tel. (41) 99-41-34 c/o Julia This young enthusiastic couple opened their casa in 2004 in a large area shaded by mature trees. One very large bedroom with two double beds, private bathroom, right by a shaded veranda with rockers (photo, right). A sunny patio on beach side. Meals served. Hosts are always improving and spending time renovating. |
 Click for our pix. © sogestour |
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HOSTAL EL CAPITAN Maikel Casanova and Yile Pérez Calle Real (seaside road) #82. One k from La Boca, 3 k's from Playa Aguilar. Tel. (41) 99-30-55 cellular (041) 38-386 Only casa we know that's truly on the sea on the south side of the island. Original owner Cuca Casanova died in 2004. Her nephew inherited and renovated from top to bottom with great taste. Two air-conditioned bedrooms with private bathrooms, seaside terrace with shower, Meals served. Rates : rooms 30cuc (max. 2 adults), breakfasts 5cuc, dinners 10cuc |
 Click for our pix. © sogestour |
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HOSTAL TATY 61 V Oscar (Taty) Machado and Maricela Jiménez Calle Real no. 61 Tel. (41) 99-22-41 Taty, his spouse Maricela and their son Giovanni are charming. Meals prepared by Taty are excellent. |
Rooms are spacious and well furnished and the family makes you feel at home and is very helpful with suggestions. Ref : Juan Carlos, May 2005, Casamparo |
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HOSTAL SOL Y MAR V Joaquin and Olga Pomes Avenida del Mar #87, at the entrance to village coming from Playa Aguilar and Ancon. Tel./fax (41) 99-61-87 Walter of bicyclingcuba was there in 2003, before the disco situation : " This is one of our very favorite casas. The food is among the best we've had in Cuba, served with care, and the view over the La Boca waterfront from the front porch is lovely — but it's something special about Joaquin and Olga that brought us back twice and makes it hard to leave. (A Norwegian couple became so relaxed and happy when we were there that they cancelled the rest of their travel plans and stayed for a week!) " Note : casa guests could be bothered by loud music when workers who stay in the town's only hotel nearby, start having fun at the expense of locals and tourists. We were not able to check this out when we stopped in la Boca in June 2005 or in March 06. |
 Sol y Mar, facing the sea across the road © sogestour •|• Joaquin and spouse Olga © Walter Smith |
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Content & photos © sogestour  Updated |
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