| “If everyone who had a gun just shot themselves, there wouldn't be a problem.” George Harrison |
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 "Manzanillo is a fishing village overlooking a beautiful sea. Its light, with its contrasting greens and yellows, has influenced me a great deal. God has created a brilliant, intense light in Manzanillo, a light that doesn't disappear even in the shadows." - Ruben Beltran, local painter |
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| Founded on July 11 1792, Manzanillo is in Granma province in the Oriente. It was named after a strange tree (Hippomane mancinella lin) or manzanillo in Spanish. Very abundant along its coast in the early days of the Spanish colony, there only remains one specimen today and it's not because of an ecological disaster : the manzanillo is poisonous. The aboriginals used it to make deadly arrows. The town became famous for its mechanical organs imported first from Paris, then built here by the Fornaris and Borbolla families who went on travelling shows with their huge organs in the back of a rickety old truck. During the 1980's, before Buena Vista Social Club, the town was at the origin of a new beginning in Cuban music. The danzon orchestra, La Original de Manzanillo and singer Cándido Fabré, reputed for his improvs are today its most famous sons. Citizens meet on sunday afternoons for concerts around the central park's glorietta (gazebo), inspired by the one in the Los Leones park of Granada, Espana. Only 9 miles south of town is one of the loveliest, entrancing spots in Cuba or in the world : La Demajagua. By all means, go and enjoy the calm and serenity of this most peaceful historic location. 
POPULATION 131,707 (2007) RESTAURANTS 1800, Cayo Confite, El Golfo, El Manegua, Guacanayabo, Las Americas, Paladar las Rocas (Martires de Vietnam 68, e/Caridad y Gal Benitez, tel. (23) 57-30-28 Hosts Mercedes and Marcel offer meals with a view in their home, near casa Adrian y Tonia, prices from 8 to 10 cuc) SERVICES Aeropuerto Sierra Maestra (8km south) tel. (23) 54-984 • Banco de Credito, corner Merchan & Saco (mon-fri, 8h-15, sat 8h-12) • Cubana, calle Maceo 70 tel. (23) 28-00 • Havanautos 5-20-56 • Omnibus terminal for Astro (no Viazul here),2 km East tel. 5-22-21, daily departures (among others) for Pilon and Grito de Yara • Train statton is at the end of Merchan 5-35-88 EVENINGS Bar Brisas del Mar, Baseball : Estadio Wilfredo Pages, Cabaret Costa Azul, Cabaret Salon Rojo, Casa de la Trova, Cine Popular TRANSPORTATION Bus Astro Prices in cuc Bayamo (2xday 2), Camaguey (Daily 10), La Habana (Daily 28), Pilon (Daily 3), Yara (2xday 1) ••• Trains Bayamo (4xday 2), La Habana (Daily 28), Jiguani (2xday 2.20), Santiago de Cuba (Daily 5.75) |
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| SEE Calle Marti, Comité Ejecutivo Municipal, Iglesia de la Purisima Concepcion, Monumento Celia, Museo Historico Municipal, Parque Cespédes, Parque Máximo Gómez, The home and studio of the talented local painter Ruben Beltran EXCURSIONS • Bartolomé Maso for the view of the valley from its motel swimming pool, a must stopover • Media Luna for birthplace and museum of Celia Sanchez, muse and companion of Fidel until her death in 1980. • Site of Granma (the boat) landing with Fidel and his 81 companions packed onboard — 02.12.56 — on the coast at Las Coloradas, now Parque nacional Desembarco del Granma (27 545 ha), a UNESCO World heritage Site since 1999 : marine terraces, spectacular cliffs from Cabo (Cape) Cruz as well as caves and unique flora • Grito de Yara, tiny placename, unforgotten and significant : where the first aboriginal rebellion took place, led by Hatuey • Media Luna for birthplace and museum of Celia Sanchez, muse and companion of Fidel until her death in 1980 • Museo Historico La Demajagua (13 km south) : rich landowner Carlos Manuel de Cespedes liberated his slaves and declared war on the Spanish colony • Bartolomé Maso for the view of the valley below from hotel Balcon de la Sierra, perfect stopover on way to Sierra Maestra, 24 km further • Santo Domingo for a stay in its cabinas (Villa Santo Domingo) by the river before heading up to Sierra Maestra : trekking to La Comandancia de la Plata and Alto de Naranjo in Parque Turquino with (why not?) camping near its peak (pico) at an altitude of 2 000 meters |
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 HEED THE HINTS IN THIS FINE PRINT ::: Make sure that in your first email or phone call you specify that you want to book a room in that particular casa and that you will reconfirm your booking on arrival in Cuba. Unless you only want a room in any house which may be of the same quality, not the specific casa you booked through photos on these websites ::: So as to not abandon expecting owners with empty rooms, reconfirm (or call ahead to cancel) your booking by phone as soon as you can after arriving in Cuba ::: Please write or phone a casa owner to cancel a booking. As late as it may seem, it allows them a chance to rebook. ::: Children under the age of 16 may share a bedroom with adults for free. Specify the child's age when booking. ::: Since October 2010, maximum bedroom capacity is not limited to two adults ::: Also, large casas are not limited to renting only two bedrooms per night. ::: At the end of the casa name, the V signals the casa was suggested by travelers or owners but not verified by the website staff. If you try it and like it, write us about it. ::: Unless otherwise mentioned, the average room rates and service prices are : 20-25cuc per bedroom per night [up to 40+ for 4 in a room]; breakfasts 3-5cuc, dinners 7-10cuc. ::: Note : monthly taxes have increased 15-50% for owners; this may be reflected on the aforementioned rates. ::: Any casa particular anywhere in Cuba must have a hot water shower, otherwise it cannot have a permit to rent. ::: On certain occasions in the past year, overbooking may have inadvertently hurt some travellers, some casa owners and some webmasters more than would appear and this prompted this webmaster to overreact by generalizing about individual realities; having hurt most casa owners, this webmaestro's self-righteous attitude [all action, no talk] was uncalled for. Lo siento mucho I am truly sorry and apologies given, Marcos 070112 ::: Please share your Complaints, comments & suggestions webmaster [@]cubacasas.net |
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 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.  BOOK BY PHONE • From Canada and the USA : 011 53 (add phone # preceded by the town's area code, 23) • From Europe, Great Britain, Scandinavia and Mexico : 00 53 (add phone # preceded by the town's area code, 23) HOW TO DIAL A CUBAN PHONE NUMBER HERE |
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ADRIAN y TONIA Calle Martires de Vietnam 49, esquina Caridad (pedestrian staircase street). Tel. (23) 57-3028  |
CASA CARIDAD Calle Pedro Figueredo 121, e/Luz Caballero y Martires de Viet-Nam. Tél. (23) 57-2127  |
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| ELDRIS y YOSDANIS Calle J.M. Gomez 347, esq (corner) Leon. Tél. (23) 57-2392 cell 015 268-8594  |
CASA D'RUBEN
Calle Leon 256, e/ San Salvador y Concordia Tel. (23) 57-5160  |
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| VILLA LUISA V Calle Ravena 172, e/Maceo y Masó Tel. (23) 57-2738 Located up a hill from where you can see all the way down to the main square, Luisa rents two renovated air-conditioned bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms. Suggested by Wibo Mans from the Netherlands 040408 |
ADO y FERNANDO
Calle Pedro Figueredo 105, e/Martires de Viet-Nam y Marti. Tél. (23) 57-2522 @ The couple rents one aircon bedroom with ensuite bath. Nice recently-redone terrace. |
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Content and photos © sogestour  Updated |
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