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OUR 3 CASA LISTS BEGIN HERE
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CIENAGA DE ZAPATA The municipality which bears this name covers a large territory on the southern end of the provincia de Matanzas and includes Parque Montemar (previously named Parque Nacional Ciénaga de Zapata (70,277 ha), Gran Parque natural de Montemar (70 km of caves), and the fauna reserves of Santo Tomas and La Salina, the latter with a marsh populated by some 165 species of migrant and endemic birds. Villages and towns include La Boca (with its crocodile farm), Guama, Playa Larga / El Caleton and of course, Playa Girón. Just north of the area, lies its access junction, a barrio built around the once busy sugar mill, Australia and across the national highway (Autopista nacional), the quiet and mosquito-less town of Jaguey Grande (pop. 57,000). The UNESCO Biosphere Reserve also bears the name Ciénaga de Zapata. It covers 628,171 hectares and its fauna includes 160 species of birds, 31 types of reptiles and 12 varieties of mammals. Lest we forget the bats which nightly swallow some of the (what must be) billions of mosquitoes buzzing over the swampland, one bordering the road between Australia and Playa Larga ; ) Fear having to change a flat tire at 2 a.m. : your body will be the freshest Zapata all-you-can-bite buffet ! On the bay, the mosquitos (called jejenes hay-hay-ness) are present like clockwork at sunset, every second day, when the wind blows from the south. Last but not least, this area is famous because of its bay of Pigs, the Bahia de Cochinos where a CIA-sponsored invasion by Cuban exiles was promptly thwarted in 1961. |
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| EXCURSIONS Ride the whole length of the Bay of Pigs' east coast aboard a minibus from Guama Bus Tour : for 3 cuc pp for the day with stops unlimited, the ride leaves Guama and picks up riders allong the way down to the end at Caleta Buena with stops at Hotel Playa Larga (beach), Cueva de los Peces (scuba), Punta Perdiz (scuba) et Hotel Playa Girón (museum and beach) Bird watching in the swamps of Zapata with Angel Martinez or his brother Orestes El Chino, the doyen of guides. Tél. (45) 98-7545; cellulaire (5) 253-9004 Rate : 10cuc per person for half-day. E-mail : chino.zapata(@)gmail.com without the brackets Observe birds and crocos at Boca de Guama (Info 98-2979, 98-4131) Navigate or walk between the 12 small islands of Laguna (Lake) del Tesoro and its park (Taino casas and statues of Cuban aboriginals) the Aldea Taina in Guama Admire some 10,000 pink flamingos on the lake Laguna de las Salinas Hike with a guide in the woods of Corral de Santo Tomás (Info 98-7249 or 7128) Scuba dive in the tectonic fault at Cueva de Los Peces or at Caleta Buena from the center at Villa Playa Larga (Info 98-7225) or at the well-equiped and well-managed El Cocodrilito OUTDOORS Cycling, trekking, horseback riding, sailing, cave exploration, bird watching, scuba diving, in the bay or in caves. |
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| WORTH THE VISIT IN THE CIENAGA Conjunto Esculturico (Sculpture park at Laguna de Tesoro), Criadero de Cocodrilos, home for some 8,000 crocodiles (Boca de Guama), Finca Fiesta Campesina and local museum of the dismantled sugar mill, both in Australia, Museo de la Comandancia (Cuban HQ during Bay of Pigs invasion), in Australia's old sugar mill office) Museo de Playa Girón (Playa Giron) : exhibits of some of the arms used in fighting off the invasion attempt; biographies of 156 Cubans who died defending the sovereignty of their country; Villa Guama, the hotel reachable only by boat (20-min ride, 10cuc) on the Laguna del Tesoro, the 92 sq km lake : well worth a couple of nights; mornings and sunsets are glorious in the epicentre of nature, water, a bird sanctuary. |
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![]() Cubans who died defending their land - considered martyrs 50 years later Link > here < |
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OUR CASA LIST BEGINS HERE
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This calm bayside village, 29 km from the national highway is the gateway to Parque Montemar (previously named Nacional Ciénaga de Zapata), then the road goes south to Playa Giron and Caleta Buena. From here, excursions back up the road to Boca, Guama and its Laguna del Tesoro. In town, also called El Caleton, or Barrio Caleton, there's a bank, a post office, a bakery, a pizzeria and not much else. Otherwise, the lone hotel, Villa Horizontes has the only activity in town, a protected beach and scuba excursions.
RESTAURANTS Villa Horizontes, Laguna del Tesoro, La Boca HOTEL Villa Horizontes, 144 rooms, 50 cabinas (45) 98-7294 - Try its Club Octopus for scuba diving.
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![]() Barcas on the bahia de Cochinos (Giron) © Robin Thom, flickr.com ![]() Voleibol Terry Fox in Caleton © sogestour ![]() Best "do-it-yourself" excursion is taking the daily Guama Bus Tour minibus tour which goes along the bay from Guama all the way to Caleta Buena : 3cuc pp per day with unlimited stops © sogestour |
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| MINIBUS + VIAZUL + GUAGUAS [ie, TRANSPORTATION] • Ride the whole length of the Bay of Pigs' east coast aboard a minibus from Guama Bus Tour : for 3 cuc pp for the day with stops unlimited, the ride leaves Guama and picks up riders allong the way down to the end at Caleta Buena with stops at Hotel Playa Larga (beach), Cueva de los Peces (scuba), Punta Perdiz (scuba) et Hotel Playa Girón (museum and beach) • Local minibusses (guaguas) services cover the Cienaga • from Playa Larga to Jaguey Grande at 8h and 16h30 • from Playa Larga to Giron at 8h, 11h30, 16h30 and 20h • from Giron to Playa Larga 3 x day : am, p.m. and 19h30 • Route (ruta) #18 by VIAZUL to Cienfuegos and Trinidad stops at "Entronque de Jaguey (fork)" and goes on to Cienfuegos cutting across mostly barren land through La Ceiba and Yaguaramas Viazul schedule here. |
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![]() This is the northern limit of the bay of Pigs (bahia de Cochinos); beyond, in back is local beach, Maquina © Antonio Ruiz |
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| SEE.KNOW.DO IN THE CIENAGA • Hotel Cubanacan Villa Playa Larga (45) 98-7218, 60 bungalows (40-50cuc double), for its bar, beach and excursions to Parque La Cienaga. • Bird watching with Angel Martinez or his brother Orestes El Chino, the doyen of guides. Tel. (45) 98-7354 or 91-5539. 10cuc pp half-day. chino @zapata.atenas.inf.cu • Fly fishing - Lazaro Viñota works for the Parque national de Cienaga de Zapata and is an official fly fishing guide (Snook, Tarpon, Bonefish, Black Bass). pnacionalcz @enet.cu) Tel. (45) 91-3555 • CITMA's Estacion Ecologica in Palpite once offered free board to travelers to help research bats, birds, batrachians, crocodiles and all. Tel (45) 98-7119 WORTH THE VISIT IN THE CIENAGA Conjunto Esculturico (Sculpture park at Laguna de Tesoro), Criadero de Cocodrilos, home for some 8,000 crocodiles (Boca de Guama), Finca Fiesta Campesina and local museum of the dismantled sugar mill, both in Australia, Museo de la Comandancia (Cuban HQ during Bay of Pigs invasion), in Australia's old sugar mill office) Museo de Playa Girón (Playa Giron) : exhibits of some of the arms used in fighting off the invasion attempt; biographies of 156 Cubans who died defending the sovereignty of their country; Villa Guama, the hotel reachable only by boat (45-min ride, 10cuc) on the Laguna del Tesoro, the 92 sq km lake : well worth a couple of nights; mornings and sunsets are glorious in the epicentre of nature, water, a bird sanctuary. GUAMA BUS TOUR Ride the whole length of the Bay of Pigs' east coast aboard a minibus from Guama Bus Tour : for 3 cuc pp for the day with stops unlimited, the ride leaves Guama and picks up riders allong the way down to the end at Caleta Buena with stops at Hotel Playa Larga (beach), Cueva de los Peces (scuba), Punta Perdiz (scuba) et Hotel Playa Girón (museum and beach) |
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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 : 15-20 per bedroom per night [up to 40+ for 4 in a room] on the peninsula de Zapata; breakfasts 3-5cuc, dinners 7-10cuc. ::: Any casa particular anywhere in Cuba must have a hot water shower, otherwise it cannot have a permit to rent ::: 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. Google translate here••• HOW TO DIAL A CUBAN PHONE NUMBER HERE ••• CELL PHONE NUMBERS on our town lists and casa pages are preceded by 05 for calls originating Havana; from anywhere else in Cuba, dial 015 + the 7 digits of the cell. BOOK BY EMAIL : |
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Click photos to open page,
read description and see more pictures. Locate town in region on this map. |
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| EDENIS y ERNESTO Two aircon bedrooms, shared bath bayside Located in Caleton facing casa Fefa. Public beach is one-min walk away. Tel. (45) 98-72-78 ![]() |
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| AMERIS y FELIX One aircon bedroom with ensuite in village Located in Caleton, in the neighbourhood called Batey Mario López. Public beach is 2-min walk away. Tel. (45) 99-71-31 ![]() |
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OUR CASA LIST BEGINS HERE
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The road to here from Playa Larga is dull : you don't see the bay most of the time, just rows of bushes and trees right and left. A nice stop along the way is El Galeon with its restaurant (low-priced veggy buffet for lunch), lookout and dive center El Cocodrilito. Scuba dubas hang around Giron if only to marvel at the undersea world off Caleta Buena, a few k's past. Little Museo Municipal Playa Giron tells the step by step lost battle of the exiles in 1961. Laid-back and mostly deserted Hotel Horizontes Playa Giron is mid-range, stretched along a man-made breaker (rompeolas) which protects the beach. Its swimming pool and bar are about the only action in this sleepy town but typically too loud on weekends when Cubans invade the hotel with families, loud music, drunken binges and loud music. Did we mention loud music ?
RESTAURANTS Casa del Mar, El Galeon, El Pirata, Victoria; Pio Cuá, Rancho Benito, in Caleta Buena; and the paladar KS ABELLA in Giron GUAGUAS Local minibus (guaguas) services cover the Cienaga • from Playa Larga to Jaguey Grande at 8h and 16h30 • from Playa Larga to Giron at 8h, 11h30, 16h30 and 20h • from Giron to Playa Larga 3 x day : am, p.m. and 19h30 VIAZUL • Route (ruta) #18 from Havana to Cienfuegos and Trinidad turns south from the highway (Autopista) at "Entronque de Jaguey (fork)" and goes through Giron town along the bay and on to Cienfuegos cutting across mostly barren land through La Ceiba and Yaguaramas; schedule here.
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![]() The dining room and paladar at the Hostal KS Abella click for more © ksa ![]() View from El Galeon, on the way to Giron © sogestour ![]() One happy fisherman with his twin catches of the day from the bahia de Cochinos : no doubt, he'll enjoy them prepared uniquely by the Chef at Hostal K.S. Abella © hostal ks abella ![]() Part of the coral scenery divers can enjoy in the bay; this one © Hostal KS Abella staff ![]() The temperature at this very moment in Playa Giron |
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![]() The small village is 60 km from the main highway at the "entronque" (fork). "Rompeolas" is the breaker for the local beach. Town boasts a Museo Municipal dedicated to the battle of the Bay of Pigs, a Casa de la Cultura, a large budget-clas resort property with cabinas and a beach. And a few nice casas to rest and recuperate in. |
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| SEE.KNOW.DO IN THE CIENAGA • Hotel Cubanacan Playa Giron (45) 98-4110, 282 rooms (45cuc double) mostly in bungalows, for its bar, food and scuba diving centre (14 dive sites : minimum 25cuc per dive, 5 for 100). Link here. • Museo Municipal Playa Giron (45) 98-4122 is worth the ride here with its salas of artefacts from the famous Bay of Pigs invasion; nice to watch the short documentary named First defeat of US imperialism in the Americas which 50 years later is still stuck in the throat of the CIA-backed gusanos breathing their last gasps on calle Ocho in My, Am Me. • Bird watching with Angel Martinez or his brother Orestes El Chino, the doyen of guides. Tel. (45) 98-7354 or 91-5539. 10cuc pp half-day. chino @zapata.atenas.inf.cu • Scuba diving with Felix, master of his water domain with over 3.000 dives; has met Commandant Cousteau; knows every single site on the tip of his fins. Tel. (45) 99-7131 • Fly fishing - Lazaro Viñota works for the Parque national de Cienaga de Zapata and is an official fly fishing guide (Snook, Tarpon, Bonefish, Black Bass). pnacionalcz @enet.cu) Tel. (45) 91-3555 • CITMA's Estacion Ecologica in Palpite once offered free board to travelers to help research bats, birds, batrachians, crocodiles and all. Tel (45) 98-7119 WORTH THE VISIT IN THE CIENAGA Conjunto Esculturico (Sculpture park at Laguna de Tesoro), Criadero de Cocodrilos, home for some 8,000 crocodiles (Boca de Guama), Finca Fiesta Campesina and local museum of the dismantled sugar mill, both in Australia, Museo de la Comandancia (Cuban HQ during Bay of Pigs invasion), in Australia's old sugar mill office) Museo de Playa Girón (Playa Giron) : exhibits of some of the arms used in fighting off the invasion attempt; biographies of 156 Cubans who died defending the sovereignty of their country; Villa Guama, the hotel reachable only by boat (45-min ride, 10cuc) on the Laguna del Tesoro, the 92 sq km lake : well worth a couple of nights; mornings and sunsets are glorious in the epicentre of nature, water, a bird sanctuary. GUAMA BUS TOUR Ride the whole length of the Bay of Pigs' east coast aboard a minibus from Guama Bus Tour : for 3 cuc pp for the day with stops unlimited, the ride leaves Guama and picks up riders allong the way down to the end at Caleta Buena with stops at Hotel Playa Larga (beach), Cueva de los Peces (scuba), Punta Perdiz (scuba) et Hotel Playa Girón (museum and beach) |
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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 : 15-20 per bedroom per night [up to 40+ for 4 in a room] on the peninsula de Zapata; 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 ::: Please share your Complaints, comments & suggestions webmaster [@]cubacasas.net |
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| BOOK BY PHONE • From Canada and the USA : 011 53 (add phone # preceded by Jaguey Grande's area code, 45) • From Europe, Great Britain, Scandinavia and Mexico : 00 53 (add phone # preceded by Jaguey Grande's area code, 45) ••• HOW TO DIAL A CUBAN PHONE NUMBER HERE ••• CELL PHONE NUMBERS on our town lists and casa pages are preceded by 05 for calls originating Havana; from anywhere else in Cuba, dial 015 + the 7 digits of the cell. BOOK BY EMAIL : |
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HOSTAL LUIS y MARLEY At the corner with Giron's main street (Casa de la Cultura, etc) coming from the fork at the entrance of the village, on the road leading to Caleta Buena, steps from the hotel and beach. Tel. (45) 98-4258 ![]() |
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| K. S. ABELLA + PALADAR Playa Giron, about 500 m left at the first fork coming from Playa Larga, on the left-hand side, leading to Casa de la Cultura and the intersection with the camino principal. Tel. (45) 98-4383 ![]() |
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| ANA y CARLOS Playa Giron village casa #39, about 500 m left at the first fork coming from Playa Larga, near corner of the camino principal; neighbour of K.S. Abella Tel. (45) 98-4341 ![]() |
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| MERCEDES y MARIO V Behind Giron's main buildings, beach at 500m. Tel (45) 98-4138 ![]() |
VILLA MERCI V From the town's main intersection, on the way to Caleta Buena. Tel (45) 98-4304 ![]() |
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The local sugar mill was dismantled in 2003 and its office building turned into a museum, the Museo de la Comandancia. The area is still quite active but the sugar mill staff has been recycled into teachers, instructors and other jobs since 2002, when the dismantling of most of the sugar mill network began. Before the Revolucion, the area numbered 877 privately-owned farms growing over some 30,000 acres; before the dismantling of the Russian empire, the local grove was said to cover 115,000 acres and was probably the largest in the world under one management. Most harvests were the work of students and overall, about 27,000 workers were caring and picking full-time. Some 80% of citrus were red grapefruits (Henderson, Rio Red and Star Ruby varieties), the rest is limes and a few tangerines, mostly for export. Today, joint ventures, with most notably Israel takes up a fourth of the total Cuban production and limes are on the way up as demand from the US is increasing; also, local processing facilities are capable of producing the juice qualities demanded by U.S. consumers. Hurricane damages hit the citrus industry very hard in 2001 and 2005. Overall the government reported a 2007 citrus crop of 469,000 tonnes, compared with more than 800,000 tonnes in 2004. In 2008, 35,000 tonnes of grapefruit and around 3,500 tonnes of oranges were lost after hurricane Ike ravaged the area.
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![]() Peaceful kingdom of the citricos industry © Azerefu, panoramio ![]() Palacio del Pueblo + Chevrolet Naranjo © Cubanos 2112 ![]() Finca Fiesta Campesina, the Finquita restaurant © Lordcafe, panoramio ![]() "Death to the invador", the rallying cry was not heeded : Fidel sent the failing 1,290 CIA-supported exiles to prison for one year and then returned them to Florida in exchange for food and medication. © |
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| SEE.KNOW.DO • Hotel Batey Don Pedro (45) 91-2825, 10 cottages (35cuc double), for its green surroundings and the neighbouring Finca (Farm) Fiesta Campesina. Link • Direccion Municipal de Cultura of Jaguey Grande can point to some monuments and other noteworthy sites, such as • Boca de Guama is a tourist complex purportedly showing a aboriginal culture including snacks and restaurant, gift shop, a tiny croc show but mainly the dockfrom where to cruise or cross Laguna del Tesoro and reach Villa Guama, the lakeside hotel. • Finca Fiesta Campesina, nearby : typical Cuban cuisine feasts in a typical campesina farm. • Museo de la Comandancia, (Tue-Sun), the building used by Fidel to oversee the fight for the island's sovereignty, attacked by US-backed exiles in what was called the Bay of Pigs; the spot was the office of the Central Australia sugar mill, 500 meters from the autopista. • Criadero de Crocodilos (8-5pm), a breeding farm and Cuba's first environmental protection scheme, launched in 1962; a tiny zoo and ceramic shop Taller de Ceramica are on premises or nearby. |
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VIAZUL + GUAGUAS
• Get here from La Habana on route (ruta) #18 by VIAZUL which goes to Cienfuegos and Trinidad; the bus stops at "Entronque de Jaguey (fork)" before turning south : this is where you get off and cross the highway to enter Jaguey Grande; the bus goes through Giron town along the bay of Pigs (Cochinos) and on to Cienfuegos cutting across mostly barren land through La Ceiba and Yaguaramas; Viazul schedule here. ::: Local minibus (guaguas) services cover the Cienaga • from Playa Larga to Jaguey Grande at 8h and 16h30 • from Playa Larga to Giron at 8h, 11h30, 16h30 and 20h • from Giron to Playa Larga 3 x day : am, p.m. and 19h30 |
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BOOK BY PHONE
• From Canada and the USA : 011 53 (add phone # preceded by Jaguey Grande's area code, 45) • From Europe, Great Britain, Scandinavia and Mexico : 00 53 (add phone # preceded by Jaguey Grande's area code, 45) ••• HOW TO DIAL A CUBAN PHONE NUMBER HERE ••• CELL PHONE NUMBERS on our town lists and casa pages are preceded by 05 for calls originating Havana; from anywhere else in Cuba, dial 015 + the 7 digits of the cell. BOOK BY EMAIL : |
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Click photos to open page, read description and see more pictures. Locate town in region on this map.
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CASA DE ZULEIDA Calle 15 A #7211, entre 72 y 74, front of common garden. Tel. (45) 91-3674 Cell (5) 290-9402 ![]() |
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| LAS DELICIAS DE NERI Calle 1c No. 3804 B, entre 38 y 40, Reparto Las Delicias Tel. (45) 91-2021 Cell (5) 277-5067 ![]() |
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| CASA BERTHA Calle 52 # 1727 entre 17 y 19, further into town, blocks from bars and commercial activity. Tel. (45) 91-2116 or 91-2310. ![]() |
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Content & photos © sogestour Updated |
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