Banes – Discover the Coast, Views and Nature

Banes combines striking coastal scenery with nature trails and viewpoints. Guardalavaca Beach, the Sendero La Grieta trail and the view of Bahía de Nipe from Loma de la Lima each offer a different perspective. When planning your trip, you can consider whether you are most drawn to the beach, birdwatching along the way or views across a bay. These interests can also help guide you when looking for a holiday rental in Banes.

Beach Scenery and Views in Banes

Guardalavaca Beach is shell-shaped, with fine white sand reaching into clear water. This is a particularly vivid coastal scene for anyone who pays attention to the shape of a beach and the transition from sand to water when choosing a destination. The beach represents a different focus from the nature and viewpoints associated with the named trails and lookouts.

From Loma de la Lima in the Municipio de Banes, there are views of Bahía de Nipe. Together with the beach and Sendero La Grieta, this offers a choice of different landscape experiences without requiring them to be combined into a single route. When choosing accommodation, it may help to consider which of these experiences is the main reason for your trip; the individual place descriptions offer different starting points.

Sendero La Grieta: Trail, Rock Crevice and Birdwatching

The two-kilometre-long Sendero La Grieta trail runs along Cerro de Yaguajay, in front of Bahía de Naranjo. Endemic and migratory birds can be spotted along the trail, including Carta Cuba, Tocororo and Carpintero. The trail passes through a rock crevice and climbs to Mirador Bello Horizonte. The description of the same trail thus highlights both birdwatching and a specific destination at the top of the ascent.

If you enjoy looking out for birds, the names of the different species offer a useful clue as to what makes the trail distinctive. If you are more interested in striking landforms, the crevice and the climb to the mirador can serve as points of reference. The two-kilometre length describes the Sendero; it is not a substitute for your own assessment of the trail. Together with the viewpoint at Loma de la Lima, the route shows that Banes’ landscape is not limited to coastal scenery.

More to Discover in the Wider Destination of Holguín

The wider destination of Holguín offers additional coastal and landscape scenery that should not be confused with the features of Banes. Along the coast of Bahía de Naranjo, rocky coastal vegetation is found; the landscape consists mainly of scrubland interspersed with forest. Well-preserved mangroves lie in the bay’s low-lying, swampy interior. These differences make Bahía de Naranjo a distinct nature destination within the wider region.

Other excursion destinations are also mentioned there: La Mensura is named as a national park in the province of Holguín. Salto del Guayabo lies within the area of La Mensura and is described as one of Cuba’s highest waterfalls. Pico Cristal is also named as a national park in the province. When choosing topics of interest, you can distinguish between coast, forest and scrubland, and a waterfall without presenting these places as features of Banes.

Holguín’s 40-kilometre northern stretch of beach is described as a place for swimming at sunset. A hop-on hop-off bus service to the beaches and surrounding places is mentioned for Playa Guardalavaca, Playa Pesquero, Playa Esmeralda and Playa Baracutey. If this service is important to your plans, check its current operations and timetable before travelling.

History and Views in Holguín

In the wider destination of Holguín, the La Periquera Provincial History Museum presents important periods in the area’s history in five rooms arranged chronologically. The name La Periquera refers to the colour of the Spanish troops’ uniforms; they were stationed in the building during the Mambises’ siege of Holguín. The exhibition layout and the story behind the name thus offer two specific ways into the history.

Loma de la Cruz is a viewpoint in the city of Holguín. According to tradition, Fray Antonio de Alegría erected a large cross there on 3 May 1790 to drive away demons and begin a Catholic pilgrimage. Chorro de Maíta is described as the largest Indigenous cemetery in the Antilles. Such places and stories add historical and cultural points of interest in the wider destination of Holguín to its nature themes.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Playa Guardalavaca, Rafael Freyre.

Back to the wider travel guide: Holguín.