Banes: Coastal Views, Birdlife and Beach

Three distinct experiences make Banes worth visiting: views of the Bahía de Nipe from Loma de la Lima, birdwatching along the Sendero La Grieta, and Guardalavaca Beach. They range from a viewpoint to a nature trail and a shell-shaped beach. If you are planning a hotel stay in Banes, you can decide which of these appeals to you most: landscapes, birdlife or the coast.

Views, trail and coast

From Loma de la Lima in the Municipio de Banes, you can look out over the Bahía de Nipe. The view has a clear focus: the viewpoint is Loma de la Lima, and the visible feature is the bay. This makes it different from a route where other natural details come into view along the way.

The two-kilometre Sendero La Grieta runs along Cerro de Yaguajay, facing the Bahía de Naranjo. Along the trail, you can spot endemic and migratory birds, including Carta Cuba, Tocororo and Carpintero. The trail also passes through a rock fissure and climbs to Mirador Bello Horizonte. Both the birdwatching and the route through the fissure, as well as the viewpoint at the end, shape the character of the trail. Its length and the named stops give you specific points of reference for distinguishing this nature experience from a single viewpoint.

Guardalavaca Beach offers a different focus. It is shell-shaped, and its fine white sand reaches the clear water. While the Sendero La Grieta centres on the trail itself, with its birds, rock fissure and viewpoint, here the focus is the shape of the beach and the transition from sand to water. Banes therefore offers a range of attractions for travellers interested in nature and coastal landscapes.

Holguín as a regional setting

The wider destination of Holguín has other distinct landscape features. Vegetation typical of rocky coasts can be found on the shore of the Bahía de Naranjo. The bay’s landscape consists mainly of scrubland interspersed with forest; well-preserved mangroves grow in its low-lying, marshy interior. In the higher part of Loma del Templo, Cuabales can be found: thorny, xeromorphic scrub on serpentinite. These regional descriptions cover everything from coastal vegetation and mangroves to a more specifically defined type of scrubland.

Holguín’s activities and coastal experiences also have different focuses. Hiking, horseback riding and rural tourism are listed as activities in the Bahía de Naranjo. The description of Holguín’s northern stretch of beach has a different emphasis: the 40-kilometre-long coastline is described as a place to swim at sunset. One account concerns activities in a bay, while the other describes a swimming experience along the northern coast; both add different travel interests to the regional picture.

Pico Cristal and La Mensura are named as national parks in the province of Holguín. Salto del Guayabo, described as one of Cuba’s highest waterfalls, is located in the La Mensura area. The region’s natural attractions therefore include not only coastal landscapes but also these named protected areas and a waterfall.

History and cultural connections

History is another focus in Holguín, alongside its landscapes. The La Periquera Provincial History Museum displays key periods in the area’s history in five halls arranged chronologically. The name La Periquera refers to the colour of the uniforms worn by Spanish troops who took up residence in the building during the Mambises’ siege of Holguín.

Loma de la Cruz is a viewpoint in the city of Holguín. According to tradition, on 3 May 1790 Fray Antonio de Alegría erected a large cross there to drive away demons and begin a Catholic pilgrimage. Chorro de Maíta is described as the largest Indigenous cemetery in the Antilles. These regional cultural attractions bring together a viewpoint, a traditional historical account and an important archaeological site, without equating them with Banes’s landscape experiences.

The wider destination of Holguín is listed as having a hop-on-hop-off bus service to the beaches and surrounding places for Playa Guardalavaca, Playa Pesquero, Playa Esmeralda and Playa Baracutey. Before travelling, check whether the service is operating and what times apply.

Discover more destinations: Playa Guardalavaca, Rafael Freyre.

See the wider travel overview: Holguín.