When you come to Baracoa you’ll be at the gates of Cuchillas del Toa Biosphere Reserve, one of Cuba’s most beautiful and off-the-beaten-path protected areas. River Toa’s basin features the most transparent waters and the greenest forests in the country. River Toa’s last 20 km before reaching the sea are flanked by populated, fertile and […]

River Las Minas is rather modest in length but just as pristine as any other one in Baracoa! It is seldom mentioned, compared to other famous ones such as rivers Duaba, Toa or Yumurí. It runs along a beautiful valley between mountains and it is surrounded by a set of Cuban endemic flora species called […]

Now that you’ve made it to Baracoa, why not venture to the island’s tip, where Cuba begins, where the sun rises? Punta de Maisi lies at the country’s frontier, facing the Windward Passage – and very nearby lies wonderful Pozo Azul. Only a minute proportion of travellers explore the region beyond the Yumuri Canyon. Very […]

Off-the-beaten-track Mapurisi beach is a little paradise in the small town of Nibujon, at the gates of Baracoa’s Alexander Humboldt National Park. There is no tourism infrastructure nor services here – just you and the wild coast to explore and enjoy. Baracoa has other beautiful, undeveloped beaches with some basic services such as family-run restaurants […]

This year our guests kept telling us they were extremely happy to have stayed at Villa Paradiso. We were fortunate to welcome wonderful solo travelers, couples, groups of friends and families and we are grateful for each and everyone’s visit. Several words come over and over again in the reviews posted by our guests: location, […]

The route to Baracoa from Santiago de Cuba encompasses some of the most beautiful roads in Cuba. The southern coast of Guantanamo province features karst formations right by the deep blue of the Caribbean, while the legendary La Farola road crowns the trip meandering between the green Sierra del Purial mountains. Throughout the 250 km […]

Yumuri Canyon has always been a popular excursion for travellers who come to Baracoa. That said, only a few ones make it to the 20 meters-high Belete Waterfalls. Indeed, with its 911 hectares, the Yumuri Canyon Protected Area offers visitors everything from amazing lookout points, a boat ride on the river, bathing in emerald natural […]

Alexander Humboldt National Park (AHNP, UNESCO World Heritage Site) embodies a unique approach to the relation between human beings and their environment.  A hike through the park will offer you a living portrait of the coexistence of rural communities and natural wonders. In this blog post we talk about such community conservation strategies, then about […]

With its various forest trails and a boat ride around its bay, Alexander Humboldt National Park offers a range of options to those who would like to explore it. Declared by UNESCO a World Natural Heritage Site in 2001, the park is located within the Cuchillas del Toa Biosphere Reserve. In this blog post we […]

A garden is like a dream. When we bought this house with its adjacent land three years ago, it didn’t have a garden. Villa Paradiso had to be invented and its back area was just a piece of land that needed care, attention and effort. That’s how we started dreaming of a garden. It wasn’t […]

Would you like to discover off the beaten track spots in Baracoa? Villa Paradiso suggests Boca de Boma, Cueva del Cacique and Cajuajo Beach. This one-day excursion combines rural roads, mangroves, a rocky bay, an archaeological site and a hidden, unblemished beach… On seldom travelled roads A lot of travellers take the road from Baracoa […]

Whoever has been fortunate to bathe in river Duaba will always remember the most clear and refreshing waters on these lands. Nothing compares to a sunny day in Baracoa’s tropical forest for a dive into the Duaba between rapids, waterfalls and lovely natural pools. Streaming down from the sierra heights Travellers who hike into the […]