Villa Paradiso

A unique bed & breakfast, a lovely guesthouse in Baracoa, Cuba

Tag: Off the beaten path

Little known, off-the-beaten-track activities.


The Best Things to Do in Baracoa, Cuba


What are the best things to do in Baracoa? How many days are necessary to cover the region’s musts? Many travellers ask us these questions when they book their stay at our guesthouse. In this blog entry we offer you useful information so that you can plan a stay tailored to your tastes and interests. […]

Cuba Travel Photography – Spotlight On Baracoa


Baracoa is considered by Cuba travel experts as one of the most scenic regions in the country. Travel guides, blogs and articles are sprinkled with incredible pictures of the classic Baracoan views. In this post we offer you our own takes and perspectives on our land and people – including the classic views and some […]

Exploring Cuba’s Tropical Karsts in Baracoa


Dramatic mountain silhouettes, whimsical rocky surroundings, rugged geological terraces… Baracoa’s karstic landscapes, in Eastern Cuba, will captivate you with their array of uniquely Cuban flora and fauna. Probably Viñales’ mogotes are the most famous and widely known by travellers who come to Cuba, but the Baracoa region features equally memorable (and less touristy) karstic formations such […]

More Birding in and around Baracoa, Cuba


In a previous post we took you birding along the beautiful Loma de Piedra trail in UNESCO-listed Alexander Humboldt National Park. This new post offers you further explorations of other excellent birding areas in and around the Baracoa region. You’ll notice they are beautiful natural areas to explore! Semidecidous forests and dry evergreen forests such […]

Strange Beauties: Wild Orchids in Baracoa, Cuba


Introducing a constellation of over 20 orchid species living in the Baracoa region, in Eastern Cuba – strange, delicate beauties that will captivate the caring eyes of wild flower lovers! For starters, we offer this Cuban endemic Encyclia hamiltonii floating high, attached to a palm tree trunk along Loma de Piedra trail, in Alexander Humboldt National […]

Cuba’s Tasty Honey – Visiting Baracoa’s Beekeepers


Contrary to the current crisis affecting the bees the world over, Cuban bees are doing very well. Travelers from all continents appreciate the tasty honey produced in our country. We decided to visit the beekeepers in Baracoa. Having enjoyed our region’s amazing honey for a long time, we definitely wanted to go and meet our local […]

A Road Trip Around Cuba’s Far, Far East


A Cuba road trip of your dreams – from Baracoa across the Sierra del Purial mountains to the Maisí-Caleta Ecological Reserve and the deep blue Windward Passage, then back to Baracoa along the Atlantic coastline and through verdant valleys… Here’s our travel photography & nature photography album, plus our field notes for this rare, unique […]

Baracoa 2018 in Review – Best Pictures, Shout-Outs and More!


What better way to celebrate and thank our guests, partners and friends than to share our best Baracoa pictures from 2018! May this slide show reach you with our affection – you made our 2018 a very special year we will remember fondly! Baracoa – a bottomless treasure trove of wonderful experiences In 2018 we […]

Cyathea arborea

From River Toa to Quibijan – Tropical Forests and Agro-Ecology


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 – the Beauty of the Charrascal Flora


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 […]

Pozo Azul & Punta de Maisi – Where Cuba Begins


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 […]

Mapurisi Beach – Baracoa Off the Beaten Path


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 […]

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