Bayamo & Sierra Maestra

Older than either Havana or Santiago, the charming, colonial town of Bayamo is an easy-going kind of place and one that most Cubans hold dear.

During the wars of independence from Spain, Bayamo was an insurgent stronghold and, in an act of defiance, large parts of the town were burned to the ground by its own residents during the fighting. Carlos Manuel de Cespedes, viewed by many as the father of the independence movement, was also a native of Bayamo and famous for setting the slaves on his nearby plantation free.

Despite this tumultuous period in its history, Bayamo is still an attractive town with plenty of graceful colonial-era architecture to admire including San Salvador cathedral, the Bayamo theatre, and Parque Cespedes.

Another, less well-known feature of the town, and a welcome one at that, is the relative lack of motor traffic – the majority of Bayamo residents still get about by bike or horse.

Quite apart from its own undoubted appeal, Bayamo also acts as a convenient base for exploring the beautiful but, as yet, almost entirely undeveloped Sierra Maestre. Accordingly, many visitors to the region choose to visit Fidel Castro’s famous revolutionary hideout, La Plata, on a day trip from Bayamo.

For ideas as to how to include Bayamo and the Sierra Maestra in a holiday to Cuba, please refer to our Itineraries page where there are examples of both tailor made itineraries and small group escorted tours.