During the 40's, the US-based company which owned its twin mill in Bolivia near Moron had built the Jaronu "batey" (workers quarters and stores) with identical cement homes whereas in Bolivia, there are in wood. All in a row, well-kept by the local population, they are an architectural oddity for Cuba and maybe the world. Go see for yourself.

Of the few dozen houses, three rent to travelers from abroad : casa Doña Blanca, casa Alexey and the most interesting, Silvia's - for Silvia Maria Delgado Herrera. She ran Human Resources for the mill for close to 40 years. You will meet her in Casa Silvia located right on the town's lovely main park with a church at one end and La Casona at the other.

GATEWAY TO THE NEW CAYOS
The village of Jaronu and the casas can be found on this map. Silvia's phone (32) 60-6248 cel. 53 33 60 An unforgettable excursion, 125 miles north of Camaguey, an easy drive by rental car or taxi and even by train - from Nuevitas.

Both Avalon (Italy) and Flora y Fauna (Cuba) are running the old sugar mill manager's house La Casona, steps from Silvia's casa, Tel. (32) 60-6380 - they offer expensive catch & release fly fishing packages which can only be booked via the Web and operating from Cayo Cruz (which was badly hit by hurricane Irma on September 9 2017).

The small and quiet village of Jaronu (aka Brasil) will become the gateway to Cayo Cruz, a sandy key which author Ernest Hemingway featured in his novel "Islands in the Stream". Covered in sand, its flour-like beaches are named Playa Cara, Playa Onda, Playa Sigua and Playa Dorada.

The French Bouygues engineering group will complete the Quebrada 17 resort with 550 rooms in January 2018, the first of 5 or 6 resorts. Already on the huge neighbouring Cayo Romano, Marina Gaviota is operating for the lucky rich few; hotel workers will be staying in Jaronu near the mini shopping center north of town where dozens of empty new apartment buildings await.

Meanwhile, mornings and evenings, lines of busses loaded with construction workers cross Jaronu to and fro the cayo. Playa Jiguey for those who don't want to go all the way is 10 km from town.

ECOTOURING : A HANDFUL OF DAY TRIPS
Casas particulares can book you passage on an 8-seat Viazul minibus to La Boca (Los Cocos), a quiet spot at the entrance of the canal de Nuevitas. One can see Cayo Sabinal on the horizon. Departs at 8:30, returns at 5 p.m. Tickets 12cuc p.p. return. Otherwise, drive to Santa Lucia : there is a 12km-long playa.

••• Local agency Ecotur can handle visits to Cayo Sabinal as well as the regional parks and responsible tourism which includes an excursion named Cocodrilo which visits a tiny settlement once populated by aborigines along rio Maximo where a corcodile nursery can now be found. It's only 50 km away near Minas.

A newer offering goes to the old sugar mill works in the town of Brasil (aka Jaronu) where a 30's era house (the sugar mill's boss) — La Casona — has been restaured to offer 8 bedrooms for catch & release fishing packages off Cayo Romano. In Cuba, dial 0 32 60-6380

Still another proposed excursion is called Flamencotur which is a catamaran cruise among the cayos where flamingos thrive — the largest nesting of these birds in the Caribbean — near Nuevitas.

Some nostalgics and history buffs will ride 69 km north to La Gloria to see Willam Stokes' grave. He lived in a fascinating enclave established in 1899 by American farmers which peaked in 1914 and was wiped out by a hurricane in 1932, the same which hit Santa Cruz del Sur. Details here and in the Isabel Santos video which premiered February 7, 2018.

And a popular visit is the one to a farm 5 km from Najasa : Hacienda La Belén, some 54 km south of Camaguey in the Sierra del Chorrillo. According to National Geographic, it is one of the most attractive country inns on the island with only 10 bedrooms and a swimming pool; horse riding, nature walks, bird watching; budget rates. More info through Ecotur or here ••• EcoTur (32) 22-5844 ecotur @ caonao.cu.