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 Laguna Redonda, best bass and trout fishing in Cuba © cubatravel.cu |
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| OUR CASA LIST BEGINS HERE | REGIONAL MAP HERE | |||||||
| In the province of Ciego de Avila, the first settlers coming from Andalucia in the middle of th 16th century gave the city its cock-a-doodle-doo symbol. They nick-named "Town of the young rooster". The gallo (guy-yo) still sings twice daily from atop a monument at Hotel Moron. The word moron either means a nice view or a mound or is a reminder of a namesake village near Sevilla in Spain. First bullfights in 1851, first public school and first newspaper in 1855, first firefighters in 1868. In 1871 started the building of a huge defense line (la Trocha) made of low wood-built towers which crossed the island from the south coast at Jucaro to here in Moron on the north coast, the idea being to block the separatists' troops from going west to La Havana. Also plying the same route were military locomotives turned into killing machines which bore names like La Júcaro, La Ciego, La Amparo, La Chiva, La Cuenca and the most famous, El Almirante. One was named la Carneceria, the butcher. Ernest Hemingway lauded the numerous cayos of the Cuban tourist area called Jardines del Rey, (Gardens of the King) half a century ago describing with knowledge and affection both Coco and Guillermo keys (cayos) in Islands in the Stream. Today, although it remains a popular hunting and fishing location for Cubans besides having many colonial and cultural sites of interest, most tourists just pass through (morons...) on their way to the keys or cayos. These keys cover some 500 sq km, a kind of nirvana of scuba divers (in cayos Media Luna and Los Felipes : four centres with 22 dive sites), of beachcombers (21 km of white sand), as well as bird watchers looking for some of its 158 species, which, surprisingly enough have not left following the building boom which saw rise some 3,000 hotel rooms. Cayo Coco, Cayo Paredon Grande and Cayo Romano make up the 785 sq km Buenavista protected reserve where hunting is a no-no : iguanas, stags and some 30,000 pink roseate flamingos live there in relative peace. The keys are reached by a causeway or pedraplen (a huge three-year long project completed in 1980) on the bay of Perros (dogs) and extending some 90 km, a 50-minute drive to the end. More on (Moron, get it ? ; ) this below.
POPULATION 62,869 (2007) REST-RANTS ::: TOP CHOICES • Maité La Qbana, Luz Caballero nº 40-B, e/ Libertad y Agramonte - also rents three bedrooms. Two lovely women, Maité and Idolka, assisted by lovely and talented staff await to titillate your palate. Tel. (33) 50-41-81 • El Angel calle 12 #16A, corner avenida Tarafa tel. 52 45 16 04 « You get to eat a buffet for 15cuc and they serve it to you at your table. Very good service and it's a must : rice, shrimps, lobster, bread, chicken, pork, fried bananas, soup and so much more • Mirtha Carballo Gonzales, calle Dimas Daniel 19 (33) 50-30-36 « Best food of entire trip, period. Everything they make is the best! Tip: take a vegetarian dish with every meal. They differ every night and are always awesome! Sometimes they include pork or fish as well. » LaurieB tripad visor Also : • Las Fuentes, calle Marti 169, Cuban and international : one of best in town, according to some advisors, close to casa Alicia • Las Delicias is across the street from preceding • Doña Neli, snack-bar 24/7 and bakery • San Fernando, 24/7 also rooms for rent SEE.KNOW.DO • The superb train station (1924) : stained glass ceiling, original phone booth, etc. An annual steam locomotive festival is held here in December • Casa Parroquial • Galeria del Arte • La Trocha de Jucaro • Loma de Cunagua • Museo de Arqueologia y Historia • Museo Municipal (Precolombian Art) • Around Parque Ignacio Agramonte, one will find the Iglesia Católica (Catholic church) which was once a prison; as well, the structure of the never-completed Teatro Reguero EVENINGS, FESTIVALS Casa de la Cultura • Casa de Trovadores : Casa de la Trova Pablo Bernal, Calle Libertad 74, e/Marti y Narciso Lopez • Feria Internacional del Libro, the annual Book Fair with sales and literary presentations; each March. • Festival internacional del Bolero dedicated each year to a different famous bolero singer; first forthnight in June • Carnaval acuatico on nearby lake Laguna de la Leche with a parade of decorated boats from all over Cuba; each September. 100 YEARS OF CULTURA LOCAL When Moron changed status from "villa" (town) to that of ciudad (city), it already boasted the second largest bookstore in Cuba, La Moderna Poesía, the cinema cum theater venue, the Apolo as well as a music orchestra (Banda de Música), the stage theater Niza, the social club la Colonia Española and the first public library in the area • The local train yards Los Talleres Ferroviarios de Morón strated operating and employing a large part of the local workers as of 1922 and the actual fishing and hunting club La Casona is located on the original grounds. • Every year, the water festival is held on "milk lake" Laguna de la leche. It's called El Carnaval Acuático and dates from the 50's with coloufully-decorated boats parading. TRANSPORTATION There used to be a Viazul bus route named Circuito Norte which started in the morning in Trinidad and ended in Moron. Now the once-a-day service is back but it does not end here anymore : it goes through Remedios and Caibarien and and comes back from Cayo Santa Maria. Sked here.  Getting here means going through Ciego de Avila on a Viazul bus : from Trinidad, the Capital and the West arriving Ciego at 10:50, 16:25, 22:25; from Camaguey, Holguin and Santiago and points East, arriving Ciego at 17:30 and three more during the night; connecting by cab to Moron, more or less 15-20cuc (or much less in Cuban peso collectivo taxi) for a three or four-passager cab. |
 On click, enlarged map of the cayos Coco, Guillermo and Romano — 65 km north, reachable by a 30-km long pedraplen made with millions of tons of trucked-in rock.  Parque Balinga is open during the day only and only for children. Facing it, Alojamiento Maite and Idolka's © sogestour  Parque Marti refreshingly shadowy © Maite Valor Morales •}• Parque del Ferrocaril, the park in front of the train station © Maite Valor Morales Cayo Coco © Killermart - Flickr  Rancho Querete, part of Reserva de Biosfera de Buenavista in Jobo Rosado, 76 km west of here © hostalcalle12  Park with outstanding train station © •}• Los Balcones © Elo, flickr.com  Laguna de la Leche, 5km from town, Cuba's largest freshwater reservoir and mecca for sport fishing © Maite Valor •}• Farmacia Comunitaria Especial © Sabrina Pezzoli  Hotel Perla del Norte, yesteryear's hotspot © Marc - Picasa •}• Lying by the largest sand dunes in the Caribbean, some 13 meters deep and 30 dive sites off its shore, Playa Pilar on Cayo Guillermo is a great beach and part of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve © Maite Valor  In the nearby quiet little town of Bolivia, this little restaurant by the central park allows citizens of Moron to meet in total intimacy © sogestour  The questionable practice of burning down sugarcane fields is called El Corte Ingles as shown in a series titled "Candela" during Festival Habanarte 2015 at the Fototeca de Cuba © Justine Ford, the British photographer who travelled the island including Ciego de Avila province to research this project.  Far from the resorts : Sitio La Guira on Cayo Coco which features four huts (cabanas) with toilets and shower, bar, dining room and an old-time farm served with energy from the sun (yep, solar panels ; ). « It is quiet when the staff does not put on loud music which they believe us visitors like to listen to 24 hours a day. Sheesh... », adds ThC30 with photo by © Zuzana B on tripad visor  The Conectando Cuba daily Transtur bus leaves most Habana hotels from 7 to 7:40 am, arrives at 14h55 at Hotel Ciego de Avila (27cuc, 424km) before going on to Camaguey and Santiago. Click for PDF. Return trip leaves Ciego at 14h55 and gets to Miramar, Vedado and Vieja hotels between 20h55 and 21h35. Hotel Ciego de Avila, carretera a Ceballos, e/ Rotunda a Ceballos y Margarita is 37 km from Moron. Map. |
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 Laguna de la Leche, an attractive lake 5 km from town and its restaurant, La Atarraya. The lake is the largest freshwater reservoir in Cuba and one of its favorite fishing spots. Ever. |
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RENDEZ-VOUS • El centro de Caza y Pesca (La Casona de Moron), on Cristobal Colon, (7 bedrooms, bar, grill, swimming pool), rendez-vous of hunters and fishermen. Tel.(33) 50-45-63 • La Batanga Disco Located right by the La Casona shouts infernal loud music which keeps everybody within hearing distance awake till 2 a.m. • Hotel Moron, avenida Tarafa, 144 rooms, pool, bar, disco; hunters also like the place; crash the swimming pool, just walk across the lobby to the end, upstairs one flight and you're there. Tel. (33) 50-22-30 |
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| BIRDWATCHING • Here's Danila's suggestion « My wife and had a great birdwatching walk around the Laguna de la Leche, as well as on the playas nearby. Tons of waterfowl, frigate birds, and other water birds, and on the playas - flamingoes, roseate spoonbills and more. And nice because you can walk around without a guide. There's a park ranger who works on the lake doing bird counts - Confe - who is super knowledgeable about the local birds and was kind enough to walk with us and tell us about the birds of the lake. He may be available to give tours - possibly by boat - for bird enthusiasts coming to the area. Confe's cell 53 27 59 92 and email confe@nauta.cu. » Danila 15.05.17  OTHER EXCURSIONS About 65km from town : Cayo Coco and its natural sites : Sitio La Guira (village), Cueva del Jabali, Playa Prohibida at the end of the key. A trail leads to a 15-meter high sand dune, Loma del Puerto • On horseback to Campismo Boquéron from Florencia to the dam, naturel decor (cliff, river swimming) and the hill where Camilo Cienfuegos battled in 1958. Horseback also in Florencia, hq of regional rodeos • Hunting in Aguachales de Falla reserve, a lagoon surrounded by lakes where abound pigeons, doves, ducks and fowl below some 24 position towers. Season 15 jul. to 15 march. Rate 85cuc/day, info at Hotel Moron • Turiguano (island) developed by Comandante Fajardo after the Revolucion : he built schools, a Dutch-style village, brought electricity and was first promoter of Cayo Coco's potential. Among its attractions, you'll enjoy Playa la Tinaja in Manati, the closest great beach to Moron, 25k away. • There's the huge Laguna de la Leche (66 sq km), largest fresh water reserve in Cuba where fish (tilapia, carp and tarpon) are waiting to be caught and its famous flamingos (rowboat rentals) are waiting to be watched. You can also fish on lake • La Redonda some 11km2, largest concentration of trout and bass in Cuba. Rates 70cuc including guide, boat, lunch and morning and afternoon fishing trips ; info at lakeside bar & rest rant |
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EXCURSION SUBLIMA y SUPREMA : BOLIVIA, THE TOWN
• A remote village, still "under the radar" and worth a detour ... for its almost zen-like calm. Once was a sugar town - the Cunagua mill was closed in 2003 - whose staff lived in wood houses. Enthroned at one end of what is now the central park, the beautiful casa [the most beautiful wooden house in Cuba? - photo above], of the Jefe - originally a rep of the Spanish owners; later, an American Boss until the Revolucion. A unique — in Cuba — row of houses (80 in all) in which survive dozens of very poor old folks and the two generations of their young ones who have not yet left; a beisbol stadium, a cultural center with a theater; a barber shop, a cinema, a restaurant and stories to extract from its venerable and noble old habitués. Go before it is too late. Some say authorities plan to transform the chief's casa into a cultural center — that would be a grrreat idea. A local bus runs here from Moron, 33 kilometers west. Our photos here. |
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 At the very end of Cayo Guillermo, this is Playa Pilar (named after Hemingway's boat) of which many say is the most beautiful on the island — as yet unspoiled by any resort There's just a diving centre and a beach restaurant; the cayo's resort guests get here by a rather long cab ride. On the horizon, Cayo Media Luna, an attractive scuba diving spot © sogestour Go before it changes and becomes like everywhere else. |
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PLAYAS • Closest is in Manati (on Turiguano), via San Rafael, before the pedraplen and it's called La Tinaja • Cayo Guillermo : Colorada, Flamencos, La Jaula, Uva Caleta. Some say Playa Pilar is nicest on the island (photo above). Check it out, bro • Cayo Coco : El Peso, del Medio, Larga, Las Conchas with its thalassotherapy center or the last one at the end of the 100k road (langosta and beer by the beach, sailboat rentals); other free and deserted beaches are Flamingo, Prohibida and Las Coloradas • On Cayo Romano, playa Los Pinos, is for fishermen looking to catch jurele (pale yellow salmon) attracted by your best fly, guy. |
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| HEED THE HINTS IN THIS FINE PRINT ::: Make sure that in your first email or phone call you specify that you want to book a room in that particular casa and that you will reconfirm your booking on arrival in Cuba. Unless you only want a room in any house which may be of the same quality, not the specific casa you booked through photos on these websites ::: So as to not abandon expecting owners with empty rooms, reconfirm (or call ahead to cancel) your booking by phone as soon as you can after arriving in Cuba ::: Please write or phone a casa owner to cancel a booking. As late as it may seem, it allows them a chance to rebook. ::: Children under the age of 16 may share a bedroom with adults for free. Specify the child's age when booking. ::: At the end of the casa name, the V signals the casa was suggested by travelers or owners but not verified by the website staff. If you try it and like it, write us about it. ::: Unless otherwise mentioned, the average room rates and service prices are : 20-25cuc per bedroom per night [up to 40+ for 4 in a room]; breakfasts 3-5cuc, dinners 7-10cuc. ::: Any casa particular anywhere in Cuba must have a hot water shower, otherwise it cannot have a permit to rent ::: Please share your Complaints, comments & suggestions webmaster [@]cubacasas.net |
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TO MAKE A RESERVATION BY PHONE • From Canada and the USA : 011 53 (add phone # preceded by the town's area code, 33) • From Europe, Great Britain, Scandinavia and Mexico : 00 53 (add phone # preceded by the town's area code, 33) ••• HOW TO DIAL A CUBAN PHONE NUMBER HERE ••• CELL PHONE NUMBERS on our town lists and casa pages are preceded by 05 for calls originating Havana; from anywhere else in Cuba, dial 01 + the 8 digits of the cell. BOOK BY EMAIL :  Click on logo to open a message addressed to that casa in your email application; or right-click to copy address. Spanish vocabulary here. |
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ALOJAMIENTO MAITÉ + RESTAURANT MAITÉ LA QBANA Four ac br's (3 upstairs), ensuites, pool, terraces, parking Luz Caballero nº 40-B, entre Libertad y Agramonte, about 200 m from Casa de la Trova Tel. (33) 50-4181 cel 52 81 33 74  |
ALOJAMIENTO VISTA Al PARQUE Upstairs, two ac bedrooms, ensuites, dining; Ground floor, one-bedroom apart Luz Caballero # 49-d (upstairs, "altos"), e/ Libertad y Agramonte, near Trova across from Maité's. Tel. (33) 50-58-45 cel 53 13 33 42  |
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| FRANK Two aircon bedrooms, ensuites, quiet Calleja nº 136, entre Castillo y Luz Caballero about 5 blocks from Etecsa (Internet Cnx) Tél. (33) 50-52-58 cel 52 94 51 42  |
ALICIA V
Upstairs, four ac bedrooms, ensuites, centre Libertad nº 90, e/ Martí y Castillo, 50 m from Casa de la Trova and 25 m from restaurant Las Fuentes. Tél. (33) 50-51-94 cel 53 27 64 04  |
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| BELKIS (OSCAR y BETTY) V Two aircon bedrooms, ensuites, centre Cristobal Colón nº 37, entre Carretera de Patria y Linea de Ferrocarril, on Parque los Ferrocarriles. Tel. (33) 50-57-63.  |
DULCE y WALDYS V
Two aircon bedrooms, ensuites, centre Narciso Lopez 319, entre Serafin Sanchez y Sergio Antuna, facing Hechevarria Park, near central Parque Marti. Tel. (33) 50-31-36  |
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| CARMEN V Colonial, two ac br's, ensuites, patio General Peralta 38, e/ Felipe Poey y Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, a few steps from the train estacion. Tel. (33) 50-54-53  |
HOSTAL BELKIS V
Upstairs, one aircon bedroom, ensuite, centre Castillo 175 e/ Callejas y Serafín Sánchez, steps from Villa La Casona. Tél. 52 97 14 77  |
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| MARTHA y BETO V Four ac bedrooms, ensuites, in center Calleja nº 99, entre Castillo y Luz Caballero. Tél. (33) 50-35-07 cel 53 77 56 56  |
MAREL y PACHY V Five aircon bedrooms, ensuites Serafin Sánchez nº 77 entre Marti y Castillo 50 m from calle principal. Tel (33) 50-31-86.  |
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| DRA. MIRTA CARBALLO + PALADAR V Two indep. ac br's, ensuites, terraces Dimas Daniel nº 19, upstairs, e/ Castillo y Serafina one block from calle principal. Tel (33) 50-30-36 cel 52 84 00 95  |
PINO y AGNIA V Two ac bedrooms, ensuites, patio Narciso Lopez 357, e/ Felipe Poey y Carlos Manuel Cespedes, steps from the train station. Cel 52 44 95 54  |
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| LA TORRE V Two ac bedrooms, ensuites, patio with pool Maximo Gómez #113, e/ Marina y Zayas Cels 55 80 76 17 o 53 77 57 78 @  |
HOSTAL SOSA V Two ac bedrooms, ensuites, Calle 10 #12-B Tel (33) 50 37 54 @  |
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RECOMMENDED BY PAPERBACK GUIDEBOOKS Footprint Handbook (FH), Géo Guide (GG), Géo Guide CoupsdeCœur (CC), Le Routard (LR), Lonely Planet (LP), Moon Handbooks (MH), Petit Futé (PF), Stefan-Loose (SL) and web site Trip Advisor (TA) ::: FH : Alojamiento Maité, Carmen, Alicia, Mirtha Carballo, Lalita, Oasis Papito ::: GG : Oscar y Betty Quintero (Belkis), Casa Maité, Casa Marel ::: CC : Oscar y Betty Quintero (Belkis), Casa Maité, Casa Marel ::: LR : Alojamiento Maité, Alojamiento Vista al Parque, Hostal Belkys, Gina Margarita Sierra, Juan y Belgica, Belkis (Oscar y Betty), Teresa y Mayea El Caney ::: LP : Alojamiento Maité, Alojamiento Vista al Parque, Belkis (Oscar y Betty) ::: MH : Gina Margarita Sierra, Mirta Carballo, Juan y Belgica, Luis y Liz ::: PF : Alojamiento Maité, Alojamiento Vista al Parque ::: SL : Alojamiento Maité, Alojamiento Vista al Parque, Hostal Belkys, Gina Margarita Sierra, Mirta ::: TA B&B (50+ reviews) : Alojamiento Maité B&B, Carmen, Pino y Agnia, Dra. Mirta Carballo ::: TA Others (50+) : Llemy y Roselia, Marel B&B, Hostal Belkis 31.08.18 |
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Photos & content © sogestour Updated |
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