Located on the southeastern part of the island, Granma Province, is a popular destination for lovers of nature and history. Bayamo (130,000), the capital of the province, was the second town founded by the Spanish in Cuba and has played an important role in Cuba’s history. It is the place Manuel Céspedes, the Father of the Cuba, who declared independence from Spain. It was here in 1868 that the War of Cuban Independence began against Spain and the Cuban national anthem was sung for the first time. It was also here than Fidel Castro landed to begin his final attempt to overthrow Batista, which ended with the victory of the Cuban Revolution in 1959.
Because of the town's historical importance it has become a tourist attraction. There is plenty to see in the town itself and surrounding area.
To the southwest are Cuba's most impressive mountains, The Sierra Maestra. These Mountains dominate the province and offer hiking and hunting, and fishing at Virama and Leonero Lakes. Gran Parque Nacional Sierra Madre was Castro's base of operations during the Cuban Revolution.
Thirty-seven miles west of Baymo, in the Gulf of Guacanayabo, lies the port city of Manzanillo, Granma's second largest city and a fishing port. The best beaches in the area are: Playa de las Coloradas (on the southwest coast), Playa Carenero and Marea del Portillo on the south coast.
