Guantánamo, 70 miles from Santiago on the southeast coast of Cuba, is the chief town in Guantánamo Province. It is near the infamous U.S. base with the same name, but called “Gitmo Bay” by its American inhabitants. One of Cuba’s most famous songs, “Guanatanamera” was named for this city. The town is rather drab and does’t have a lot to offer. Yateritas and Playitas are two of the most visited beaches in this province.
Beyond Guanatánamo lies the Baracoa—Cuba’s oldest town and first capital of the country. The city lies on Cuba's southeastern tip. There are a couple of interesting forts and other buildings dating from the colonial era. This town is off-the-beaten-track but definitely worth visiting.
Since Cuba is such a large island, it is virtually impossible to give detailed descriptions of every area in the scope of this book. We recommended you read Christopher Baker's best-selling Cuba and Havana Handbooks listed in the “Suggested Reading” section of this book. Then go out and explore the island for a suitable place to live taking into consideration your lifestyle and the other factors we discuss through this site.
