Robin Thom

Every traveller's favorite, Gibara la Perla Hermosa, this lovely pearl of a town is a small, charming and quiet cocoon by the sea, wrapped by hills and woven with culture. Once Holguin's door to the sea, a rich sugar port, its economy declined with the arrival of the train.

Now moved to July, Gibara hosts the very popular Festival Internacional de Cine de Gibara, a project of one of Cuba's premier directors, Humberto Solas who passed away in September 2008. It used to be called del Cine Pobre (low budget).

On this occasion only, casas without a rental permit are allowed to host festival guests and visitors as there are only 55 official rental casas and three hotels in town. So many people show up that some pitch their tent anywhere they can.
 

DISTANCES (km) Banes, 103 Bahia Bariay, 10 Bayamo, 104 Caletones, 18 Camaguey, 241 Guardalavaca, 83 Holguin, 32 Las Tunas, 112 Playa Blanca, 27 (or by lancha) Playa Los Bajos, 30 (or by lancha) Playa Pesquero Nueva, 33 Puerto Padre, 75 Santiago, 188 Silla de Gibara, 35 Velasco, 30	Callejon de los Hermanos.

POPULATION 72,056 (2007)

SEE.KNOW.DO
• Parks : Calixto Garcia, Colon and Las Madres, all along main street, calle Independencia. (photos here) • Copa del Amor (legendary site in cemetery) • Fortaleza (office of the Historian : say hello to architect Alberto Mora) • Fuerte El Cuartelón • Fuerte Fernando VII • Iglesia de San Fulgencio (Parque Calixto Garcia) • Mirador, the lookout above town : restaurant, bar, snack • Museo del Arte Colonial (reopened after total rebuild as only ground floor remained after hurricane Ike destroyed the building) • Museo de Historia Natural (largest collection of stuffed birds in Cuba, whale : enjoy practicing your Spanish with young Conservador Ernesto Moreno Garcia) • Museo Municipal de Historia + Museo de Artes decorativas re-opened in October 2017 after a 10-year, arduous and long renovations following a hurricane.

RESTAURANTS & PALADARS
• Must do : eat lunch or dinner at La Perla del Norte on Cespedes with fabulous views from the rooftop terrace. 'Tis here that chefs Yoander and Daniel (members of national Artechef association) prepare national and local regional cuisine with seafood and other delights for affordable prices; recommended by most guidebooks. • La Cueva de Jorge Luis on calle 2da (Secunda) on road to Caletones has its own tiny farm; grill specialties; recommended by most guidebooks. • La Tinaja on J. Peralta 21-A seafood specialties. • El Coral on Sartorio 38-A Yudier & Mailé are great hosts, large 2-cuc salad, fish, chicken, crab (jaiva), wine by the glass (!); recommended by this webmaster. • La Concha facing the sea at Hotel Buenavista, above the Faro beach; • Mirador de Gibara overlooking the town and bay. Dining room of the Hotel Ordono + Hotel Arsenita's dining room.

• In casas particulares, also renting rooms • Los Amigos at Cespedes 15 • El Patio de Lily on Mora 19 • Villa Caney on Sartorio 36. In Caletones La Esperanza de Nelson Escalona, fish, catch of the day, octopus

EVENINGS
• Casa del Tango, a project by Québécois Gilbert Bertrand who also created (with the UNEAC) the annual local Tango Festival. • Artex, now located by the bay on the INIT site, live music on weekends, 5cuc • Casa de la Cultura, exhibitions and more • Ciné Jiba, main venue of the film festival • Siglo XX on Parque Calixto Garcia.

LOCAL PLAYAS
• Playa de Gibara, entrance of town, at the foot of Aguilera and Gomez streets ::: These are deserted in winter (Oct to May). • Playa Bavado • Playacita El Faro (great summer photo-op) • Playa La Concha

PLAYAS IN THE AREA
• Playa Blanca, (across the bay, by barca, the ferry which some locals name La Cachimba or by car, around the bay, about 28 k's • Playa Los Bajos, 30 km by car, past Playa Blanca : busy in summer, its casas are deserted (and unrentable) in winter • Playa Caletones, 18 km (3 small beaches in this village of 268) • Playa Pesquero Nueva (in Guardalavaca, largest resort complex in the country), 53 km.

HOTELES
• Hotel Plaza Colon opened in May 2017 opening on central park Colon, offers 12 bungalows, part of Cuba's E Hoteles chain of Cubanacan; dining room dedicated to the most popular music group in Cuba's history : Los Zafiros • Hotel Arsenita opened in Summer 2015 on General Sartorio near the church, offers 12 bedrooms, part of Cuba's E Hoteles chain, well-liked by travelers : dining room and mirador on roof. • Hotel Ordoño part of Cuba's E Hoteles chain on calle J. Peralta, opened in 2013 has 27 rooms and a dining room and a rooftop terrace. • Hotel Buenavista with its La Concha dining room and restaurant overlooking the playa of the same name is located on the seaside; upstairs, four renovated bedrooms for 25cuc with breakfasts; 20cuc pp with dinners • There is a wi-fi zone in Plaza de la Cultura (the central park - rebuilt in Spring 2017) • In Holguin : Aeropuerto Frank País (24)43-93-40, Cubana Office (24)42-57-07, Airport (24)46-25-12, Havanautos (24)48-14-15, Medical (24) 42-53-02, Transtur (24)42-41-87

TRANSPORT
• Lancha/Ferry - see Gray 4 on Map - (roofed, 18-passager capacity, 1cuc). Leaves the port at least twice a day. Returns one hour later. Two stops : across the bay in front of town at fishing port of San Antonio and then over at Caliche. • Bus Two daily from Holguin, the first leaving Valiares Terminal at 7, arrives here at 9:30. Another leaves here around 3:30 p.m. from Fulgencio Park. • Taxi particular to and from Holguin for 20cuc : 30 mins; with locals, better to use an old clunker, share it with Gibareños and pay 5cuc or less per person.

CATCH IT WHILE YOU CAN

Local ferry (Cachimba) sked ; it crosses the bay to San Antonio where one walks to Playa Blanca, rides around on bike through Los Bajos or stays at one of a couple of rental casas.

Content & photos © sogestour



Updated 01.01.2023