Holguín: an ideal destination for nature tourism
- Written by Redacción ¡ahora!
- Published in Holguin
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The natural wealth of the province of Holguín gradually positions this tourist destination as one of the favorites in the practice of nature tourism, since there is a unique symbiosis with the patrimonial, cultural and historical attributes, the sun and the famous white sand beaches. One of the most striking qualities of this territory is that only three national parks are located here: Mensura-Piloto, Pico Cristal and Alejandro de Humboldt -Heritage of Humanity-, where the visitor can see the fauna and vegetation of this prodigal geography.
Precisely, in areas of two of these parks -Mensura Piloto and Pico Cristal- the travel agency Ecotur Sucursal Oriente held the Ecological Diversity and Nature Tourism Workshop (Biotur), with permanent headquarters in the coastal municipality of Gibara and from where several itineraries depart to these areas.
During three receptive days of Cubatur, Cubanacán, Havanatur and Paradiso and representatives of the tour operators Thomas Cook, AvenToura, Tourcom, Hola, Free Way, Abtour, Distal Caribe among others, made about 10 excursions as part of the event program.
Yoel Domínguez, director of the Travel Agency Ecotur Oriente, highlighted that with this holguinera initiative Ecotur intends to position the Biotur as a platform for new launch products of nature tourism every year.
In this way, he added, we reinforce the value of tourist use of protected areas in the East of Cuba and the preparatory work for each tourist season.
For the first day the assistants carried out four of the main excursions that Ecotur promotes in Gibara - home of the International Festival of Cinema -: Nautical crossing and speleoturística, Visit to Blue Tank -major flooded cavern of Cuba-, Way to river of Seas and to the footpath "Las Tinajitas".
Precisely, the latter, located at the base of the elevations of the Maniabón group in the municipality of Rafael Freyre, propitiates the observation of endemic and exotic birds of Cuba such as the cartacuba, tocororo, negrito and other species such as the polymita, considered the most beautiful snail in the world, due to the chromatic diversity of its shells.
This trail is divided into nine points or stations of natural interest of which highlights the Cave and the Mirador, destination from which you can see the famous elevation Silla de Gibara and Yabazón Hill.
In the Blue Tank, a cave with a collapsed roof that looks like a natural swimming pool and facilitates the transit to the largest flooded cavern discovered in Cuba, the client can dive about 20 meters away in an area where stalactites, stalagmites, columns, mantles and vegetation of varied diversity and beauty stand out.
After the tours of the first day, about 80 participants went to Pinares de Mayarí, a town located in the Mensura Piloto park, about 680 meters above sea level and has a microclimate inhabited by about 300 endemic species of Cuban flora and fauna.
There were three trails: Poza de Rafael - whose name was suggested by Fidel Castro - invites to a bath in waters rich in minerals. Visitors may reach this place by jeep or, for those who enjoy hiking, take a path where birds and butterflies may be observed.
For its part, "La Sabina" is part of the ecological station located in Pinares de Mayarí, which was founded as a suggestion of the historical leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, and Celia Sánchez Manduley in order to protect and conserve the different ecosystems existing in that area.
There the traveller can observe in a short stretch all the varieties of vegetation existing in that locality and has, in addition, in its journey of an orchid and just at the end, awaits a waterfall that offers a true spectacle of nature.
In Pinares de Mayarí, there is also the Guayabo Falls -the highest waterfall in Cuba-, considered the star product of nature tourism in Cuba, as the sales to this impressive place make it number one in the Cuban nation.
Part of the interest of Biotur 2019 is to promote, in addition, the values of other territories of the Cuban East, for it the event conceived the closing of its program in the hotel Second Front, of the homonymous municipality in the province of Santiago de Cuba. An installation that is a paradise between mountains, according to the assistants,
From this place, stressed Reina Alayo, Ecotur specialist in that territory, you can perform various activities that combine adventure with approaching the history of Cuba.
Such as visiting areas of museums that include the mausoleum of the Second Front,
a 3D room where films are projected about the actions of the second front commanded by Raúl Castro, among other spaces.
Also designed are horseback rides and hikes to the Vega Bellaca estate and the Loma de Mícara, and even the transfer to the Pico Turquino or the Cristal.
In the last day the representatives of the tour operator Thomas Cook recognized the existence of potentialities little explored in the Eastern region of Cuba and that do not exist in any other place of the country, in the same way they celebrated the accomplishment of this event that contributes to renew the portfolio of tourist products of nature.
For his part, Yosmani Velázquez, Ecotur's commercial, was right to say that the activities and places included in the Biotur 2019 program demonstrated that the eastern region of Cuba owns a very lively nature, with unique attributes and little known in the international market.
(With information from excelenciascuba.com)
