CubaPLUS Magazine

The coast of the northern province of Holguín, in the east of the country, has notorious beaches such as Guardalavaca, but also beautiful bays, as well as wooded and wild areas of great value. Such is the case of the Las Guanas Eco-Archaeological Trail, part of the Peñón de Bahía de Naranjo protected area.

An impressive place. The foregoing may sound grandiose, but it is not, in the case of a place very close to the tourist area of Playa Esmeralda, a region where the Cuban geography seems to be made by hand, as they say in this land when we appreciate something very beautiful.

Inaugurated on May 1, 1999 with the category of trail, it extends through 16 hectares, in which regulations established to guide traffic through its area are met, according to the technical standards in use, which cover its 1060 meters.

The most important populations of the regional endemic tree known as Guana (Hildegardia cubensis) inhabit this natural environment; which originated the name of the place, and there are also centenary specimens of the Avocado cimarrón cactus (Dendrocereus nudiflorus), an exclusive species of Cuba. The paths of the trail fork  basically cross two dominant types of vegetation, where there are 127 species of flora, including 14 endemic ones. The fauna treasures are just as valuable, with two regional endemic species and more than 20 species of migratory birds (Gibara corridor). Included in the so-called hybridization belt of the East, hybrid species abound in the area, something that gives it a very special note in Cuba and even worldwide. The only one existing in Cuba and one of the few in the world.

There is a very striking geographical feature there for specialists and travelers, since it is a cliff where up to four "tidal niches" or flaps can be observed, carved on the rock, which correspond to different periods of the oceanic level. The objective of opening the Las Guanas Trail fulfills a desire for conservation and protection of the coastal environment, of authorities and experts and, at the same time, stimulates nature tourism in a responsible and respectful manner.

Las Guanas offers the viewing of archaeological pieces from ancient pre-Columbian aboriginal communities, the observation of beautiful birds with spectacular trilling and colors, and instructions to improve the environmental education of present-day citizens. In defense of the survival of coastal ecosystems, reforestation plans are carried out with species that play a decisive protective role in times of global warming and extreme weather events.