4 Best Sights in Guardalavaca, Eastern Cuba

Guardalavaca is part of the county of Banes (pronounced BAH-nays). Castro married his first wife at the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Caridad on the town's Plaza Martí. Fulgencio Batista, the dictator Castro eventually toppled, was born here in 1901. But Banes is best known for its archaeological treasures, many of which are exhibited in its Museo Indocubano.

The museum has one of Cuba's largest collections of such indigenous artifacts (20,000 of them) as pottery, jewelry, and tools. There are also murals depicting indigenous life.

West of Playa Guardalavaca, heading back toward Holguín along the main road, is Playa Esmeralda, a beach that the Spanish chain Meliá has claimed as its own with two all-inclusive hotels: the Paradisus Río de Oro Resort & Spa and the Sol Río de Luna y Mares. (All beaches in Cuba are public, of course, so no one can technically do that.) Amenities: food and drink; water sports. Best for: sunrise; swimming; walking.

West of Playa Esmeralda, along the Carretera Holguín–Guardalavaca (Holguín–Guardalavaca Highway) and enough to be outside the Guardalavaca orbit, is Playa Pesquero. This cove, whose shallow, clear waters and white sands are surrounded by greenery, is often referred to as the Costa Verde (Green Coast). If you stay in one of the resorts here, such as the Hotel Brisas Guardalavaca, consider renting a car for a day trip into the interior. Amenities: food and drink; parking; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; sunrise; swimming; walking.