4 Best Sights in Eastern Cuba, Cuba

East of town lies Playa Baragua, one of the area's few light-sand beaches. Not far from here, the road passes beneath a natural arch called the Túnel de los Alemanes (Germans' Tunnel) before ending 25 km (16 miles) east of Baracoa, at the Río Yumurí and the adjacent village of the same name. The river tumbles out of a steep canyon. Boats ferry passengers across the river and up into the canyon for nominal fees. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; sunrise; walking.

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 town, you'll find the lovely, dark-sand Playa Maguana, site of the Gaviota Villa Maguana hotel. Amenities: food and drink; parking; 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.