Bayamo

Bayamo was founded in 1513 and it remained the most important agricultural and commercial town in Cuba for much of the 16th century. Its location on the Cauto River made it accessible to vessels of up to 200 tons, while pirates would not attack the city for its inland location.

In 1616, a huge flood sank ships and blocked the river, thus cutting Bayamo's access to the sea, but trade continued overland. Cuba's 1st War for Independence, lasted from 1868 to 1878. The war started in Bayamo, after Creole planter Carlos Manuel de Céspedes freed his slaves in October 1868. During the fighting, the city was all but destroyed.

Bayamo is the capital of Cuba's Granma Province. On 2 December 1956, Fidel Castro and 81 rebels arrived in Bayamo at Cabo Cruz. Their airplane was called Granma, which gave the province its name. There are countless historical sites in and around Bayamo.

Points of interest

Bayamo Cathedral.
Bayamo is centered on the shady Parque Céspedes (Céspedes Park). In the park are numerous statues of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes and Perucho Figueredo, who composed Cuba's national anthem in 1868.
In front of the Ayuntamiento (Town Hall), on the park's northern edge, Céspedes proclaimed independence for Cuba in 1868.
Bayamo was the location where José Martí was shot.
Bayamo is a good place to stay if you want to visit the Gran Parque Nacional Sierra Maestra (Sierra Maestra National Park), just south of town.

There are several hotels and restaurants in Bayamo, but the city receives very few tourists. Bayamo is 670 km southeast of Havana.

Hotels in Bayamo

Images

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