Greenery beckons about a kilometer from Bayamo's center where the Bayamo River has carved a lush belt through the urban grid. Locals come to this blissful spot to water their horses or have a family barbecue. Footpaths and gazebo-shaped stalls selling food and drink embellish the banks but never detract from the all-pervading mood of tranquility.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
29.65 MILES
Topping a crenelated mountain ridge amid thick cloud forest, this pioneering camp was established by Fidel Castro in 1958 after a year on the run in the…
0.52 MILES
One of Cuba's leafiest squares, Bayamo's central meeting point is surrounded by pedestrian-only streets, making it a rare and peaceful spot. In addition…
27.68 MILES
This tiny village nestles in a deep green valley beside the deliciously clean Río Yara. Communally it provides a wonderful slice of peaceful Cuban…
Casa Natal de Carlos Manuel de Céspedes
0.55 MILES
Birthplace of the 'father of the motherland,' this museum is where Céspedes was born (on April 18, 1819) and spent his first 12 years. Inside, Céspedes…
7.77 MILES
For a floral appreciation of Bayamo's evergreen hinterland, head to this botanic garden about 16km outside the city off the Guisa road. It's on very few…
0.63 MILES
It's worth the jaunt to observe the goings-on at Cuba's only handcrafted coche (horse cart) production line. Most horse carts you'll see in Cuba are metal…
28.85 MILES
All trips into the park begin at the end of the near-vertical, corrugated-concrete access road at Alto del Naranjo (after Villa Santo Domingo the road…
0.48 MILES
Bayamo's main shopping street was pedestrianized in the 1990s and reconfigured with benches and funky artwork. At its southern end you'll find wax museum…
Nearby Bayamo attractions
0.37 MILES
Cuba's first post-independence president, Tomás Estrada Palma, was born here in 1835. One-time friend of José Martí, Estrada Palma was disgraced post…
0.37 MILES
Features pre-Colombian stone tools and objects such as shells, bones and ceramics.
0.38 MILES
A forerunner of the national anthem, cowritten by Céspedes (and, confusingly, also called 'La Bayamesa') was first sung from here on March 27, 1851. A…
0.38 MILES
The tiny Museo de Cera, Bayamo’s diminutive version of Madame Tussauds, has convincing waxworks of Cuban personalities such as Polo Montañez, Benny Moré…
0.41 MILES
This museum is in the former officers' club of the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes military barracks, 1km southeast of Parque Céspedes. On July 26, 1953, this…
6. Torre de San Juan Evangelista
0.45 MILES
A church dating from Bayamo's earliest years stood at this busy intersection until it was destroyed in the great fire of 1869. Later, the church's tower…
0.48 MILES
Bayamo's main shopping street was pedestrianized in the 1990s and reconfigured with benches and funky artwork. At its southern end you'll find wax museum…
0.5 MILES
This is the one original section of Bayamo's main church to survive the 1869 fire. It sports a gilded wooden altar.