Baracoa is a very historic town, located on the northern coast, near the northeastern corner of the Island of Cuba, in the easternmost Province of Guantanamo.
(above adapted from the World Fact Book)
HOW TO GET TO BARACOA (AND BACK):
TRAVEL NOTES FOR TRAVELERS TO BARACOA –
THE TOWN OF BARACOA CAN BE REACHED EITHER FROM SANTIAGO DE CUBA, VIA GUANTANAMO, OR FROM HOLGUIN, ALONG THE NORTH SHORE, VIA MOA (OVER A ROUGH ROAD FROM MOA TO BARACOA- NO VIAZUL BUSSES TRAVEL THIS ROAD). THE VIAZUL BUS DEPARTS FROM SANTIAGO DE CUBA TO BARACOA AROUND 10:00 AM, STOPPING IN GUANTANAMO VERY BRIEFLY AND ARRIVING IN BARACOA AT 3:15 PM (THE COST IS US$ 15). THE RETURN LEG DEPARTS BARACOA AT 5:00 PM AND ARRIVES IN SANTIAGO AT 10:15 PM. THE BUS CAN BECOME FULL IN HIGH SEASON. TOURISTS PLANNING TO TRAVEL TO BARACOA FROM SANTIAGO DE CUBA ON VIAZUL IN HIGH SEASON MAY WISH TO RESERVE A SEAT IN ADVANCE.
AN ALTERNATIVE TO VIAZUL ARE 1. PRIVATELY ARRANGED LEGAL TAXIS. 2. ILLEGAL TAXIS and 3. THE COLLECTIVE JEEPS THAT HAVE THEIR AGENTS RECRUITING TOURISTS AROUND THE SANTIAGO DE CUBA BUS STATION (WHICH IS ALSO THE TRAIN STATION), LOCATED AT THE FOOT OF PASEO DE MARTI (A ONE WAY TRIP IN A COLLECTIVE JEEP USED TO BE APPROX CUC 20- BUT EXPECT GOUGING POST-COVID). A FULLY MODERN EXCLUSIVE PRIVATE TAXI (SUCH AS A YELLOW CUBA-TAXI) MAY BE AVAILABLE BUT WILL BE EXPENSIVE, APPROX US$ 150- 200 ONE WAY. THEY WILL RUN OUT OF HOLGUIN AND SANTIAGO (NOT BARACOA). WITH REGARD TO # 2 AND #3 ABOVE, BEWARE OF ANY ASSURANCES PROVIDED BY THE INFORMAL COMMISSION AGENTS RECRUITING TOURISTS TO TAKE THE TRIP BY INFORMAL TAXI OR BY JEEP – YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN IN DEALING WITH THESE PEOPLE. THE ACTUAL DRIVER MAY TELL YOU A DIFFERENT STORY THAN THE AGENT, SUCH AS WITH REGARD TO THE AVAILABLITY OF YOUR SEAT . IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO DEAL DIRECTLY WITH THE DRIVER.
THE ALTERNATIVE ROUTE TO GOING OUT OF SANTIAGO , ACCESS TO BARACOA ALONG THE NORTH SHORE, VIA HOLGUIN AND MOA CAN BE WITH LOCAL COLLECTIVE JEEPS, PRIVATE TAXI OR WITH A GAVIOTA MODERN CHARTERED BUS THAT RUNS ON WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS IN HIGH SEASON (SUBJECT TO DEMAND – IT MAY OR MAY NOT BE RUNNING). FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT ROGER AT GAVIOTA TOURS, PH: (53) (21) 645164 IN BARACOA. THE GAVIOTA OFFICE IN BARACOA IS AT THE SIDE OF THE “EL PARQUE” CAFETERIA IN THE TOWN CENTER. THE GAVIOTA AGENCY MAY BE ABLE TO ARRANGE A LEGAL TAXI, ALONE OR SHARED WITH OTHER TOURISTS (IN THE EVENT THE BUS IS NOT RUNNING), BUT SUBJECT TO AVAILBILITY OF THE TAXIS.
IT MAY ALSO BE POSSIBLE TO ARRANGE A MORE ECONOMICAL RIDE IN A LOCAL COLLECTIVE JEEP, BY SHOWING UP AT THE BARACOA BUS STATION VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING AND NEGOTATING WITH A DRIVER. BEWARE OF THE LOCAL AGENTS (HUSTLERS) IN SANTIAGO AND BARACOA, WHO EXCLUSIVELY RECRUIT TOURISTS TO FILL A JEEP. THEY ARE INCLINED TO SAY ANYTHING, SUCH AS PROMISE YOU A FRONT SEAT THAT IS NOT AVAILABLE, OR PROMISE YOU WILL GO DIRECT TO HOLGUIN FROM BARACOA, WHEN YOU WILL ACTUALLY PROCEED VIA GUARDALAVACA, AN HOUR LONG DETOUR EN-ROUTE TO HOLGUIN. THE COMMISSION AGENT TYPICALLY DEMANDS YOU PAY FOR YOUR TRIP UP FRONT (SO HE CAN GET HIS CUT), THEN HE DISAPPEARS. WHEN SEEKING TO GO THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, FROM HOLGUIN TO BARACOA, VIA JEEP, SHOW UP AT THE INTERMUNICIPAL DEGOBERTO SANFIELD BUS STATION, OPPOSITE THE BALL PARK (ON AVENIDA DE LOS LIBERTADORES), IN HOLGUIN, EARLY IN THE DAY, TO TAKE A JEEP TO MOA AND THEN SWITCH TO ANOTHER JEEP TO CONTINUE TO BARACOA. IT IS GENERALLY EASIER (+ A SMOOTHER VOYAGE) TO FIND A SPOT IN A COLLECTIVE JEEP TO GO TO BARACOA (WITH FEWER SCAMS OR HASSLES) FROM HOLGUIN THAN VICE VERSA, BECAUSE HOLGUIN IS A LARGER HUB.
THE BARACOA AIRPORT (“GUSTAVO RIZO”) IS SERVED BY CHARTER FLIGHTS FROM HAVANA AND HOLGUIN BY AEROCARIBBEAN AND AEROGAVIOTA SEVERAL TIMES PER WEEK, BUT THE SCHEDULE MAY NOT BE CONVENIENT. INTERESTED TRAVELERS MAY CONSULT ONE OF THE LOCAL TRAVEL AGENTS (GAVIOTA IN BARACOA) OR INQUIRE WITH CUBANA DE AVIACION (CALLE MARTI AND CIRO FRIAS) IN BARACOA.
Tourist Map of Eastern Cuba with Main Roads and Features
NOTE ON THE 2016 HURRICANE MATTHEW :
IN THE DEVASTATION INFLICTED UPON THE BARACOA AREA BY HURRICANE MATTHEW, IN OCTOBER 2016, THE BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER TOA (ON THE NORTH SHORE, JUST WEST OF THE TOWN) WAS TAKEN OUT. A TEMPORARY BRIDGE WAS PUT IN PLACE.
Below is link to a video of crossing provisional bridge/causeway over the Toa that was put in place in 2016:
A modern bridge was built over the Toa by the Venezuelan army corps of engineers and completed in 2018 :
The video below shows the construction of the new bridge:
Links to other resources :
Baracoa bike rental 