Baracoa

About

Spanish conquistador Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar founded Baracoa in 1511 as Spain’s first settlement in Cuba and their original capitol. However Baracoa’s remote location left it an isolated port that specialized in blackmarket dealings. After contraband dealings dried up, Baracoa turned into a humble agricultural town that was only accessible by sea until the 1960. But it’s precisely this perfect combination of rich history, stunning natural surroundings, and isolation that has made Baracoa Cuba’s most atmospheric town. Walk the narrow, cobbled streets from Fort La Punta to the Matachín Fortress, and you’ll find elegant mansions and colorful churches, including the Cathedral where Enriqueta Faber, a French woman who passed herself off as a man so she could be a doctor, and married a local heiress in 1819. Be sure to head up to the Seboruco Castle, for the best view in town. If you’re staying a bit longer, look just outside of town for blissful beaches, and one of Cuba’s most important national parks.