by Johnny Considine, CEO of Cuba Private Travel.
The 100 km distance separating Havana from Matanzas is turned into a slow travel experience covering the best of the northwest shore of Cuba. Towns, caves, and treks blended with culture, wildlife, and human interaction have been curated here. The best option for slow travelers.
Escaleras de Jaruco is the first stop. Once a family picnic spot, the park is part of a wildlife sanctuary, 40 kilometers east of Havana. It is a perfect stop for landscape photography, bird watching, trekking, and caving.
Pay a visit to Ana Mendieta Land Art.
The caverns of Jaruco are rich in archaeological findings. Ancient Cuban art meets its contemporary history there with Ana Mendieta’s interventions on land. Her series of ten Stone Women sculptures, dedicated to ancient female deities, are accessible for visitors after short treks.
Hersey Sugar Mill and Model Town.
Not far, east of Jaruco, the ruins of what once was Cuba’s only Model Town stand still. This is a unique opportunity to experience a utopistic social project made true in the first quarter of the 20th century. From the conception of urban space, based on both the needs of working families and the demands of the sugar industry, Hershey Town was designed for happiness, as Milton S. Hershey liked to say.
Matanzas City.
Matanzas is a destination of its own merits. Founded in the late 17th century, the city saw rapid expansion during the early years of the eighteen hundreds.
The Rumba and Danzón were born here. The first is a complex set of rhythms and dancing styles, now declared World Cultural Heritage. The second is the National Dance. Some of the main exponents of Rumba and Danzón in Cuba are based in the city and it is possible to exchange with them. A seat at a rehearsal is an experience you don´t want to miss.
