Bayamo

Bayamo was founded in 1513 as one of the earliest Spanish settlements on the island, and it burned almost completely in 1869, which is why so little colonial fabric survives. What is left centres on the Plaza del Himno and the parish church beside it, with the birthplace of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes on the main square as a museum. The town is quiet, low-rise and unusually pleasant to walk, and horse-drawn carts still work as ordinary public transport through the streets.

History

Founded in 1513, Bayamo was the second of the seven towns founded by Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar, and in 1540 the Basque landowner Francisco Iznaga was elected its mayor. Through much of the 16th century it was one of the island's most important farming and trading towns: its inland position kept it safer from the pirates of the Caribbean, and through the Cauto river, then open to ships of 200 tons, and the port of Manzanillo it ran a thriving contraband trade that made it the leading town of Cuba at the start of the 17th century. A great flood in 1616 choked the Cauto with trees and wrecks and cut it off from the sea, but its trade with Curaçao, Jamaica and other islands went on through Manzanillo in the 17th and 18th centuries, and fine plantations surrounded the town. It became a city in 1827, and it was almost destroyed in the war of 1868-1878 (Wikipedia, Bayamo).

What to look for

• Plaza del Himno - the small square beside the parish church, with the church's painted ceiling inside.
• The Céspedes house - a colonial house on the main square, now a museum.
• The horse carts - coches working as scheduled public transport around the town.
• The wax museum - a small and unexpectedly popular collection of Cuban figures.

When to go

November to April is the dry season. Saturday nights bring a street party along Calle General García with food stalls and music, which is the town at its liveliest. Summer is very hot on this plain.

Things to know

The 1869 fire took most of the colonial town, so anyone coming for architecture will find less than in Camagüey or Trinidad. Museums keep short and unreliable hours. There is little accommodation beyond private houses.

Nearby

Manzanillo is west on the coast, and the Sierra Maestra rises south of the city.

Key facts