Chorro de Maita

Chorro de Maíta is the largest indigenous cemetery excavated in the Caribbean, and the decision was taken to roof the excavation and display the burials in situ rather than remove them. Around a hundred skeletons lie as they were found, in the positions and orientations they were buried in, with grave goods including Spanish objects that date part of the cemetery to the years immediately after contact. Across the road a village of thatched houses has been reconstructed with figures showing daily life.

What you actually see

• The burials - around a hundred skeletons displayed in situ under a roof over the excavation.
• The grave goods - shell, stone and metal objects, some of European origin.
• The reconstructed village - thatched houses and figures showing pre-contact daily life.
• The interpretation - the contact-period evidence, which is what makes the site significant.

When to go

November to April is the dry season and the most comfortable. Mornings are quieter, before the coach parties come inland from Guardalavaca. The site is small and a group fills it.

Honest expectations

Displaying human remains raises questions that the site does not really engage with, and some visitors find it uncomfortable. The reconstructed village is basic and the figures are crude. The visit is short.

Nearby

Guardalavaca beach is five kilometres away, and Holguin is an hour southwest.