|
Guanabacoa is 5 km to the east of La Habana Vieja and is reached by a road turning off the Central Highway. You can take the 40-centavo bus Ruta 5 (1 hr) from 19 de Mayo, at the terminal opposite the Sala Polivalente Ramón Fonst, or by launch from Muelle Luz, at the end of Santa Clara, La Habana Vieja, to Regla, then by bus direct to Guanabacoa.
Guanabacoa, a small colonial town, has an old parish church that has a splendid altar, the monastery of San Francisco, the Carral theatre and some attractive mansions. The main reason for a visit however is the Cementerio de Judíos (Jewish Cemetery). It was founded in 1906-10 and is set back behind an impressive gated entrance on the left on the road to Santa Fé. There is a monument to the victims of the Second World War Holocaust and bars of soap are buried as a symbolic gesture. Saúl Yelín (1935-77), one of the founding members of Cuban cinema, is buried under a large, flamboyant tree and you can also see the graves of the Mártires del Partido Comunista, victims of the Machado dictatorship.
Another reason to visit is for the Museo Municipal de Guanabacoa, Bazar de los Orishas, Martí 108 entre Versalles y San Antonio, a former estate mansion with slave quarters at the back of the building. The Festival de Raíces Africanas Wemilere is held here every November. The museum has been closed for repairs since 1999, and is scheduled to reopen in 2003. The African religion section has been transferred to Casa de Africa. However, there is a temporary Sala de Yoruba in the same street which museum staff will direct you to.
|
