(On with the Countdown: 358 Days to Go) Siboney, A Beach Brimming with History

Santiago de Cuba’s beaches could be less spectacular than those on the north coast, but they charming. Just 14 kilometers away from the city, to the east, we find the first one: Siboney.

The list of gorgeous beaches is also made up of Juraguá, Daiquirí, Bucanero (Arroyo de la Costa), Berraco, Costa Morena (Balneario del Sol), Sigua and Cazonal. Some of them already feature hotels and specialized facilities that target international tourism.

There is another group of beaches to the west, where the water merges with mountain landscape. Mar Verde is 18 kilometers away and it’s followed by Buey Cabón, Caletón Blanco and El Francés.

Siboney stands out among all of them because it’s the nearest to the city. Hurricane Sandy, which devastated Santiago de Cuba, badly damaged the trees, but the scenery is already as wonderful as it was before that event.

Siboney offers brownish-gray sands and, beyond its natural beauty, it’s wealthy in terms of history, since it witnessed the Hispanic-Cuban-North America War in 1898. That was the coast area chosen by General Major William Shafter to disembark US troops.

The invasion of the First Division began on June 22, 1898, led by General Kent, and his 12 soldiers landed late that night.

That region was also the cradle of Francisco Repilado, known in the world of music as “Compay Segundo”.

Siboney beach might not be a first-class summer spot, especially because of the narrowness of its sand strip; but this site - named after the natives who lived there and the translation would be “people of precious stones” -, is very visited by the people of Santiago, who are very proud of that special area.