La Gran Piedra Refurbished to Join the Coffee Trail
An all-embracing project aimed at refurbishing La Gran Piedra, is being developed at that spot of Santiago de Cuba’s outskirts, which is a part of Baconao Park, declared World Biosphere Reservoir by UNESCO in 1987.
Click on Santiago de Cuba: A City of 500 Years
On the occasion of the upcoming celebration of the 500th anniversary of the foundation of Santiago de Cuba, important actions are going to be carried out in that area, including the Islazul Group-managed Gran Piedra Hotel.
Marisol Rodríguez, delegate of the Tourism Ministry in that territory, pointed out that the 27 rooms are going to be renovated by meeting their quality standard.
“The project includes”, she pointed out, “the physical structure and redesign of gastronomic services according to characteristics of the place.
“We already have a new and well-assorted sales outlet, in an exceptional position”, Rodríguez said.
“The project”, she commented, “will also target the access way to the viewpoint, as well as observation points and signals so visitors can get information on the natural, historic, cultural and heritage attractions in the area, where there is a huge rock located 1, 227 meters above sea level”.
“Rescuing nature tourism is another important task, so the trails must be put on the map”, she underlined.
The MINTUR delegate explained that there are road limitations to get to La Gran Piedra, that’s the reason why the top authorities of the province are working to improve this situation.
Doing so would also have a positive impact on the access way to La Isabelica museum, an old mansion nestled in the estate, where a World Heritage Archaeological Scenery plaque was placed, as it was one of the first coffee plantations in the southeastern region of Cuba. The estate covers a vast area, with ruins of French-Haitian coffee plantations that date back from the early 19th century.
La Gran Piedra is described as a unique product in Santiago de Cuba and it’s going to be included in The Coffee Trail project, promoted by the Office of the City Curator to connect old estates on the easternmost mountains.
This natural attraction is located 23 kilometers away from the city and features great tourism potential, since it’s an opportunity to interact with flora, fauna, climate and landscape, as well as to visit the hotel and rural communities.
