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Ciego de Avila is the flattest in province Cuba, never
rising more than 50m above sea level. Although there are
relatively few rivers running through the province, there is
a good system of underground irrigation which makes the area
fertile and productive; sugar cane and pineapple plantations
make up the bulk of local crops.
The province was once home to a large Indian population
and there are several semi-preserved sites which are worth
looking up. There are also remnants of the fortifications,
built during the late 19th century, which were used to
divide up the island during the War of Independence.
Ciego de Avila City:
The city, 460km east of Havana and 110km
west of Camagüey, has developed as something of an
historical halfway house; travellers used it as an overnight
watering hole before continuing on to the islands of
Trinidad and Santo Domingo in the 19th century.
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An interesting place to visit is Parque Marti and
a few blocks from there it is the Teatro Principal, a 500-seater
theatre which is due to undergo further restoration works. This was
built by a rich socialite, Angela Hernandez Viuda de Jimenez, who
battled to create a cultural mecca in her home town.
The Museo Provincial on Calle Jose Antonio
Eschevarria is worth a visit if you are interested in the area's
role in the struggle to overthrow Batista while the Centro
Provincial de Arte building on Calle Independencia may appeal to
some. The Casa de la Trova on Libertad No 130 can occasionally
deliver a raucous night out.
Traffic in the town is almost all horse-driven,
and the longest possible journey should only cost a few pesos by
pony trap. The town is built on a strict grid system centered on
Parque Marti but there are few buildings of note, the most popular
meeting place on the square is the Casa de Agua (Water House), which
serves free glasses of the local mineral water, as well as homemade
refrescos (soft drinks) and fruit juices.
Moron:
This small coastal town lies 36km north of Ciego
de Avila. Its citizens, known as Moronians, have traditionally made
their living from fishing although, with tourism beginning to
blossom in the nearby resort of Cayo Coco, the town is looking
optimistically towards a new, more lucrative future.
Close to the city on the northern coast is a
strange lagoon called Laguna de la Leche, which is home to a variety
of wildlife, most notably several thousand flamingos, it is a prime
fishing lake and consequently is very popular with anglers, It is
Cuba's largest natural reservoir and it was strategically important
during Cuba's 1895 War of Independence. It is a lagoon milky-white
from sodium carbonate deposits that seem to nourish snook and
tarpon.
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