A Tour of Cuba: No 1 - Our Home Town San Antonio de los Banos

Over the next few months, I intend to give you a taste of Cuba, province by province. Before, I embark on this ‘tour’, I thought it appropriate to start and finish in my adopted town of San Antonio de los Baños.

The town was founded in 1794 initially flourished because of its thermal springs. The clue is in the name – ‘BAÑOS’ being thermal baths. For those who enjoy the hustle and bustle of Havana, but do not particularly want to stay there, San Antonio makes a logical base.

The town is situated just 25 minutes from Jose Marti International Airport and 35 minutes from Havana. It is surrounded by farm land on which tobacco, fruit and vegetables are produced. There is a cigar factory here: the International Cinema School (EICTV) is also located here. San Antonio lies equidistant from both the Atlantic and Caribbean coasts – 22 km from each of them.

Rumour has it that a new International Airport will be built in the town some time during the next decade.

One criticism levelled at the town is that there is nowhere decent to stay. My wife and I have decided to build a small guest house right in front of the Church Square here. The pictures show the state the house was in when we bought it it at the end of 2015 and a more recent picture, taken last week. We hope to be open for business by September 2016.

The photos on my blog page


https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogI … 5791820355

show our property as bought and as it was at the end of April 2016. We hope to be finished some time in August 2016.

Things do not always move as quickly as one would like, so we do not feel comfortable accepting bookings at this stage, but if you check the website in the middle and end of each month, you will see for yourself how far we have got.

Hope to see you soon.

Paul