Sierra Maestra

The Sierra Maestra is Cuba's highest and most historically significant mountain range — a 250 km long chain along the southern coast with the Pico Turquino (1,974 m), Cuba's highest peak. Here, Fidel Castro hid from 1956 to 1959 with his guerrillas and led the revolution from here.

Trekking to Pico Turquino

The two-day hike to the summit is Cuba's most challenging trek — and one of the most impressive. The trail starts at Las Cuevas (south coast) or Santo Domingo (north side) and leads through dense rainforest, past orchids and ferns, over cloud-covered ridges to the summit with Cuba's second-largest José Martí bust.

• Duration: 2 days (1 night at the Aguada de Joaquín mountain camp)
• Difficulty: Challenging — steep ascents and descents, 1,500 meters of elevation gain, often muddy
• Guide: Mandatory! Only bookable through the national park administration (office in Bayamo or Santo Domingo). 80–120 € per person including guide, permit, and accommodation
• Best time: November–April (dry season). Often closed during the rainy season

Comandancia de la Plata

Fidel Castro's guerrilla headquarters in the Sierra Maestra can be visited as a day hike from Santo Domingo (5 hours round trip). The wooden huts — Fidel's bedroom, Che's field hospital, the Radio Rebelde station — remain as they were in the 1950s. A fascinating place for history enthusiasts. Guide mandatory (30 € per person).