| To travel towards the Cuban capital and the rest of | | | | Paula. |
| the country, that is, to the east of Cuba, and always | | | | Passing Cojímar, the route borders the shore, |
| by the coast, after leaving Cayo Levisa, one should | | | | and can bee seen from the highway. The first beach |
| take the highway that leads to Havana by the north | | | | you encounter is the Bacuranao Beach crossed by |
| littoral, the prettiest of them all where monotony is | | | | the river of the same name. As a curious detail, it |
| almost nonexistent as the route crosses many small | | | | should be mentioned that in both rivers small |
| picturesque towns. Just a little before reaching the | | | | fortresses can be found which were built by the |
| town of Bahia Honda we are already in a coastal | | | | Spanish to protect the newly born City of Havana |
| segment different from the route fragments left | | | | against the attacks of pirates and corsairs, like the |
| behind. | | | | attacks occurred in 1762 when the English, under the |
| No longer will you find cays, mangroves and low | | | | commands of naval Commanders Albemarle and |
| coast lines, but, instead, high coast lines, where | | | | Pocock when trhe City of Havana was occupied for |
| mangroves do not grow and cays are no longer | | | | a period of nine months |
| present. It is the second segment of the north coast | | | | Next to Bacuranao is the beach called Playa |
| which extends almost to Varadero. The route till | | | | Tarará with its small river forming a small |
| Havana City is entertaining and pleasant , alomng the | | | | entrance that resembles an estuary locally known as |
| north coast line and by the blue waters of the Florida | | | | the Itabo. Next are the beaches of Santa |
| Straight, which is always visible. | | | | María del Mar and Brisas del Mar, which are |
| When asking a Cuban for addresses the word | | | | the best known of all. They are really one single and |
| "oriente" should be used carefully. In Cuba by | | | | very large beach with two names. |
| "Oriente" many only refer only to the 5 most eastern | | | | These beaches are both protected to the south by |
| provinces in the Island: Las Tunas, Holguín, | | | | the mentioned heights which obligues you take the |
| Granma, Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo, | | | | highway of Via Blanca in order to be able to reach |
| those that, in the ancient Cuban political - | | | | them. This highway communicates the City of |
| administrative division formed the ancient province of | | | | Havana with the province of Matanzas, the "Athens |
| "Oriente". This is why in the common language it is | | | | of Cuba", a city located by the Bay of its same |
| best to ask for directions using the names of the | | | | name. The beaches can only be reached by four |
| provinces instead of the cardinal points. | | | | intersections from the Via Blanca. The fisrt is located |
| In Havana City, you may stay at any of the multiple | | | | by Playa Tarará, the second in Boca Ciega, |
| available Havana Hotels to visit any of the beach | | | | the third by the Restauran Gato Verde on 462 nd |
| groups that surround the Capital. These are | | | | street which descends to the sea in a step-like |
| commonly known as the Playas del Oeste ( Beaches | | | | manner crossing a terrace system of marine origin, |
| of the west ) and the Playas del Este ( Beches of | | | | similar to the one found in G street in the Vedado |
| the east) or the Havana north littoral beaches, in | | | | District, where four of these formations are |
| reference to its hosting city or province. | | | | distinguished while reaching the Malecón |
| The first are commonly rocky and narrow beaches, | | | | Seawalk, and the fourth on 506 th street, at a point |
| deep and next to the new hotels in Havana. These | | | | knows as "La Conchita". |
| are not continuous but are formed by segments | | | | It is a really beautiful view if you stop at any of the |
| interrupted by the coastal rocky groups. They are | | | | high points of the mentioned elevations, especially at |
| bordered by the urbanization. In some of them, a | | | | about 100 mt after passing 462 nd street, nest to |
| marine atmosphere is breathed and it is common to | | | | the viewpoint knows as Bellomonte. This can be |
| see small boats in the rivers that cross them. That is | | | | done at any time of day, although the best time is |
| the case of Playa Jaimanitas and , a bit further down, | | | | definitely in the early hours and the late afternoon |
| the beach of Baracoa. Other like the Viriato and | | | | when all can be clearly observed and exceptional |
| Marianao beaches , not very well known, are small | | | | conditions are available to view the beach, its wave |
| mainly used by the neighbors of the close-by | | | | trains, the different blue shades of the sea, |
| urbanizations. These are not very popular and | | | | vegetation and the construction sites of Guanabo |
| basically visited only by very small groups. | | | | and neighbor sites. |
| Very different is the case of the Playas del Este or | | | | All these beaches, as in the rest of Cuba, are public. |
| North Littoral beaches. These form a continuous | | | | They communicate with each other easily from |
| sandy space, with mainly low depth waters and | | | | Tarará to Guanabo and it is common to see |
| where the rivers that there connect can be easily | | | | people begin the day at one extreme and end at the |
| crossed. Best example is probably the Boca Ciega | | | | other. Almost 10 km are covered by these beautiful |
| River or Justiz River, which can be crossed shore to | | | | beaches. It is quite common to see groups of people |
| shore with under the knee waters which originate a | | | | and youngsters walking by the beach at any time of |
| by-the-coast lagoon system. | | | | day. |
| The beaches in the area receive different names and | | | | There are several spots where you can obtain the |
| ar all crossed by small rivers. West to east you can | | | | necessary to enjoy of the sunny day. As to lodging, |
| find the Cojimar Becah, crossed by the River of the | | | | there are several Cuba hotels from Tarará to |
| same name and that gives origin, just before | | | | Guanabo like Villa Tarará, Villa Armon;ia, |
| reaching the coast, to a deep canyon to reach the | | | | Mirador del Mar Villa Los Pinos, Hotel Atlántico |
| sea due to fact that in the north coast are found the | | | | and Hotel Las Terrazas. The best know, but now |
| heights knows as the Habana - Matanzas heights. | | | | under repair is the Hotel Arenal or Hotel Itabo built |
| Unfortunately, this river is somewhat contaminated | | | | atop one of the lagoons formed by the River Boca |
| although plans exist for its purification. In this site is | | | | Ciega or Itabo without altering its vegetation, |
| located the small town that carries the same name | | | | something similar to what is found in La Moka, in the |
| of the river and its beach, Cojímar, famous | | | | Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve. |
| after being immortalized by the north American | | | | But if you wish to stay in Havana City, just a some |
| writer Ernest Hemingway in his novel "The Old Man | | | | 20 km away, numerous uba hotels are available. The |
| and the Sea". Clearly a place to visit here is the | | | | trip back by car is pleasant because the route by the |
| museum of the Finca La Vijía, Hemingways | | | | sea actually offers different views when using the |
| farm house located just nearby in San Francisco de | | | | highway in either its two directions. |