Russian émigré Magdalena Rovieskuya once posted aid to Castro's rebels up in the Sierra Maestra. La Rusa hit Baracoa in the 1930s, built a seafront hotel and welcomed guests like Errol Flynn, Che Guevara and Fidel Castro. After Rovieskuya's death in 1978, it became a more modest (if bright pink) government-run joint with sad little single beds and a rundown lobby.
Hotel La Rusa
Baracoa
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
5 MILES
Baracoa's rite of passage is the 8km (up and down) hike to the top of this moody, mysterious mountain. Views from the summit (575m) and the flora and…
-
Museo Arqueológico 'La Cueva del Paraíso'
0.46 MILES
Baracoa's most impressive museum, La Cueva del Paraíso is a series of caves that were once Taíno burial chambers. Among nearly 2000 authentic Taíno pieces…
-
1.48 MILES
Southeast of town in the Parque Natural Majayara are a couple of magical hikes and swimming opportunities plus an archaeological trail in the grounds of a…
-
0.48 MILES
Baracoa is protected by a trio of muscular Spanish forts. This one, built in 1802 at the southern entrance to town, houses the Museo Municipal. The small…
-
3.67 MILES
Ten kilometers northwest of Baracoa, the Toa is the third-longest river on the north coast of Cuba and the country's most voluminous. It's also an…
-
3.42 MILES
Five kilometers out of Baracoa on the road to Moa and then 1km inland, Finca Duaba offers a fleeting taste of the Baracoan countryside. It's a verdant…
-
0.15 MILES
Baracoa, you will quickly ascertain (via your nose), is the center of Cuba's chocolate industry; cacao is grown hereabouts and subsequently chocolate-ized…
-
0.23 MILES
Baracoa's highest fort was begun by the Spanish in 1739 and finished by the Americans in 1900. Barely recognizable as a fort these days, it serves as…
Nearby Baracoa attractions
1. Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción
0.11 MILES
After years of neglect, Baracoa's hurricane-battered historic cathedral has been lovingly restored using primarily Italian funding. There's been a…
0.11 MILES
Facing the cathedral is the Bust of Hatuey, a Taíno cacique (chief) who was burned at the stake near Baracoa in 1512 after resisting Spanish colonization…
0.12 MILES
On triangular Plaza Independencia (this being Baracoa, they couldn't have a square plaza) is the neoclassical Poder Popular, a municipal government…
0.15 MILES
Baracoa, you will quickly ascertain (via your nose), is the center of Cuba's chocolate industry; cacao is grown hereabouts and subsequently chocolate-ized…
0.23 MILES
Baracoa's highest fort was begun by the Spanish in 1739 and finished by the Americans in 1900. Barely recognizable as a fort these days, it serves as…
6. Museo Arqueológico 'La Cueva del Paraíso'
0.46 MILES
Baracoa's most impressive museum, La Cueva del Paraíso is a series of caves that were once Taíno burial chambers. Among nearly 2000 authentic Taíno pieces…
0.48 MILES
Baracoa is protected by a trio of muscular Spanish forts. This one, built in 1802 at the southern entrance to town, houses the Museo Municipal. The small…
0.51 MILES
This Spanish fort has watched over the harbor entrance at the northwestern end of town since 1803. The super thick, hurricane-resistant walls now hide a…