Published on 2019-01-18 by
Norlan Echevarria
ECOTUR offers an optional tour included into the Ruta del Café excursion: tour to La Gran Piedra. It is a one-noight and two-days tour that departs from Holguín city. At this Natural Protected Park La Gran Piedra you may enjoy the natural landscapes, to watch the ruins of French coffee plantations, one of the first ones settled in the southeastern region of Cuba declared by UNESCO World Heritage in the category of natural landscape.
The tour will be done by 4 x 4 jeeps to ascent to 14km through the route that leads to La Gran Piedra. A first stop will take place at Juan Morales viewpoint, built at 954 meter above sea level, that offers excellent advantages for landscapes photography. Then you will continue on foot through a trail of 454 staircases that leads to the natural viewpoint La Gran Piedra, well-known as “El coloso entre las nubes” (The giant among the clouds). This viewpoint is Guinness Record for being the highest rock in world (1.225 meters above see level) and the third of its size in the world. It gives a 360-degree-view that turns it into a unique attractive of sort. Afterwards you descend on rout to the Home Museum La Isabelita that exhibits the French customs in Cuba.
The accommodation is in Villa La Gran Piedra Hotel. In this hotel’s back yard will be performed the coffee ritual a tradition in this region.The second day begins with a jeep transfer to the Cafetal Fraternidad ruins. On the way you can enjoy the rural environment, observing the mountain villages, nature, rivers and coffee plantations according to the production stage of process. In this coffee plantation you can appreciate the work of restoration and exchange with archaeologists.
The tour continues by jeeps to the ruins of the Santa Paulina farm where the use of terraces is shown, adapting to the conditions of the terrain. The tour ends in La Lucía town where a bus will take you to Guardalavaca airport or other locations if you wish to continue the trip through Cuba.