Okay.  When I saw Baracoa on the itinerary for my photo workshop in Cuba, I had to ‘Google’ it. It’s located on the southeastern tip of Cuba, closest to Haiti. It was pretty isolated until the main road, La Farola, opened in 1964. Before then, you pretty much could only get there by boat.

Baracoa is a prime example of unspoiled Caribbean. The number of cars was minimal, as is most of Cuba, except for Havana. La Farola was a beautiful, scenic mountain road leading into this oasis of beach, rivers, and villages. Along the road, you can find people selling cucurucho, a sweet mix of coconut, honey, seasonal fruit wrapped in a palm leaf.

Yumuri sits at the mouth of the Yumuri river (Boca de Yumuri) where they fish for tetí after the full moon. Teti is a delicacy found only in Baracoa and they use it to make sauces.  Baracoa had some of the freshest seafood and the tastiest.  To find hidden roads and beaches, it was better to have traveled by car.