Guamacaro’s Tour and its tourism routes in favor of memory and nature

The Guamacaro’s Tour Local Development Project, founded near Varadero in the province of Matanzas, offers travelers three routes based on the sustainable tourism model. These invite visitors to discover a deep and authentic Cuba, guided by experts.

The Director of this initiative, Judith Rodríguez Reyes, brings to tourism the philosophy she cultivated during her work with the Red Cross: protecting life in all its dimensions, as she told the press. In this case, her priority is to preserve the memory of landscapes, traditions, and local histories as an act of preserving identity and a sense of belonging.

The origins of Guamacaro’s Tour lie in a speleological group dedicated to the scientific exploration of caves and mountains, whose discoveries became the driving force behind this project. “Guacamaros” was chosen as the name because of its indigenous roots, which connect it to concepts such as territory, water and mountains.

Currently, the project offers two established routes and is preparing a third that promises to become a benchmark for Cuban hiking. The Coffee Route leads to the ruins of an old 19th-century coffee plantation and serves as an educational tour about the economic system of the time, slavery, resistance, and cultural traditions. The treatment of the legacy of slavery is based on respect and historical rigor, seeking to foster understanding and a dignified remembrance of those who experienced that reality, the director assures.

The Energy Route includes a visit to the Casa de los Caracoles, a unique sanctuary in Cuba. In 1941, Ramiro Mouriño Bello purchased the San Fabián estate, located nine kilometers from Matanzas, and after a serious illness, he made a promise to Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, which he fulfilled by building a chapel whose walls he decorated with seashells and stones.

This site, which began as an act of faith and gratitude, became a much-visited sanctuary, with spaces to accommodate the faithful and a small cafeteria. During its heyday in the 1950s, the estate also boasted extensive gardens, additional chapels, and became a meeting point for the community and prominent artists such as Benny Moré.

On the horizon: The first certified trekking route in Matanzas

This year, Guamacaro’s Tour aims to inaugurate the “Along the Paths of History” route, a 10-kilometer trail that could become the first certified trekking route in Matanzas. This proposal guarantees high standards of safety and quality, and prepares visitors for a physical and spiritual journey that opens the mind and heart.

Trekking is an outdoor activity that consists of long and generally demanding hikes along natural trails, mountains, forests, or varied terrain. Unlike a simple walk, this type of trekking usually involves more extensive and physically demanding routes, as it can last several hours or days, depending on the route, making it a form of adventure tourism during which one connects deeply with nature and our bodies.

The strategic location of Guacamaro’s Tour, at the gateway to Cuba’s main sun and beach tourism destination, also opens opportunities for integration with the Varadero hotel industry. The project already works with agencies of the Ministry of Tourism, which facilitates the incorporation of its excursions for tourists visiting the resort, fostering connections between rural and urban destinations.