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Ciego de Avila is the flattest in province Cuba, never rising
more than 50m above sea level. Although there are relatively
few rivers running through the province, there is a good system
of underground irrigation which makes the area fertile and
productive; sugar cane and pineapple plantations make up the
bulk of local crops.
The province was once home to a large Indian population and
there are several semi-preserved sites which are worth looking
up. There are also remnants of the fortifications, built during
the late 19th century, which were used to divide up the island
during the War of Independence.
Ciego de Avila City:
The city, 460km east of Havana and 110km
west of Camagüey, has developed as something of an historical
halfway house; travellers used it as an overnight watering
hole before continuing on to the islands of Trinidad and Santo
Domingo in the 19th century.
An interesting place to visit is Parque Marti and
a few blocks from there it is the Teatro Principal, a 500-seater
theatre which is due to undergo further restoration works. This
was built by a rich socialite, Angela Hernandez Viuda de Jimenez,
who battled to create a cultural mecca in her home town.
The Museo Provincial on Calle Jose Antonio Eschevarria is worth a visit if you are interested in the area's role in the struggle to overthrow Batista while the Centro Provincial de Arte building on Calle Independencia may appeal to some. The Casa de la Trova on Libertad No 130 can occasionally deliver a raucous night out.
Traffic in the town is almost all horse-driven, and the longest possible journey should only cost a few pesos by pony trap. The town is built on a strict grid system centered on Parque Marti but there are few buildings of note, the most popular meeting place on the square is the Casa de Agua (Water House), which serves free glasses of the local mineral water, as well as homemade refrescos (soft drinks) and fruit juices.
Moron:
This small coastal town lies 36km north of Ciego de Avila. Its citizens, known as Moronians, have traditionally made their living from fishing although, with tourism beginning to blossom in the nearby resort of Cayo Coco, the town is looking optimistically towards a new, more lucrative future.
Close to the city on the northern coast is a strange lagoon called Laguna de la Leche, which is home to a variety of wildlife, most notably several thousand flamingos, it is a prime fishing lake and consequently is very popular with anglers, It is Cuba's largest natural reservoir and it was strategically important during Cuba's 1895 War of Independence. It is a lagoon milky-white from sodium carbonate deposits that seem to nourish snook and tarpon.
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