The eastern Cuban province of Ciego de Avila offers a wide range of tourist options, including excellent beaches, unique nature, and centuries-old traditions and history.
In Ciego de Avila, vacationers can visit Jardines del Rey (King's Gardens), the fastest-growing tourist destination in the Caribbean Island, as well as many monuments that greatly contribute to the excellence of the province's tourist options.
Among the latter is the so-called "Trocha de Júcaro a Morón" (Júcaro-Morón Defensive Belt), one of the most important military monuments and the largest Spanish fortification in Cuba and Latin America in the 19th century.
Its construction in 1871-72 was aimed at cutting the Cuban Liberation Army off in its way to the western part of the country, and preventing the war from spreading to that region.
The tourists interested in Cuban history can still visit the remains of some forts, devastated by the passing of time and surrounded by crops and sugar factories that ratify the agricultural potential of the province.
Many tourists arrive in Ciego de Avila to visit the city of Morón, which was founded in May 1543 by families from neighboring Sancti Spiritus and seamen who sailed off the north coast in their quest for adventures and fortune.
There are several stories about the name of the city. One of them says that the village was founded on a hillock, which means "morón" in Spanish.
Another story says that one of the first settlers came from a town called Morón de la Frontera, in Seville, Spain, and he was the one who named the town in honor of his homeland.
The centuries-old city is also known as "Ciudad del Gallo" (City of the Rooster), in allusion to the symbol of the town, according to a legend from the Spanish colonial period.
Morón's Rooster was immortalized in a three-meter, three-ton bronze sculpture created by renowned Cuban sculptor Rita Longa in the early 1980s.
The Laguna de la Leche (Milk Lagoon) is three kilometers from the city. It covers an area of 66 square kilometers, so it is the largest natural reservoir in Cuba.
The lagoon is a safe haven for pink flamingos and other aquatic birds, and it is an excellent place for regattas and carnivals.
In addition, tourists can travel from Morón to Loma de Cunagua (Cunagua Hill), which covers an area of 2,740 hectares and is a safe haven for animals. Once there, they can walk along several interpretative trails and enjoy the region's exuberant nature and beautiful landscapes.
Eclecticism is the architectural style that prevails in Morón's buildings, including houses with baseboards decorated with tiles of glazed pottery and wooden and iron-wrought railings forming geometric figures.