Cuba is the island of landscapes of mountains, valleys and beautiful bays. This is the case in the province of Matanzas, one of the most beautiful natural environments in the Caribbean, its valley Yamurí crossed by two rivers, the Bacunayagua Yumurí and is located just a few miles from Havana. Matanzas is home to the tourist destination of the Cuban Caribbean: Varadero.
The city takes the form of a sort of amphitheater from which you can see the live stage of the bay, the Cuban Athens, where Poseidon, god of the sea is churned with Anemoi, Boreas, Noto, Argestes and Zephyr, the wind gods rammed from the east and west from the north and from the South.
Matanzas is also “The City of Bridges”, Bacunayagua the river, rises the highest bridge in Cuba, its height amounts to 110 meters. From it, we can admire the landscape, letting its beauty challenges us and enter into a silent dialogue with nature that surrounds us. The other river Yumurí name crosses the valley to finally die in the great bay of Matanzas.
We recall the verses which rest on one of these bridges, “Bliss deep and the deep pleasure of seeing beloved city Oh Matanzas double currents in your face you see?”. Since the last hill before descending to the city, we see this astonishing.
Matanzas is a scenario where the valleys, hills and bridges over rivers that lead into the sea. Nature in its purest form, is the Valley Yumurí with an area of hectares where lush vegetation gives way and capricious, which is home to hundreds of animal species endemic to the area. Inhabited for centuries, archaeological remains are the legacy of the Taino people, aboriginals who inhabited these lands before the arrival of European settlers.
It is an enormous amount of spectacular landscapes in its interior, especially those at the margins of both rivers. Today, the valley is completely closed, except on its western side, by mountains covered with thick green vegetation. On their land have been cultivated for centuries sugarcane plantations collected the sweat of Aboriginal and slaves, who from dawn to dusk, collected the indispensable element for the precious elixir distilled Cuban rum.
Not without reason, according to legend, the name of the valley, comes the cry that gave the Tainos (dominant culture on the island of Cuba before the arrival of the Europeans) to jump from one of the cliffs in the valley to take his own life . It is said that there were many who chose suicide rather endure the treatment of the colonists. So popular is the story, which climbed to a ridge, giving the cry of “Yu died” (I die), he jumped.
Leaving the valley, we entered the city, beautifully neoclassical keeps reminding us of the cradle of thought, Athens. Beautiful architectural elegance rise with each of the streets, theaters, libraries that collect poetry and prose of famous Cuban writers such as Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda, among others.
In the Plaza de la Libertad greet the distinguished status of the ideologue of Cuban independence, José Martí. Under the gaze of this illustrious character, walk down the street last farewell to this city amphitheater of the sea.
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