The beautiful Playa Blanca is set up in the suburbs of the city of Baracoa, just two kilometers away from the city. This way, you can enjoy it after a calm walk from the village and crossing the Miel River. The characteristic thing of the charming white sand and crystalline waters beach, is that you have to pay the admission on the control post located in the access to the area, because it is enclosed on the inside of the protected reservation.

In the Main Square is a bust of Hatuey, the brave Indian leader who resisted early conquistadores until he was caught by the Spanish and burned at the stake. There’s also a very lively Casa de la Trova here. It is worth wandering along the Malecón, the seaside avenue, from the snug Fuerte Matachín (an early 19th-century fort that has a small but informative municipal museum inside) to the Hotel La Rusa, which is named after a legendary Russian émigrée who over the years hosted celebrities such as Che Guevara and Errol Flynn.

One of Baracoa's three fortresses, Fuerte Matachín, was completed in 1802. In 1868 it became a guard post of the Spanish army for the recognition and registry of all those entering and departing from the city. After the installation of the pseudo-Republic, it was used firstly as a bastion against the pirates and later was used by the Spanish as a prison. Today it houses the Museo Histórico Matachín, whose displays discuss the city's history, including its Taíno roots. There are examples of Taíno pottery, sculpture, and other artifacts; exhibits on famous citizens; and displays explaining the community's role in the wars for independence and the Revolution.

This is the best spot to hear live music. You can listen to traditional Cuban music and also to typical music from the area of Baracoa attending to live performances from local and national groups. It's open nightly until about 2 am. Listen for el nengen or el kiribá, two styles of music that predate the Cuban son.