The largest swamp in the Caribbean is a paradise for wildlife
The most environmentally significant wetlands in Cuba extend over the entire peninsula of the same name, and are watered by rivers and dotted with lakes. With its dense forests of mangroves, it provides ideal habitat for rare water birds and plants. La Boca, a town on the Laguna del Tesoro is the gateway to this huge region. You can visit a crocodile breeding farm, and try the meat of animals bred for slaughter. On the south coast, the swamp opens to the Bahía de Cochinos, the famous “Bay of Pigs,” where a beach--the Playa Larga--extends in the shade of palm trees. You may stay at the Hotel Playa Larga. To the south is Playa Girón. This is where, in 1961 Cuban exile forces landed with the crazy idea that Cuba was waiting to be liberated from communism. There is a museum--El Museo de la Intervención--on this episode. We recommend the Hotel Playa Girón. For crystal-clear water for divers, there is Caleta Buena, east of Playa Girón.
