Cuban history and majesty are preserved in Turquino National Park. Santo Domingo, on the banks of the Río Yara and in a valley between two steep mountainsides, is a hub for visitors. The village has restaurants, accommodations, and shops with provisions. You can hire a guide (they're obligatory, but charge only about CUC$5 per person per day) and buy a CUC$10-permit to enter the park at the Villa Santo Domingo hotel. Whether you need that permit or not depends on who’s talking. Some guides are able to finagle entrance without the permit. It's best to call ahead to find out what you need and to make sure that the park is open; if the Cuban National Institute of Science or another agency is conducting research, the park may be closed to visitors.
It's a steep 5-km (3-mile) ascent from Santo Domingo village to the Alto del Naranjo—a parking lot with beautiful views—which marks the entrance to the park. If you haven't hired a guide in Santo Domingo, you can do so at the visitor center here.
The Comandancia de la Plata, the headquarters of the Revolution, is just 3 km (2 miles) west of the entrance to the park. A relaxing, one-hour walk on a clearly marked trail along a ridge brings you to a remote forest clearing. Here you'll find Castro's command post, hospital, and residence—built with an escape route into an adjacent creek. This is the perfect trek if you have limited time: you can get a taste of the region in the morning and return to the lowlands by early afternoon.
If you’re feeling truly intrepid, the summit of Pico Turquino, Cuba's highest peak at 1,974 meters (6,476 feet), beckons, some 13 km (8 miles) from the Comandancia de la Plata. A journey here involves a night of camping, typically at a tent camp at the mountain's base. Cooks are sometimes available, but you have to bring your own food. Showers and fog alternate with sun and daytime heat, and humidity alternates with chilly windy nights, so in addition to good hiking boots, you need clothing that you can layer and a lightweight rain jacket.
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