Orientation

Bayamo's historic center sits on a high bluff overlooking the Bayamo River. For information about excursions in the province, visit one of the major tour operators. Cubanacán has an office inside the Hotel Royalton, and Havanatur (tel. 23/42-7672) has an office on the western side of Parque Céspedes. The tour desk at the Hotel Sierra Maestra is also a good place to get information and arrange tours and car hire.

A Banco de Crédito y Comercio branch is on General García between Saco and Perucho Figueredo. It's open Monday through Friday from 8am to 3pm and on Saturday from 8 to 11am. There is a CADECA on Saco No. 5 between Donato Mármol and General García; it's open Monday through Saturday from 8am to 6pm and Sunday from 8am to 1pm.

For medical attention, go to Hospital General Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, Carretera Central on the way to Santiago de Cuba (tel. 23/42-2144). There's also a Servimed Farmacia Internacional inside the Hotel Sierra Maestra.

The main post office is on the west side of Parque Céspedes. It's open Monday through Saturday from 8am to 8pm. An Etecsa telepunto center with Internet access is at General García 109; it's open daily from 8:30am to 7:30pm and until 9pm on Saturdays.

Getting There

By Plane -- You can fly from Havana to Bayamo on Aerocaribbean (tel. 23/42-3916 in Bayamo, or 7/879-7524 in Havana; www.cubajet.com) on Tuesday and Friday; the fare is CUC$104 one-way. Flights arrive at Aeropuerto Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, Carretera a Holguín (tel. 23/42-7514; airport code BYM), 10km (6 miles) north of the city. By registered taxi, the trip to town is about CUC$5-CUC$8.

By Bus -- Víazul (tel. 23/42-4036 in Bayamo, or 7/881-1413 in Havana; www.viazul.com) is the most convenient mode of transportation for traveling to Bayamo from Havana and Santiago, and major cities in between. On the Trinidad-Santiago de Cuba line, the bus departs Trinidad at 7:40pm and arrives in Bayamo at 4:50am; the fare is CUC$26. Buses from Santiago bound for points west leave at 9am, 3:15pm 7.30pm, 8pm. and 10pm, and stop in Bayamo 2 hours and 10 minutes later; the fare is CUC$7. On the Havana-Santiago line, there are daily departures at 9:30am, 3:15pm, and 10pm; the trip from Havana is roughly 14 hours and costs CUC$44. On the Varadero-Santiago line the bus leaves Varadero at 9:25pm, and arrives at 9:55am, costing CUC$44. Sometimes you're told there are no spaces on the bus by the ticket office in Bayamo; wait to speak to the bus driver, who may tell you that there are seats left.

The main bus terminal for long-distance buses, the Terminal de Omnibuses, is located on the outskirts of downtown, on Carretera Central near Avenida Jesús Rabi, on the road to Holguín. Horse-drawn carriages and unregistered taxis await passengers to ferry them downtown for CUC$3 (far is higher at night).

Getting Around

The compact old town of Bayamo is very simple to get around on foot. You're only likely to need a taxi to get back and forth to your hotel, if you stay out at the large Hotel Sierra Maestra, or to get to the airport or bus station to move on. Contact Cubataxi (tel. 23/42-4313) for local and long-distance taxis. Alternatively, you can take a horse-drawn or bicycle taxi anywhere in town for CUC$1 to CUC$2. It's sometimes difficult to locate a Cubataxi at night, so a bicitaxi might be the only option.

Getting to the Sierra Maestra mountains is rather more complicated, necessitating a rental car, hired carro particular, or organized excursion. If you wish to explore the Sierra with any degree of independence, or make the coastal drive to Santiago de Cuba, your own wheels are virtually indispensable. There are Transtur offices within the Servi-Cupet gas station on Carretera Central (tel. 23/42-7375) and in the Sierra Maestra Hotel (tel. 23/48-2990). Transgaviota are based in the Hotel Royalton (tel. 23/42-7372). Rates are about CUC$45 to CUC$85 per day for a standard four-door compact car.

To get to the Sierra Maestra for a day's hike it's often cheaper to organize the excursion with a casa particular than it is to go with a state travel agency.

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