The eco community in the Sierra del Rosario, an hour and a half from Havana: trails, natural pools, artists’ studios and a hillside village.
Las Terrazas is an eco-tourism community in the Artemisa province, known for its landscape and for the way it was built. It began in 1968 as part of a reforestation and rural development project in the Sierra del Rosario, and has grown into both a village of about a thousand people and a place to visit.
It sits inside the Sierra del Rosario, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, with hiking trails, waterfalls and natural pools. The Baños del San Juan are the most popular of the swimming spots. The area is a model for sustainable development: the buildings, including Hotel Moka, were put up with that in mind.
There is art and music here as well as landscape. Local artists keep studios that can be visited, and the Café María, named for the Cuban musician Polo Montañez, has live music. Outside, the region is walked, cycled, birdwatched and zip-lined; the climb to El Taburete is the one people go up for the view.
The order can change with the weather or the size of the group on the day. Pick-up times are confirmed with you the evening before.