Tag Archives: Jardín de los Helechos

Cuba’s Bromeliads in Gardens and the Wild

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I love bromeliads. Members of the Bromeliaceae family, they impress me with their range of leaves and flowers. The different environments they are found also fascinate including on trees, rocks and even wires. Cuba’s tropical climate and varying environments ensure it has many bromeliads, both wild and in gardens. Cuba also grows the most commercial and famous bromeliad: the pineapple.

Two of the best gardens to see bromeliads in Cuba are Artemisa’s Orquideario Soroa Botanic Garden and Santiago de Cuba’s Jardin de los Helechos. For wild bromeliads, visit nature reserves and national parks. Often seemingly random trees also have bromeliads.

With international travel limited due to COVID-19, seeing Cuba’s bromeliads in the environment is impossible for most. The next best thing is to check out the bromeliads in my video:

Santiago de Cuba, Where the Cuban Revolution Began

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Cuba’s second city Santiago de Cuba lies far from Havana and is known for both its music and rebellious streak. Rocío and I visited Santiago twice in December 2016, firstly for Fidel Castro’s memorial rally and funeral and later, returning from Baracoa. While based in Santiago we had an epic day trip to La Gran Piedra I blogged about here.

Moncada Barracks and the 26th of July Revolutionary Movement

Children at a school that used to be the Moncada Barracks, where the Cuban Revolution began; note the bullet holes in the walls

Children at a school that used to be the Moncada Barracks, where the Cuban Revolution began; note the bullet holes in the walls

On 26 July 1953 Fidel Castro led an unsuccessful armed attack on Santiago de Cuba’s Moncada army barracks. This is regarded as the start of the Cuban Revolution and the official revolutionary movement is named 26 de Julio (26th of July) after this date. The former barracks was converted to a school although some of the battle’s bullet holes remain. Continue reading →