Nueva Gerona
CubaAw
© OpenStreetMap, CARTO
La isla del tesoro | The treasure island
Why visit
Nueva Gerona is for Cuba travelers seeking the truly off-grid. Visit the Presidio Modelo, an abandoned Panopticon-style prison whose vast circular cell blocks now stand as a austere museum to Castro's imprisonment. The Punta del Este caves hold pre-Columbian Taoíno pictographs, some of the Caribbean's oldest rock art. Bibijagua beach has unusual black volcanic sand. Diving off the southern Punta Frances is major with shipwrecks and reef walls. Use Nueva Gerona as a base for slow, deeply local Cuban island life, horseback riding, citrus farms, and music nights at Casa de la Cultura.
When to avoid
Reaching the Isle of Youth is itself the obstacle, ferries from Surgidero de Batabanó are unreliable. Flights from Havana more so. Tropical hurricanes (June to November) can isolate the island for days. Cuba's tourist economy has collapsed since 2020, expect shortages of food, fuel, and even bottled water. Cards barely work. Bring euros or USD in cash. Internet is severely limited. Air conditioning is sporadic. Photography of police, soldiers, government buildings, or anything that looks 'critical' can lead to serious problems. Avoid political conversations.