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Valles de Ingenios

Written by Nadine Zangerle on . Posted in Cuba

To get a little more background of Cuban history we booked a tour with Cubatur to the Valles de Ingenios. Our tour guide explained us about the importancy of sugar canes back in the 19th century.

Some Spanish families became very rich and up to 12 000 slaves just worked on the farms in the Valle de Ingenios.  We visited the old mansions and she explained us the hard work in the sugar cane factories back then. We climbed the biggest tower, which was built to control and survey the slaves during their 12 hours work. The tour was really great and informative.

For sure there is a time you want to relax a bit so we spent two days at the beautiful Playa Ancon. Michael and I did a dive and while the reef formation with its big, yellow sponges was good, there was not a lot of fish. We were also quite annoyed about the tours touching and divers and guides drinking beer in between the dives.

When they played with a dying fish which they got from fishermen – putting a cigarette into its mouth – I said something. Guess afterwards we were the nerds but I don’t freaking care. I say something if I don’t like it.

After a little discussion with the two CMAS dive instructors they sad, yeah we have many PADI divers they are like you. Strange, thought as scuba instructors we should have the same goal in preserving our underwater world. Isn’t this our income?

So we preferred to stay at the beach and enjoy a Pina Colada or two. And at this beautiful, long, clean stretch of beach you really could relax.