This fortress, which now houses the Hotel El Castillo, dominates a hill overlooking Baracoa. It is a former castle looking out over red-tiled roofs, the town’s expansive, oyster-shaped bay and the landmark mountain called El Yunque (The Anvil), named for its singular shape. Although construction on it started in 1739, the fort wasn't finished until nearly 200 years later. Even if you don't stay here, stop by for the views of El Yunque and the city.

The Río Toa, name which means ‘frog’ in indigenous language, is located 10 km Northwest from Baracoa. It is born in the Chuchillas Nipe-Sagua-Baracoa and it flows into the city of Baracoa. The Toa is characterized because it is the widest river in Cuba and where 71 tributaries flow into. With a length of 130 kilometers, it constitutes the habitat of a great number of plants and birds. The watershed of the Toa River occupies around 70% of the Reservation of the Biosphere that takes the name of "Cuchilla del Toa". The values of its biological diversity, the variety of its landscapes, the peculiarity of its ecosystems and the high presence of endemic species in flora and fauna, constitute the refuge and species center oldest of Cuba. Also standing out, it has its depth and its lushy woods which runs through, by what is known as "Cuba’s Amazon". Visitors of all the corners of the world are admitted fascinated by the natural beauties that it stores and the state of conservation of that jewel of the world geography. Enjoy an ecotourism day by one of the most significant spots of Cuba.

One of Baracoa's three fortresses, Fuerte Matachín, was completed in 1802. In 1868 it became a guard post of the Spanish army for the recognition and registry of all those entering and departing from the city. After the installation of the pseudo-Republic, it was used firstly as a bastion against the pirates and later was used by the Spanish as a prison. Today it houses the Museo Histórico Matachín, whose displays discuss the city's history, including its Taíno roots. There are examples of Taíno pottery, sculpture, and other artifacts; exhibits on famous citizens; and displays explaining the community's role in the wars for independence and the Revolution.

In the Main Square is a bust of Hatuey, the brave Indian leader who resisted early conquistadores until he was caught by the Spanish and burned at the stake. There’s also a very lively Casa de la Trova here. It is worth wandering along the Malecón, the seaside avenue, from the snug Fuerte Matachín (an early 19th-century fort that has a small but informative municipal museum inside) to the Hotel La Rusa, which is named after a legendary Russian émigrée who over the years hosted celebrities such as Che Guevara and Errol Flynn.