You can book your stay at Casa Colonial Isabel Castro with NovelaCuba.
Whose house?
Today you are in the home of José Roselló and Isabel Castro. But in the 1940s this house belonged to the honorary vice-consul of Norway, a certain Pelayo Simón Santos, a Spanish emigrant from Tarna in Asturias. He was a well-known personality in Baracoa, as he owned banks, shoe shops, hardware stores, the first coconut oil factory and the port of Baracoa. In short, he was a businessman as well as a diplomat.
José Roselló Castro is an engineer. And you will often find him at the stove, or with a book in his hand when he is not preparing cocktails.
Where can you find him?
In Baracoa, less than five minutes’ walk from the city centre.
Favourite place
The garden because it has a wide variety of ornamental plants, fruit trees and is cooled by the sea breeze coming off the Bay of Baracoa.
Favourite time
Breakfast. José and Isabel offer a wide variety of fruits, some of them directly from their garden. Not to mention the full-bodied Baracoa chocolate that guests love.
The house speciality
“We have a typical dish in Baracoa that is an aphrodisiac because it is not only spicy but also made with coconut milk. It is usually cooked with fish, but we also make the recipe with any food depending on the taste of our guests. We also like to receive guests who come on a honeymoon or for an anniversary, so we can give them special attention or surprise them.
In the footsteps of José and Isabel
“From the terrace of our house you can see the majestic Yunque de Baracoa, one of the most visited places in the city. Besides the view of the bay of Baracoa, which is only one block away from the house, there is also the hill with the Hotel Castillo, which was once a colonial fortress.
You have to go to the Yunquede Baracoa, the most famous high point in the province of Guantanamo, declared a national monument in 1980, and we also recommend the Rio Toa, the widest river in Cuba.”
Nice place for a meeting
“In our house we enjoy the presence of one of the most erudite people in Baracoa, a historian and lover of European culture and literature in general. He is José’s father, also called José Roselló. He always sits down to talk with our customers who marvel at his knowledge. “
To be continued
Two new independent rooms immersed in the garden are planned. They will be located under a pear tree and surrounded by many plants.
