Twelve miles from the hustle and bustle of Santiago de Cuba and less than 1½ miles from El Cobre, this charming countryside 1950 chalet is the perfect home base from which to relax and rejuvenate while you explore some of the most important landmarks of the province. RELAX in your own private air-conditioned room with private bath and flat screen TV. Settle into the rhythm of a real working farm,
surrounded by acres of mango and pineapple, lettuce and ochre and breathtaking mountain views. Take in the warmth and hospitality offered by three generations of the Venzant-Vals family. Take a stroll (or horse-drawn carriage ride) past local fruit stands to the town square or ride horseback through the countryside. Bring your camera to photograph some of the most scenic sights of Cuba. EXPLORE the rich cultural, spiritual and historical treasures of El Cobre.
• Tour the nearby fifteenth-century copper mining town of El Cobre, the first mines built in America and the center of Cuba’s earliest slave rebellions, which granted freedom to the miners of El Cobre years before slavery officially ended in the rest of the island.
• Visit the sanctuary of Cuba’s patron saint, Our Lady of Charity, whose miraculous apparition before three fishermen informs the national folklore of Cuba. The sanctuary (visible from La Purisima) is the site of Cuba’s largest religious pilgrimages (even Ernest Hemingway left his Nobel Prize here) with pilgrims traveling on foot and on knee to ask her favor in granting miracles.
• Climb the Cimarrón monument: Part of the UNESCO Slave Route project, the 20-foot iron and bronze sculpture designed by famed Cuban artist Alberto Lescay commemorates the first great uprising of cimarrones, or escaped slaves, in the 18th century. Built on the top of a hill, the monument affords breathtaking views of the entire El Cobre valley, the mines and the sanctuary.
• Take a taxi to the city of Santiago de Cuba. Only a 20-minute taxi ride away, you can take in all the sights and return to La Purisima to relax. Included in your stay:
• Private room with mini refrigerator and flat screen TV.
• Some rooms with private en suite bath. Optional a la carte services:
• Farm fresh organic breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• Bottled water, beer, soda, and wine.
• Laundry.
• Transportation to and from Santiago and El Cobre.
• Guided excursions to El Cobre’s sanctuary, copper mines, and El
Cimarrón monument.
• Horseback rides.
• On site weddings and banquets.
