Playa Girón
Scuba diving in the Bay of Pigs
April 19, 2013: Playa Girón is a quiet beach town in one of Cuba's least populated regions. The town sits between the Caribbean and a wilderness of scrub forests and swamps full of alligators and mosquitoes. There's one hotel, two paved streets and three bars. Girón would be of little significance except that a CIA-trained force of 1500 mercenaries attempted an unsuccessful invasion on this beach in 1961.


Playa Girón
Quiet streets
Nearby forests
The invasion began here
Yes, this is the Bay of Pigs, and Playa Girón is the entrance to the bay. This beach was the initial landing point of the American invasion, which was repulsed by Fidel Castro and his fledgling army in a mere 65 hours.

Cubans are proud of their victory over "Imperialismo Yanqui". The anniversary of Cuba's victory, April 19th, has become their Boston Tea Party, Memorial Day and July 4th all rolled into one. All over Cuba, students take the week off. Families celebrate together. And Playa Girón holds the biggest fiesta of all.


The celebration begins
Captured American tank
Lots of flag waving
A veteran of the battle
As you enter the town, there are billboards commemorating Cuba's victory here. There's a museum which honors the Cubans who fought in the battle and displays captured American military equipment. A 20-minute black & white newsreel, circa 1961, documents Cuba's response to the invasion and how they defeated the Americans. During this special week, dignitaries deliver inspiring orations to the crowds. (Neither Fidel nor Raul were able to attend this year.) Veterans are on hand to tell their personal stories. It's impressive how well the Cubans remember an event that Americans would like to forget.


5k fun run
A bike race
Winners of the races
A pet caiman
Cuba's Victory at Girón celebration starts on April 12 and runs through April 19. It's a happy event involving the entire community with fun runs, bike races and lots of music. Of course, in Cuba, where there's music, there's always dancing.


Dancing in the streets (video)
Amusement rides on the midway
Music until 4am
The town closes off one of its streets to host the political speeches, the carnival and the high-energy bands. At night, the music plays until the power goes out, or no one can dance any more ... whichever comes first.


The beach at Cueva de los Pez
Ready for a 2nd dive
Cenote in the forest
The Bay of Pigs is also an excellent destination for scuba diving. At the Cueva de los Pez, you can do a wreck dive out on the reef, then walk across the road for a cave dive in a cenote. There's nothing quite being 25 meters down inside a cool, dark cenote, swimming through emerald shafts of sunlight illuminating stalactites and stalagmites. With open water dive certification, the two dives cost a total of $65, including transportation to/from Girón, equipment, air and a divemaster to guide the way.


Pablo's casa
Taisi, Cristina, Maira
Lobster for dinner
My visit to Playa Girón was especially comfortable thanks to my excellent host Pablo Padrón (0145-984336). A clean room, a big breakfast and grilled lobster for dinner, all for $32/night seems like a good deal to me. Being treated like family is even better.