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Foreign tourists looking for sunbathing, beaches, culture and nature in their peregrination throughout Cuba, can complement their attraction to the Caribbean island with its five-century history.
From the discovery of Cuba by the Spaniards, its colonization, the life of its aboriginal inhabitants and the wars of independence, until today, the country treasures precious traditions and events which every year attract thousands of visitors interested in the past and present of the nation.
Wars that left a deep imprint in their epoch - such as La Demajagua uprising, the battle commanded by Spanish Admiral Cervera or more recent struggles linked to the period that led to the triumph of the Revolution - are among the events closely followed by foreign visitors.
This atmosphere surrounds the tradition of the Tree of Peace, a symbol in the eastern province of Santiago de Cuba that marks the place where the Spanish colonial troops surrendered to the U.S. expeditionary forces in July 1898.
Memories from that period are reflected today at the San Juan Hill Historic and Military Park, on top of the hills that close the access from the east to Santiago de Cuba, the island's second most important city.
The scenario of the final battle in the so-called Spanish-Cuban-American War on July 1, 103 years ago, the San Juan Hill is also a reminder of the humiliation that represented the refusal of the U.S. troops to allow the Cuban independent forces to enter the city.
The 100-year-old ceiba known as the Tree of Peace died two years ago, defeated by the implacable passage of time, but its ruins still attract thousands of visitors who take shelter under the shadows of other trees.
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| ©Fotos: dtcuba.com |
The defense and communication facilities built by the Spaniards on the San Juan Hill, with its forts and loopholes, remain in perfect condition as if ready to wage a new battle despite their old age.
A few meters away, visitors can take pictures of infantry cannons, including one that belonged to a Spanish ship.
The San Juan Hill also shows some sculptures, one of which represents a U.S. soldier wearing the uniform and carrying the weapons of that epoch, while another shows the Cubans combatants with their classic uniform of "mambi" (the name given to the members of the Cuban Liberation Army).
A little farther, a monument to honor the courage of the Spanish soldiers is a reminder of the third participant in the war.
A few kilometers before arriving at the San Juan Hill, visitors can see the remains of Admiral Cervera's fleet, with its immobile cannons covered by salt residues and aiming at the sky.
Dominated by yesterday's commotion and horror, today's historic and military park is an essential element in the traditions of the Cuban archipelago, a clear reminder of a past that has been preserved for future generations.
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