Mirador de Malones

The Cuban military has a command center buried deep beneath the mountain on the east side of the bay. The major lookout point—
Mirador de Malones (U.S. marines call it “Castro’s Bunker”)—is here, on the south side of a hill called Loma Malones. It is open to tourists, making it one of the world’s most unlikely tourist destinations!

Visitors are shown the bunker, which contains a diorama of the base, while the camouflaged mirador has a restaurant from where you can look right down on the U.S. base, about two miles away. There’s even a U.S.-made telescope for a better view over Camp Delta, where Taliban and Al Qaeda prisoners are held.

Access is from the military post and barrier on the Carretera Central, just east of Glorieta, at the turnoff for Boquerón (also called Mártires de la Frontera), 26 kilometers southeast of Guantánamo. It’s 14 kilometers from here through scrubland and cacti to Mirador de Malones. You can’t go alone or arrive unannounced, but must book a guided excursion at least 24 hours in advance with Gaviota in Santiago (CUC15).