Is National Road 20 in Cuba paved?
Cuba, north-america
216 km
1,994 m
moderate
Year-round
Okay, picture this: you're cruising the southeastern coast of Cuba on the Carretera Nacional N°20. This isn't your average Sunday drive, folks! This 216km (134-mile) stretch of road links Santiago de Cuba with Niquero, and it’s a wild ride.
Fair warning, the pavement situation is...variable. Let's just say typhoons and hurricanes haven’t been kind, so be prepared for some gravel and sand stretches. In spots, it’s practically a dirt track, but word on the street is that restoration is coming.
You'll start in Santiago de Cuba, the island’s second-largest city, before diving headfirst into Turquino National Park (aka Sierra Maestra National Park). This place is epic, home to Cuba's highest peaks (we're talking almost 2000m!), and the views are unreal. It's also steeped in history as the old guerilla stronghold from the revolution.
The road itself? Let’s call it intimate. Seriously narrow in places – barely wide enough for one car – and often hugging cliffs on one side with the Caribbean Sea crashing on the other, sans guardrails. And keep an eye on the weather, because flash floods can temporarily close sections of the road with seawater. But it all ends in Niquero, a town in the Granma Province right on the coast. Basically, this road is a Cuban adventure waiting to happen!
Road Details
- Country
- Cuba
- Continent
- north-america
- Length
- 216 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,994 m
- Difficulty
- moderate
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