Mayabeque River (alternately ''Rio Mayabeque'') ( es, Río Mayabeque) is a

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of ...

of western

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribb ...

, considered the largest in the southwestern watershed of Cuba, with an extensive fluvial network that encompasses the municipalities of Güines, San Jose de las Lajas,

Jaruco Jaruco is a municipality and town in the Mayabeque Province of Cuba. Geography The town is located in the east of Havana, between San José de las Lajas and Santa Cruz del Norte. The municipality borders with Habana del Este (municipal borough ...

Madruga Madruga () is a municipality and town in the Mayabeque Province of Cuba. It is located in the eastern part of the province, between Matanzas and Güines. It was founded in 1803. Geography In 1940, the municipality was divided into the barrios o ...

, and

Melena del Sur Melena del Sur is a town and a municipality located south of the Mayabeque Province, in Cuba. Bordered on the north and northwest by San José de las Lajas, on the east by the municipality of Güines, and west by Batabanó and by the south by t ...

. The old outlet in

(now connected with the main river only by irrigation canals) is named ''Antiguo Mayabeque''. The ''Antiguo'' (ancient) Mayabeque is still navigable by small boats in the last . Mayabeque was the largest river in the former province of Havana, and presently (2011) is the main river of the

Mayabeque Province Mayabeque Province is one of two new provinces created from the former La Habana Province, whose creation was approved by the Cuban National Assembly on August 1, 2010, the other being Artemisa Province. The new provinces came in to existence on J ...

, named after the river. It runs from north to south and on its banks is the important and historic city of Güines. Its cold waters are a source of satisfaction for bathers in the summer time, ending at the shores of Mayabeque Beach in

Vegetation

Among the plants that grow on the banks of the river you can find plenty of trees and shrubs of different species as the mangrove which gives a remarkable average color red to its waters.

History

The earliest mention of river data Mayabeque 1509, just 17 years after the discovery of Cuba, where some Indians had been referred to the father Houses in a place farther west from where it was Panfilo de Narvaez with their archers, the people were Indian in which they were captives, some Spanish people, two women and one man. It is believed that the original

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

(San Cristóbal de La Habana) village was founded in 1514 or 1515 on the banks of the Mayabeque (most likely on the ''Antiguo Mayabeque'') a few kilometers from the south coast.

Mayabeque National Camp School

In 1956, under the leadership of Serafín García Menocal, president of the ''Consejo Nacional Scouts de Cuba'' (National Council), the Scouts of Cuba bought the national training grounds ''Campo Escuela Nacional Mayabeque'' near Catalina de Güines within of the capital. The National Camp School was dedicated to the training of Scouters and for Scout camping. The Field School was abandoned in 1961, and at the moment is under the water of Pedroso reservoir.

Gallery

File:Rio_Mayabeque.JPG File:Playa_Mayabeque.JPG File:Desembocadura_de_Rio_en_Playa_Mayaque.jpg File:PuenteGrandeRioMayabeque.jpg File:PuenteChiquitoRioMayabeque.jpg File:RioArribaMayabeque.jpg

References

*The Columbia Gazetteer of North America. 2000.

External links