Barely 155 kilometres separate Havana from the Machuca Valley, but the distance feels quadrupled when you leave the Eastern Highway. The search for this elusive destination begins at San Cristobal in the province of Artemisa, where Google Maps loses its way. Home to the Los Acuáticos community, it plunges into the depths of the Sierra del Rosario, offering a journey suspended in time. Thunder rumbles in the distance, and lightning illuminates the leaden blue sky.
The mountains, adorned with royal palms like pointed needles, form a dramatic backdrop. It’s the rainy season, and the same ritual unfolds almost every afternoon. Nature’s power reasserts itself, and the fragrance of wet earth permeates the air.
Roberto, 67, short in stature with a friendly demeanour, makes the final adjustments to his tractor before descending into the valley, taking supplies after securing enough fuel for the round trip. It’s a 34-kilometre journey over a path filled with huge stones and mud, running between formidable ravines—a trip that “breaks your back,” according to a mechanic.
After two hours, the rugged road turns into a plain of reddish earth, promising fertile fields and leading to a bright valley where the houses of the 325 residents are scattered. Among these inhabitants are 170 members of the Los Acuáticos.
