el chorro de maita museum

Basically a museum built around an ancient burial site. It is small but quite interesting. Worth the small admission fee.

They have built a one-room 'museum' around an ancient burial site, leaving most of it intact. Around the walls are display cases with the various objects and trinkets found in the graves. This part is quite interesting. Then there are a few hutches built on what is presumably traditional lines. They contain figures and objects to portray what life must have been like centuries ago.We gave the traditional Indian dances a miss, having heard them banging away to 'we are the chanpions' when we arrived at the museum.Lunch at the restaurant was quite good, pleasant atmosphere & friendly staff.

We found this Cuban attraction very informative. The area around the attraction was a great glimpse into rural Cuba. There is also a Taino Cultural Centre just down the road.

We had met a group of Indian dancers who were performing at our hotel Sol Rio Luna y Mares. They were extremely entertaining and obviously enjoyed what they were doing. Amazing dancing by beautiful people!They suggested we visit the Indian village so we did. We did not visit the burial part.We thought the grounds picturesque with replica huts and artefacts and the view over Guardalavaca was amazingBut the fertility rite was the wow factor along with dancing with the Indians. Strictly come prancing!

1 room with very little there we payed way over the odd's for entry and walked around a gantry of a 60sq mt room and that was it.. .

An interesting place to visit to see the burial customs of the indigenous population of Cuba before the Spanish invasion.Nice arrangement of the findings.

We went to the museum on an excursion and paid 5cuc to go into this fascinating place. The Cubans aren't like other museum curators so our guide told us about this site. Really interesting facts about the discovery of 108 bodies of which 56 are still at the site encased in white plaster of some sort. Most were discovered with artifacts such as pottery pieces, coins, statues etc.We spent about 1 hr roaming around looking at the items displayed. Men, Woman and Children's skeletons are located here. They have pictures on the walls of the original dig, If you are every in Holguin I recommend a side trip to this museum.

The Cubans have really tried hard here - from the unearthed graves of skeletons and artefacts across the road to the mock up of the ancient village which once stood on the site. The 'come to life' show was a hoot but held a serious side which was explained to us by a helpful guide. Great views down to the ocean and fabulous views of the distant hills and countryside.

Visited this village a few weeks ago. It is very interesting if not a little bit cheesey.My only complaint would be that the Indians are at you all the time to buy something from them. I purchased a trinket being told it was specifically made by them. Only to discover hundreds of them available in the market.Also although I was going to provide them with a donation at the end of the tour, i feel they spoilt the culture of their place by asking each person for a tip.I felt all they were interested was in getting money and nothing else.

I love to learn the history of an area- this was an archelogical display of about 30 skeletons. We had hired a taxi so were not a part of the tour. A gentleman spoke with us, and we were given a handout in English. We found it interesting. The reconstructed village of the period the natives were living when Columbus arrived was interesting. The re-enactment of a fertility rite was also lively- especially since I was the woman from the group who was "rited". We went on the recommendation of friends and are not sorry we went, but it is definely a "tourist trap"... so expect it! The taxi driver took us to a farmhouse nearby- again, you get what is expected, including hen manure! We went to the Market in Guardalavaca twice- just make sure to negotiate.

At the museum there is a charge of 5 CUC to take photo's in the museum. Some paid, some did not, but still took photos. Consider it a donation to the cause. The museum itself is a collection of archeological finds, left there for all to see….kinda of a boney collection. It's interesting, probably more interesting if your guide was to explain a few facts about the collection, as did ours. Otherwise it is not that large and it could be a little better signed especially in touristy languages.Across the road is the Aldea Taina replica Indian Village. Again our guide explained things quite well, and the facts about the village were rather interesting. As you come to the last hut/building it appears to be a ritual/doctors building. There are many large male figures in their loin cloths, looking as if they are about to operate on a female tribe member. There are also a few of the female tribe members just hanging around, for what reason, who knows. But wait!!! Are these real or are they statues….you must visit this village and see for yourselves. A little humour and a little audience participation made for an interesting conclusion, to our visit. The archeological museum and replica Indian Village were interesting portions of our tour.

This small Taino indian museum is in the green countryside above Guardalavaca beach.It can be reached by bike from the resorts and after the museum there are nice walks in the forests around the area.

Visited as part of a mixed tour... they charge you 5 CUC to take photos in the "museum" which is basically a room with the artifacts and the skeletons and a further 1 CUC across the road to take photos in the replica village.In the museum itself you are at the mercy of your tour guide. If they know nothing then you must leave what you are seeing to your own imagination! There isn't anything in the way of descriptive text to explain what you are seeing... What we did learn was fascinating though.We were then taken across the road and mauled by a dog who insisted on biting the hands on the tourists. There are several replicated roundhouses here with various mannequins depicting daily life of the natives. In the last one there are some real guys posing as mannequins who do some random comic show whilst humiliating one of the tourists followed by a dance (kinda felt sorry for the bare chested ladies) and another dance involving tourists. Comical and very entertaining but almost pointless as we had no idea what the hell was going on!We were then sold a honey and rum drink (string but delicious) for 2 CUC before carted off on the tourist bus.This is one place which I have seen once, so can say I have been and don't need to ever go again now... Unfortunate as it could have been so much more!

During our stay at the Amigo, we took a few trips from the resort. As there was a hop-on-hop-off open-air, double decker bus stopping at every nearby resort, we hopped on and went to the Museo Chorro de Maita (however, we did NOT visit the 15th century Arawakan Indian village located across the road from the museum). It is burial ground: discovered in the 1980s, showing some of the 108 skeleton of the Taino Indians (as well as at least one of a Spaniard). One of the skeleton was positioned face down; we were told that individual must have been ‘mala persona’ (a bad person). It was certainly something worth seeing! While in the museum, we befriended an English speaking Cuban. He showed us a photo in the museum, dating to the time the graves were discovered and his little sister was in one of them. He invited us to his home up the road (damaged in the hurricane Sandy – he was building a new one next to it) and served us very black, sweet and freshly brewed coffee which had just been roasted over open fire. Walking along the village’s rugged road, visiting other homes (many with thatched roofs) and just seeing how real Cubans lived was a very memorable (and also a little sad) experience. Since the bus was leaving the village for the hotel at about 1:10 pm, we went there the next day to further explore this place – which was, incidentally, so different from the Club Amigo… Along the road we saw some absolutely beautiful houses, as well as very primitive huts, with thatched roofs, often partially damaged (apparently by the recent hurricane). Perhaps one’s wealth dependent on the kind of work (e.g., in the tourist industry, with access to hard currency) or having relatives abroad who regularly sent money. We were told that tarps were in demand as they made excellent protection against leaky roofs – the fellow who invited us to his house also used a tarp given to him by a Canadian tourist to patch up his damaged roof. So, if you do go there, just take a stroll along the village’s main road too.

Its very artificial...nothing much to get excited about. As part of a trip to see Cuban life (ie village and plantation trip) its OK but I wouldn't go out of my way to visit it.