The Hatibonico Ecological Reserve, located in the Caimanera Municipality, is the first protected area in the country certified in sustainable land management (SLM), a distinction granted more than a year ago as a result of the application of Project 1 of the Country Association (CPP-OP15) aimed at mitigating the effects of desertification, drought and salinity in agricultural areas of the Guantanamo Valley.
The Monitongos hills, located at the eastern end of the Sierra Maestra and the west of Guantanamo Bay, are a group of curious morphological heights that represent one of the most spectacular examples of the Cuban relief. These heights made up of conglomerates and sandstones from the Upper Eocene Shrimp Formation must be preserved from any alteration.
The Monitongos have an unusual and rich vegetation and fauna, in addition to a high relative endemism, together with the particularity of their geomorphology, constitute a unique landscape. The slopes are home to cacti and melocactus, the valleys covered with green forests with small-leaved vegetation. For all its charms, as well as having a unique relief aspect, the vegetation that characterizes it and its fauna, “Los Monitongos” were declared National Monument on December 31, 1991.
Translated and Edited by Liubis Balart
