Our Region

By Gerardo Ortega Rodríguez

Maria la Gorda, the beautiful beach of Western Cuba, bathed by the waters of the Ensenada de las Corrientes, is named after a legend that over time has been enriched with various versions. All of them, however, start from their pirate origin and coincide in telling us about a beautiful young woman who was kidnapped and was left, as part of the booty, along with other women, in the power of the pirate who made this place his usual camp.

Antoñica Izquierdo became famous when her 2 year old son began to have very high fevers (at that time they called the feverish state of people hot) and since she did not have the resources to take him to the doctor in the midst of her logical desperation, she thought she had a divine revelation with the image of the Virgin Mary on January 8, 1936, which recommended that she bathe the child with the water from the nearest stream. When she did so, the boy improved, thus performing the miracle that would turn her into a celebrity.