Baracoa — Cross & Cacao Conspiracy
Uncover the conspiracy linking Columbus's sacred Cross of Parra to Baracoa's forbidden cacao trade. Decode clues across forts and plazas to expose the secret that shaped Cuba's first city.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In 1492, Christopher Columbus planted the Cruz de la Parra in Baracoa, Cuba's first settlement, claiming the land for Spain
Baracoa — Cross & Cacao Conspiracy
You are a Royal Cartographer, dispatched by the Spanish Crown in 1798 to Baracoa, Cuba's first colonial settlement.
Your task: locate a forgotten colonial treasure
Discover Baracoa, Cuba's first city founded in 1511 by Diego Velázquez, and trace the path of the Cross of La Parra, planted by Christopher Columbus in 1492.
A game, a guided tour and a heritage guide — all in one
You're not just buying an escape game. You're carrying a living guide — historical anecdotes, forgotten legends, key monuments, hidden architecture — unfolding as you go.
At each stop, places ordinary guides miss — secret façades, sculpted crests, alleys steeped in history.
Every riddle is rooted in a real historical fact or local legend. You leave with dozens of stories to tell.
Learn to read buildings — flamboyant Gothic, Baroque, Art Deco — like a real art historian, while having fun.
Walk through the city like a novel's character — every alley becomes a stage, every square a theatre.
A voice walks with you at every step, tells the story of each place, reads clues, adds a cinematic feel.
Keep access to the guide & game for 1 year. Come back any time, share it with friends.
« You will not leave this city the way you entered it. »
How does it work?
Explore the city on foot solving puzzles based on real historical facts. No locked room — the city is your playground.
No app to download. Play directly from your browser. Guided step by step, at your own pace.
One purchase per phone is enough. Play with family, friends or as a couple — everyone participates.
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears and speaks to you in your language. Golden letters magically write themselves on the wall to reveal the puzzle answer.
Stuck? Progressive personalised hints. The character repeats the puzzle on demand — at your own pace.
French, English, German, Spanish, Italian + 27 other languages auto-translated by AI.
Want to go deeper?
Places tied to your adventure — optional entries, totally up to you · per person
The story that haunts this land
Your quest begins at Parque Independencia, Baracoa's main square, where daily life intertwines with busts of Cuban heroes. This public gathering place, bordered by colonial buildings, is the ideal starting point for exploring the historic center. It is here, in the heart of Baracoa, that you will receive your first instructions to decipher the enigmas related to the founding of Cuba's First City in 1511. The street stalls and bustling atmosphere of the parque central immediately immerse you in the vibrant spirit of the city, a gateway to the secrets of Santiago de Cuba.
A few steps from Parque Independencia, the Catedral Nuestra Señora de la Asunción stands, a testament to faith and history. Built in the 19th century, it houses the Cruz de la Parra, a wooden cross planted by Christopher Columbus in 1492. Described by Columbus as an emblem of his first voyage, this cross is the only authenticated survivor from his era, preserved for over 500 years. This direct remnant of Baracoa's Spanish foundation by Diego Velázquez in 1511 is a pivot of your investigation, revealing clues about the early settlers and the riches they coveted.
Your journey then leads you to Fuerte Matachín, erected in 1802 to defend Baracoa against pirates and invasions. Located about 1 km from Parque Independencia, this fort is now a museum offering views of the bay and surrounding mountains. As you head towards this fort, you walk along Baracoa's Malecón, an emblematic coastal promenade stretching 1 to 2 km. This pedestrian route, developed in the 19th-20th centuries on colonial foundations, connects historical landmarks and offers breathtaking views of El Yunque, the iconic 575 m high mountain, visible from all of Baracoa.
Further along the Malecón, you reach Fuerte La Punta, another key element of the Spanish defenses. Erected in 1794 by the sea, it protected the entrance to Baracoa Bay. A short walk from the Malecón, about 1.5 km from the center, this fort preserves period cannons and exhibitions on colonial naval history. These fortifications are symbols of the fortified colonial heritage of Cuba's first city, and their walls tell the stories of the battles and strategies that shaped Baracoa and the Santiago de Cuba region.
Finally, your investigation takes you to Casa del Cacao, a museum dedicated to Baracoa's emblematic product since pre-Columbian times. Located in the city center, within walking distance of Parque Independencia, it presents the history of cocoa cultivation by the indigenous Taínos and settlers. Baracoa remains a major center for cocoa production in Cuba, and this site reveals the links between the region's natural riches and colonial ambitions. From the Cruz de la Parra to cocoa cultivation, you piece together a historical puzzle, tracing a direct line between Christopher Columbus, Diego Velázquez, and the development of this region, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt 2001, a Cuchillas del Toa Biosphere Reserve.
The Route
8 stages through the city
The gameplay: AR, camera, hidden clues
At each stop, open your phone camera: an augmented reality character appears on the façade and speaks your language. Hunt the clue — it materializes as golden letters on the real wall or floats in front of you. When you find it, the phone vibrates, an AR chest opens and reveals your answer fragment. 8 stops, 8 clues to find with the camera, 1 final code.
The stops on your route are a surprise. You'll discover them one by one, guided by your phone, starting from the meeting point.
How does it work with a group?
One phone = one team. Pick the number at checkout (1 to 10).
Solo, or a group sharing the screen. One team, one code.
Family, couple, or 2-3 teams competing. Each phone has its own code and its own score.
Friends, bachelor/bachelorette, small office outing — each their own code, each plays at their own pace. Tiered pricing then €6 flat per phone from the 6th.
- ✓All codes are independent — play at the same time OR separately, each team advances at its own pace.
- ✓Leaderboard between your teams + global game leaderboard — each score appears in the public ranking.
- ✓More than 10 phones or need a personalized quest? Discover custom tours.
Ready to live this adventure?
Get my code · 12€No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒 Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
Practical info
Why this route?
Archaeological Discovery
Unravel the secrets of Taíno culture and explore the vestiges of their ancestral civilization.
Ancestral Flavors
Follow the trail of cocoa, a Caribbean treasure, and discover its historical and cultural role.
Forgotten Manuscripts
Decipher an ancient document to reconstruct a lost Taíno ritual calendar and understand its connection to the cross.
The First City: A Bridge Between Eras
Baracoa, witness to first steps and guardian of a unique heritage.
9 features nobody else has
OddballTrip combines gamified play, augmented reality and AI. All our competitors deliver 1 or 2 of these angles. We deliver all 5.
AR treasure chest
A golden chest floats in front of the monument. Tap → opening animation → reveals a secret message.
AR narrator character
Point your phone at the façade: a knight, witch, monk, sailor, detective or ghost appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language with their dedicated ElevenLabs voice (each character has their own unique voice) — your living guide.
Magic golden letters
At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's the puzzle answer. An unforgettable visual effect.
Written + audio narration
Every puzzle available as text AND voice-over: read at your own pace or listen eyes-free while walking. Great in groups and for accessibility.
360° radar + vibration
A mini-radar shows the target even behind you, and the phone vibrates when you aim in the right direction.
Heritage storytelling
Every puzzle weaves in real historical facts (architecture, era, anecdotes). You learn by playing — like a gamified audioguide.
Progressive AI hints
3 levels of AI-generated help: vibe → where to look → answer format. You're never stuck.
AR selfie memento
At the end of the game, capture a selfie with OddballTrip banner + mascot, shareable on Instagram, TikTok.
Zero app to install
PWA technology: open the link, it plays in your browser. Same quality as an app, no App Store hassle.
Frequently asked questions
Q01Do I need to download an app?
No, never. You get a link, you click, it plays in your browser. That's the point of a PWA: same as an app, without the hassle.
Q02Does it work offline?
GPS yes (handled by your phone). Maps yes (tiles cached). AI and hints need an intermittent 4G connection.
Q03How long does a game take?
1 h 30 to 2 h 30 depending on your pace. The timer runs but only for the leaderboard — you play at your own tempo.
Q04What happens if I'm stuck?
You get 3 levels of hints per puzzle (increasing penalty). If truly stuck, you can skip the step (45-min penalty but you keep going).
Q05What's the age range?
From 12 without an adult, from 6 with an adult reading puzzles. Works for families, couples, friend groups, companies.
Q06What if my city isn't in the catalogue?
Pre-register or contact us — we'll email you as soon as your city is live.
Q07What is augmented reality exactly?
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language. At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's your answer. After each puzzle solved, a treasure chest floats in front of you. Seeing is believing.
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Your turn to play
Discover Baracoa, Cuba's first city founded in 1511 by Diego Velázquez, and trace the path of the Cross of La Parra, planted by Christopher Columbus in 1492.
1 purchase = 1 phone. Play several on the same device.
No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
🪙+24 TripCoins granted with your booking
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