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Municipality in Cuba
Photo: Rastapopulous, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Santiago de Cuba is the capital of the Santiago de Cuba province in south-eastern Cuba.
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A kind of central park, picturesque part of the city - with the cathedral Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, few museums and pubs around. Castro announced victory here in 1959 from the town hall. The place is quite noisy, as it serves as an intersection for the traffic. Additionally, be prepared for street sellers, street music and especially in the evening jineteras.
A small park on the other side of the historical center of the city than Parque Céspedes.
A terrace with a nice view of the bay.
A park, originally a place of fight in the Spanish-American War. Good views, displays of various monuments and old canons, souvenirs.
Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, easily combined with the following in a single day.
A big rock in the mountains, with a botanical garden nearby. Neither is particularly special, but it provides a good refreshment as it is high in the mountains. This also means that it is often covered in clouds/mist/rain, and some of the old "taxis" may have issues getting there without overheating.
In-line with similar "attraction" in Vinales, this somewhat remote and bizarre theme park displays statues of dinosaurs, mammoths and such. A cafe in Fred Flintstone style is also present.
A famous music club, with (probably) nightly live music, with drinks available too. You can expect it being very full, esp. of 1-day and elderly tourists.
The best place to eat in Santiago.
Iberostar Heritage Casa Granda
One of the most notable buildings, built in 1914 for Cuban Railroad Company. Drinks on the 6th floor roof top give you a spectacular view of the city at night, but also a normal bar and restaurant is available at the 1st floor. Though, very touristy.
Centrally located, a few blocks away from Parque Céspedes. Extremely clean and spacious room, with two double beds, air-conditioning and balcony. The host Elma and her son David are honest and well-mannered.
Lovely hostel in the heart of the old city and four blocks away from the central park and the cathedral. The terraces and the roof garden are lovely, with exotic plants and an amazing view of the harbour and Sierra Maestra mountains. The food is delicious and the service is spectacular. They speak four languages: Spanish, French, Italian and excellent English.
A lovely colonial house that feature a large open atrium that is filled with all number of tropical plants. The rooms are small and a bit dark, but quite made up for by the rest of the cada. Maruchi is a wonderful cook and also something of an animal lover, with roughly 5 animals plus a fish tank at any given time.
Casa colonial, clean casa, three room, very friendly hosts, excellent food with best coffee in Cuba, security, comfort, air condition.
Clean casa, only one room, very friendly hosts, English spoken, air conditioning.
Air conditioned, hot water, private bathroom, excellent food, security, and comfort.
Clean room for 3 people, two beds, air conditioning, independent bathroom, hot and cold water, breakfast, lunch and dinner service, TV, access to the kitchen, laundry service. Also you can write via whatsapp.
Iberostar Heritage Casa Granda
Dating from 1914, this hotel right on the main square was a favorite of Graham Greene, who used it as a setting in his Our Man in Havana
A quite busy souvenir shopping street, esp. by Cuban standards.
By train
Overnight train service along the main line from Havana via Matanzas, Santa Clara, and Camagüey runs 2 of every 3 days.
By plane
A taxi from/to Holguin Airport (HOG) is CUC30/person on a shared ride.
Most of the historical center is accessible by foot, in fact for tourists it's the only reasonable option.
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Santiago · International · SCU
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Articles and travel topics about Santiago de Cuba and Cuba.
ItinerariesThe Gringo trail is a term for places in Latin America visited by gringos, that is, people from North America or Europe. It is the Western Hemisphere's equivalent of tropical Asia's Banana Pancake Trail.
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Travel tipsRail travel in Cuba is more of an adventure that can give you a view into the daily lives of the Cuban people than it is a practical means of transportation. Cuba is also the only Caribbean country to have railways.
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Culture & historyThe Spanish-American War was fought between the United States and the Spanish Empire in 1898. A decisive conflict, it saw the end of Spain's interests in the Americas and the Pacific and asserted the U.S.'s role as a…
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