
Santiago at dusk © USA Cuba Travel
Santiago, the original capital of the island of Cuba, was
founded in 1514, and is today the centre of the province of
Santiago de Cuba in the southeast of the island, 485 miles (780km)
from the present capital, Havana.
One of the most picturesque cities in Cuba, it is a hilly city
with sloping streets, nestled between the coast and the Sierra
Maestra mountain range. Santiago boasts some monuments and museums
associated with Cuba's long struggle for national independence.
Santiago also claims to have the oldest home in the Americas, the
Case de Diego Velazquez, residence of the Spanish governor of old,
which is a highlight of the city's historic quarter. Santiago is a
diverse city, with many population groups in its neighbourhoods,
including the French-Haitian district of Tivoli.
The city is also known for its annual carnival and its closely
situated natural areas, including the 80,000-hectare (197,684-acre)
Baconao Park, which begins in the city and ends in the lagoon of
the same name. It is climatically the hottest part of Cuba, with
average temperatures of 90°F (32°C).
Attractions

Bacardi © Caitlinator
Bacardi Museum
Bacardi, the world's largest privately held, family-owned
spirits company, started producing rum in Santiago way back in
1862. The company's current production sales exceed 240 million
bottles a year, in 170 countries, although the family fled Cuba
after the revolution in 1959. Interestingly, it...
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Castillo de San Pedro del Morro © Petrusbarbygere
Castillo de San Pedro del Morro (Morro Castle)
Santiago's most impressive structure is poised ominously atop
the cliffs at the narrow entrance to Santiago Bay, about nine miles
(14km) south of Santiago. This enormous piece of military
architecture, a maze of stairways and dungeons, was begun in 1640.
The Morro was rebuilt...
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Moncada Barracks © Mark Scott Johnson
Moncada Barracks
The bullet-ridden Moncada Barracks and adjacent Parque Historico
Abel Santamaria were part of important events in Cuba's history. In
1953, a group led by Fidel Castro attacked the barracks in an
attempt to steal weapons and launch the revolution, but the plan
failed and...
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Santa Ifigenia Cemetery © Santiago de Cuba City
Santa Ifigenia Cemetery
The gateway to this cemetery is dominated by a memorial to Cuban
soldiers who died fighting in Angola. From here, the visitor is led
to the impressive tomb of Cuban national hero, revolutionary and
writer Jose Marti. The tomb is in the form...
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Excursions
Baconao Park
The large park region, which is a World Heritage Biosphere
Reserve, is filled with attractions other than wildlife refuges and
coffee plantations. It is possible to climb 459 stone steps to the
summit of the huge rock, La Gran Piedra, and stand 4,049ft...
see full detailsParque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt
This UNESCO World Heritage Site is located in the Cuban
provinces of Holguín and Guantánamo, and features an
impressive selection of flora and fauna, such as parrots, lizards
and hummingbirds. The well-visited park is a firm favourite among
young travellers to Cuba, and regularly...
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