Facing a bay off to the Caribbean Sea in southeastern Cuba is Santiago de Cuba.
Castillo de San Pedro
Founded by the Spaniards in 1515, Santiago de Cuba is the capital city of the Santiago de Cuba Province. The colonial architecture and revolutionary history, along with the Afro-Cuban influences, make this port a fascinating destination. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city in Cuba and is an important sea port, located 540 miles East of the Cuban capital of Havana.
About six miles southwest of the city center and overlooking the bay is Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca. This multi-level stone fortress built into the rocky promontory of El Morro has guarded the entrance to Santiago de Cuba Bay since 1638. This is an amazing structure, with spectacular views and wonderful history. Upon our arrival to Santiago de Cuba, we will explore the Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca—better known as El Morro—inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as “the most complete, best preserved example of Spanish-American military architecture, based on Italian and Renaissance design principles.” A daily ceremony, called the "Puesta del Sol," takes place at sunset, recalling the 19th-century importance of the fortress. Youngsters dressed as mambises, or members of the Cuban rebel army, lower the flag and shoot off the ancient 1805 Spanish cannon to cries of "¡Viva Cuba Libre!" Visiting El Morro for the day-ending ceremony, when it has cooled off some, is an excellent idea. During our stay, you’ll see some of the most beautiful crypts built in Cuba, witness the changing guard at the tomb of José Martí, a Cuban National Hero.
Tour the Spanish Conquistador Diego Velázquez House and Museum, the oldest standing house in Cuba. Near Cespedes Park, on the corner of Aguilera and Felix Peña Streets (best known by their former names of Marina and Santo Tomas), there stands an elegant, majestic, two-story building with a front that extends along half a block. Today the house has a strong Moorish influence, with ashlars and richly decorated carved wood ceilings regarded as the city's most elaborate.
Santiago is a very picturesque city, with very friendly and hospitable people! Walking around Santiago, you’ll enjoy lively stores, several parks, restaurants, and not to mention, the various fresh produce markets. This city is also rich in cultural life; you’ll find many museums and sites of cultural or historical interest. You’ll hear music anytime and anywhere in Santiago. Parque Céspedes is the vibrant heart of the city, where locals gather to play music, play chess, meet friends or simply take a rest under the shade of a tree. At the South side of Parque Céspedes is the beautiful cathedral Nuestra Señora de la Asunción; the facade is Neo-classical and the church itself four hundred years old.
Avenida Victoriano de Garzón is one of the important arteries of Santiago. Along this street you can stop at a fresh produce market, bakeries, various stores or restaurants. From Friday afternoon to Monday morning, Avenida Victoriano de Garzón is closed to all traffic and only pedestrians are allowed in. That means the fun is about to start for the locals and visitors. When heat of the sun begins to cool down, locals improvise restaurants alongside the street and set up tables for people to enjoy the delicious roasted pork. This is the beginning of long weekend of eating, dancing, drinking and having much fun.
Two sites that are worth a stop are the Museo de Carnaval and the former Bacardi mansion. Santiago's Carnival is the most famous in Cuba, and this small museum, in one of the oldest houses on Calle Heredia, aims to give visitors some historical perspective. Carnival counts centuries of tradition; the first published reference to the celebration was in 1669. It displays old costumes, black-and-white photographs, huge papier-mâché masks, and hand-painted and embroidered mamarrachos (capes), as well as percussion instruments. The impressive mansion of the Bacardi family is located in the residential area of Santiago de Cuba. The original Bacardi Rum Factory was built in 1838 and is still in Santiago de Cuba. Here are now Ron Caney and Havana Club rum made. After the revolution of 1959, the Bacardi company moved to Puerto Rico together with the patent. Due to conflicts with Cuban leaders, the company had started foreign branches a few years before the revolution and that allowed Bacardi to move trademarks, assets, and proprietary formulas out of the country and eventually survive after the Cuban communist government confiscated all Bacardi assets. Indeed, there is a lot of fascinating history that you can learn on your cruise stop in Santiago!
About six miles southwest of the city center and overlooking the bay is Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca. This multi-level stone fortress built into the rocky promontory of El Morro has guarded the entrance to Santiago de Cuba Bay since 1638. This is an amazing structure, with spectacular views and wonderful history. Upon our arrival to Santiago de Cuba, we will explore the Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca—better known as El Morro—inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as “the most complete, best preserved example of Spanish-American military architecture, based on Italian and Renaissance design principles.” A daily ceremony, called the "Puesta del Sol," takes place at sunset, recalling the 19th-century importance of the fortress. Youngsters dressed as mambises, or members of the Cuban rebel army, lower the flag and shoot off the ancient 1805 Spanish cannon to cries of "¡Viva Cuba Libre!" Visiting El Morro for the day-ending ceremony, when it has cooled off some, is an excellent idea. During our stay, you’ll see some of the most beautiful crypts built in Cuba, witness the changing guard at the tomb of José Martí, a Cuban National Hero.
Tour the Spanish Conquistador Diego Velázquez House and Museum, the oldest standing house in Cuba. Near Cespedes Park, on the corner of Aguilera and Felix Peña Streets (best known by their former names of Marina and Santo Tomas), there stands an elegant, majestic, two-story building with a front that extends along half a block. Today the house has a strong Moorish influence, with ashlars and richly decorated carved wood ceilings regarded as the city's most elaborate.
Santiago is a very picturesque city, with very friendly and hospitable people! Walking around Santiago, you’ll enjoy lively stores, several parks, restaurants, and not to mention, the various fresh produce markets. This city is also rich in cultural life; you’ll find many museums and sites of cultural or historical interest. You’ll hear music anytime and anywhere in Santiago. Parque Céspedes is the vibrant heart of the city, where locals gather to play music, play chess, meet friends or simply take a rest under the shade of a tree. At the South side of Parque Céspedes is the beautiful cathedral Nuestra Señora de la Asunción; the facade is Neo-classical and the church itself four hundred years old.
Avenida Victoriano de Garzón is one of the important arteries of Santiago. Along this street you can stop at a fresh produce market, bakeries, various stores or restaurants. From Friday afternoon to Monday morning, Avenida Victoriano de Garzón is closed to all traffic and only pedestrians are allowed in. That means the fun is about to start for the locals and visitors. When heat of the sun begins to cool down, locals improvise restaurants alongside the street and set up tables for people to enjoy the delicious roasted pork. This is the beginning of long weekend of eating, dancing, drinking and having much fun.
Two sites that are worth a stop are the Museo de Carnaval and the former Bacardi mansion. Santiago's Carnival is the most famous in Cuba, and this small museum, in one of the oldest houses on Calle Heredia, aims to give visitors some historical perspective. Carnival counts centuries of tradition; the first published reference to the celebration was in 1669. It displays old costumes, black-and-white photographs, huge papier-mâché masks, and hand-painted and embroidered mamarrachos (capes), as well as percussion instruments. The impressive mansion of the Bacardi family is located in the residential area of Santiago de Cuba. The original Bacardi Rum Factory was built in 1838 and is still in Santiago de Cuba. Here are now Ron Caney and Havana Club rum made. After the revolution of 1959, the Bacardi company moved to Puerto Rico together with the patent. Due to conflicts with Cuban leaders, the company had started foreign branches a few years before the revolution and that allowed Bacardi to move trademarks, assets, and proprietary formulas out of the country and eventually survive after the Cuban communist government confiscated all Bacardi assets. Indeed, there is a lot of fascinating history that you can learn on your cruise stop in Santiago!