Santiago de Cuba

Make up by nine municipalities, its capital is Santiago de Cuba, the sixth township founded in 1515 by Diego Velázquez. It was Cuba’s first capital and in 1522 it gained the condition of city. Cradle of national heroes and the scene of legendary victories earned it the title of hero city. Santiago is a cultural heritage value. A visitor can get to the city by means of the Antonio Maceo International Airport, by road from any part of the island or by sea from the Guillermon Moncada Port with the services of the Punta Gorda Marina. As a tourism destination Santiago has beach, city and nature tours due to the riches in all these three options. Santiago is know like “the hot land”. It’s the second Cuban city in order to importance and “the most Caribbean” region of the country demonstrated in popular music and its folklore.

Country	Cuba
Visa requirements	Visa Required. Get it Here We recommend Insurance. Get it Here
Languages spoken	Spanish
Currency used	Cuban Convertible Peso
Area (km2)	6.170 km2

Sports & nature

The most outstanding element of Santiago de Cuba geography is its mountains: it includes the major part of the Sierra Maestra and is the seat of the 1974 meter-high Pico Real del Turquino, the country's highest elevation. Also in Santiago is located the Baconao National Park, full of attractions with wildlife refuges, coffee plantations, beautiful beaches, natural spaces, inside this Biosphere Reserve. The Prehistory valley is there, a reproduction in stone of almost life size prehistoric animals, as well as the Dolphin Aquarium, the Siboney Farm and the Gran Piedra, an elevation crowned by an enormous rock of around 65 000 tons, 55m long and 25m high.

Nightlife info

Cradle of several Cuban musical genres, specially the traditional trova, it is also the venue of the country's most spectacular carnivals and the Fire Fiesta or Caribbean Fest.

Culture and history info

Heir to the syncretism of indigenous people, Spaniards, black Africans and the French, it assimilated at he same time the influence of he insular Caribbean. Santiago has three World Heritage Sites: San Pedro de La Roca Castle (El Morro); the Isabelica Coffee Museum, the archaeological landscape of the first coffee plantations in southeastern Cuba; and the Tumba Francesa. Visitors shouldn't miss the Bacardí, Piracy and Colonial Art museums; the Cespedes Park and the surrounding buildings. The July 26th Museum and the Granjita Siboney are compulsory visit sites, where there are scenes of the insurrection headed by Fidel Castro. Also the Santa Ifigenia Cementery, National Monument Since 1979, is home to remains of the Cuban National Hero José Martí and one of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, leader of cuban independence.