exploring Cuba’s second largest city: Santiago de Cuba
A visit to Eastern Cuba would not be complete without a visit to Santiago de Cuba, Cuba’s second largest city located 134 kilometres southwest of Frank Pais International Airport in Holguin. Santiago de Cuba (‘Santiago’ to Cubans) is known for a myriad of things, but the two that stand out is that it was home to Compay Segundo, founder of the Buena Vista Social Club (Cuba’s best known contemporary music collective) and it was also here in Santiago that Fidel Castro launched his War of Independence–the Cuban Revolution–in 1953.
I stopped by Castro’s grave at the Cementerio Santa Ifigenia. It is unpretentious, but always adorned with fresh flowers from the Cuban people who still love and adore him. A visit to this cemetery is highly recommended as there is a ceremonious changing of the guards which is quite spellbinding to witness.
It was quite something to witness the changing of the guard ceremony at the cemetery in Santiago de Cuba where Fidel Castro is buried.
At the Museo 26 de Julio (named in honour of the 26th of July in 1953 when Fidel Castro led a team of communist rebels to topple the Batista government) I learned all about the revolution and Castro himself. That is a young and quite dapper Fidel Castro pictured above.
The Museo 26 de Julio in Santiago de Cuba shows bullet wounds from the battle of 1953 that launched the Cuban Revolution.
I enjoyed learning about young Fidel and the early days of his revolution that led to a 50-year rule of Cuba (from 1961 to 2011) as First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, 15th President and 16th Prime Minister. Fidel Castro groomed his brother Raúl for leadership of the country, who succeeded Fidel in 2008 (until 2018) as First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba and 16th President of the country.
The downtown central plaza of Santiago de Cuba is quite beautiful.
But Santiago isn’t all about the revolution. It is extremely proud of its vibrant cultural scene of music, arts, and culture. I loved visiting Casa de la Trova, a small whole in the wall gathering place where locals come to listen to and perform live music, sing along, have a drink, and dance. All are welcome to participate in any way they choose!
a visit to casa de la trova is a must for music lovers in santiago de cuba
Casa de la Trova in Santiago de Cuba is a terrific place to learn about Cuban music, feel the music, and learn to dance!
It was amazing visiting Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca (also known as El Morro Fort) built in 1638 to protect Santiago de Cuba. The setting is breathtaking! And I really enjoyed lunch at the adjacent El Morro Restaurante Palmares that has terrific food accompanied by live music, magnificent views of the Caribbean Sea, the fort, and the port.
The views from El Morro Restaurante (located next to the fort) are truly breathtaking.
On my previous trips to Cuba, I’d spent more time on the beaches and in resorts than I did on the streets learning about the local culture. I was infinitely grateful to have the opportunity to get off the beaten path and learn about Cuban culture and traditions and would like to express my gratitude to the Cuban Tourist Board for covering the costs of my visit to Santiago de Cuba and other points in Eastern Cuba.
Oh, Doreen, your post makes me so nostalgic for Cuba–and particularly for Santiago de Cuba. It’s a delightful city, full of history (I adore history!), full of music (I adore music!). We’ve been there a few times and can’t wait to go back. This part of Cuba has a more Caribbean feel than the rest of Cuba. You walk the streets and here “son” spilling out of the music venues. I remember on one of our trips that we arrived in Santiago de Cuba around 11 pm after a long day of flying from Edmonton to Toronto, then Toronto to Santiago de Cuba. When we arrived at our casa, we couldn’t wait to go for a walk, so out we went. We heard music pouring out of one of the music venues and stopped to listen. Of course, we were beckoned in, so in we went. Three hours later, when the musicians finally stopped playing, we headed back to our casa. Tired? No way! We spent days seeing the sights and roaming the little corners of the city, and at night it was back to the music venues. Ahhhh!
Thx for this great comment, Cynthia! I could envision you and Paul dancing like the couple I photographed for the post. I really love the Cuban music. It’s probably the one thing that stands out in my mind more than anything else, as no matter where you go in Cuba, the music is lively, captivating, and authentic.
p.s., I need to catch up with you! Tom visited Santiago de Cuba on his own, so I can only rely on your images and his. This is the place I’d most like to visit in Cuba.
I’m sure you’d love Santiago, Kristin. It’s an amazing city with so much vibrancy and character.
Great insight and lots of useful information, Doreen. I want to go to Cuba very badly, so this post is a great resource. I like the musicians playing photo.
Thanks, Anda. Cuba is s truly muti-dimensional destination that is big on music and culture.
Oh how I want to go back to Cuba! We rented a car and drove around the western half of the island — never got to Santiago de Cuba. Your post makes me want to pack my bags right now!
Nice blog about Santiago de Cuba and visiting Cuba’s second largest city. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
Thanks for your comment, Bola. I have a brief video I took of that live music in Santiago. With any luck, I’ll figure out how to post it at some time in the future.
Thanks for the insight and those views are lovely. Would love to dance to the live music one day.
A very enjoyable read – thanks, Doreen! Many travellers to Cuba visit only Havana and the western part of the island. As this post and other recent posts of yours have highlighted, Cuba’s east has lots to offer as well – history, culture, food, sights and lots of great live music! Indeed, Cuba’s east is the cradle of today’s salsa. And for music lovers, Santiago de Cuba is a must in early July for the “Festival del Caribe” and end of July for one of the most lively carnivals in the Caribbean! Needless to say, a visit to Santiago de Cuba should be rounded up with a stay in Baracoa – Cuba’s cacao heartland and an amazing nature travel destination! Thanks again, Doreen for all these superb posts about Eastern Cuba, we’ve enjoyed each one very much!
Thank you so much, Roberto, for your comments, and for your hospitality while I was in Baracoa. My trip to Eastern Cuba would never have been so amazing had it not been without your input.
So interesting to read about Cuba from this American’s point of view–with the whole country being off limits for almost my entire life. Thanks for the eye-opener.
You’re welcome, Rose, and thx for sharing your thoughts on this. There is a company called Beyond Cuba Travel that does some really neat tours in Cuba. I met the co-founder of this company in Santiago and we shared an interesting conversation. I’m going to ask her to chime in here. 🙂
Wow! Castro was definitely a dapper young man like you said. It must have been an awesome trip. I love Buena Vista Social Club collectives and were a staple in my rotation for the longest time so l’m sure l would love the music. One of these days, I will make it to Cuba.
Hi Kemkem. I actually took a short video clip of the musicians playing in Santiago, but I couldn’t seem to import it into my post. If I get it to work, I’ll let you know.
Santiago looks like a fantastic place to learn about the recent history of Cuba. And wonderful scenery too!
Your tour of Cuba must have been very satisfying. Santiago looks fascinating.
Santiago de Cuba does not hog the limelight like Havana, but this city seems to have its own subdued char. The fact that Fidel Castro’s grave is here and also this was the place where the Cuban revolution started makes the place historic. The museum too looks like a rich resource to learn the history of the place.
Cuba is such an exotic destination. Thanks for showing us a Cuba beyond the cigar and vintage cars. So little is known about this unique country. Castillo de San Pedro de la Rocais so pretty. I don’t mind spending all day here. And look at that picturesque El Morro Restaurante. Wonderful!
Cuba is indeed an incredible destination, Abhinav. I hope you get to visit soon. Thx for stopping by.
Never been to Cuba and would like to go before tourism turns it into something different than what it is. BTW, saw your note on Boomer Bloggers and just wanted to say that sometimes travel — and in Greece, storms and power outages for long stretches of time that result in no internet access — make it difficult to get to everyone’s posts in a timely manner. Sometimes you just don’t have the time or access, even if you want to stay in touch with everyone. Great post and you’ve only encouraged my desire to go to Cuba one day.
Hi Jackie and thx for your comment. I know what you mean about unreliable internet. They certainly have that in Cuba!
I’ve always wanted to visit Cuba and hope to get there next year. The history is so rich, but it’s the music and the food that really attract me!
You bet, Lois. Cuba is a truly fascinating country with something for everyone. I hope you get there in 2019. 🙂
First time I was introduced to the country via this old film named “Soy Cuba”. Would love to visit the country some day. Great pictures!
Thanks very much. Yes, I’ve heard that film is a good one about Cuba. I shall have to seek it out.
Santiago looks like a fantastic place to learn about the recent history of Cuba. And wonderful scenery too!
Hi Karen. That’s the thing about Cuba. It offers up heavy doses of history, music, culture and the beauty or nature all in one incredible package. 🙂
I love history. I cannot imagine anyone visiting Cuba without visiting this city and learning more about Fidel Castro. The other activities look like so much fun too!! Great article; very interesting.
Thx so much, Marilyn. Yes, as tourists, people get drawn in to visiting the all-inclusive resorts. And so many times, they see nothing other than this. But travelling independently, and to non-beach resorts, give travellers the opportunity to experience the real and fascinating #AutenticaCuba.
Thank you for giving us an insight into Cuba. There is so much history in Cuba. When I think of Cuba I picture bright pink cars, dancing in the streets, exotic drinks and tasty food. It is definitely on my list of countries to visit.
I’m sure you would love Cuba, Phoenicia. It is everything you have said … and more! 🙂
Cuba hasn’t been high on my post 50 travel bucket list. But reading all about your visit makes me want to consider it. I’ve heard that it’s best to go on tours when you go to Cuba. Your thoughts?
Hi Judy and thx for your comment. Definitely for a first-time visit, I would suggest being part of a tour. they get you into places you may not otherwise be able to visit. Being a communist country, there are certainly restrictions on where visitors can go. Then for your second visit, going independently would probably work OK. Cubatur has some great packages to Cuba and incredible guides.
I’m excited to read that travel restrictions to Cuba will again ease up for Americans. Looking forward to a return visit!
For sure, Kristin. I hope you get back to Cuba soon.
The photo of a young Fidel Castro is amazing. I have only ever seen photos of him in jungle greens and a beard.
I hear you, Lyn. I, too, was surprised to see how attractive Castro looked when he was dressed in a suit and clean shaven.
Love this! I spent two months in Havana in the 1990s for work but sadly didn’t make it out of the region… I missed out visiting Santiago and now see just how much I’ve missed. Cuba is still on my ‘need to go back’ list and Santiago will top that list. thanks for the eye-opener!
You’re welcome, Leyl and welcome to Chocolatour! Yes, you’ll find Eastern Cuba to be more rugged and less developed than the western part of the island. And Santiago is definitely the cultural gem.:-)
Thanks for this very interesting post, especially the bit about Fidel Castro. Good you were able to participate in the local scene. Your tour of Cuba must have been very satisfying,
Hi Carol. Yes, indeed. I truly loved this most recent trip to Cuba. It is an amazing destination.
THe architecture looks great, too!
Indeed, Irene. The architecture in Santiago de Cuba is really lovely. Especially the town square.
That view from the El Morro fort looks amazing. Thank you for sharing this post about Santiago de Cuba with us.
Hi Janet. Yes, I really enjoyed my time at El Morro. The fort is interesting, the scenery spectacular, and the food and ambience were great, too. 🙂
Like your earlier visits, most of my time in Cuba was spent on the beach and at the resort. I’d love to go back and explore more of the culture. Santiago de Cuba looks like a great place to do that.
It sure is, Donna. I could write much more on Santiago, but have just given the highlights of this lovely Cuban city.
Oh how I want to go back to Cuba! We rented a car and drove around the western half of the island — never got to Santiago de Cuba. Your post makes me want to pack my bags right now!
Thanks, Patti. Yes, I, too, enjoyed touring the western part of Cuba, with Havana & Varadero as the highlights. But my experience in Eastern Cuba was so much more authentic as the amount of tourism & outside influence to their culture is considerably less noticeable.
Thanks, Doreen, for so successfully describing all there is to see and do while visiting Santiago de Cuba. The food sounds delicious!
Hi Bev. Yes, Cuban food really is delicious. At El Morro Restaurante Palmares, we had a lunch of chicken soup, deep fried fish, pork in a savoury sauce, mashed potatoes, rice, pickled beets, shredded cabbage, and ice-cream for dessert. Have I got your taste buds watering yet? 🙂