Sancti Spíritus

Sancti Spíritus City - Sancti Spíritus City Attractions - Other Cities and Attractions

Basic Information
Area: 6,744 sq. km
Capital: Sancti Spíritus
Population: 453,300

Located at the center of the island, the province of Sancti Spíritus has the privilege of being the only territory of the Cuban archipelago where 2 of the first 7 villas were founded at the beginning of the 16th century by the Spanish discoverer, Diego Velázquez: Espíritu Santo and Santísima Trinidad. Both of them were founded in 1514, and one of the 14 provinces of the political and administrative division of the Republic of Cuba was named after Espíritu Santo.

It is a region with a clayish and fertile soil, whose 15% is covered by one of the most important mountainous regions of the country, the Escambray Mountains which, among other attributes, treasures peaceful Caribbean beaches all along the coasts of the Península of Ancón.

The capital city, Sancti Spíritus, was invariably settled on the margins of a river, and it preserves in its historic center buildings. Among the most outstanding constructions we can find the Iglesia Parroquial Mayor, Teatro Principal and the bridge over Yayabo River itself.

The jewel in the provincial crown is, however, the beautiful and historic city of Trinidad, a UNESCO-protected national monument, recognized as one of the most charming cities in the whole of the Caribbean and Latin America.

There are less than a dozen kilometers between the historic center of Trinidad and the beautiful beaches of the Península of Ancón, washed by the waters of the Caribbean Sea and considered among the best ones in the south coast of the island.

Also close to colonial Trinidad, the mountainous region of Escambray invites daring visitors to intense days of activities in the National Park of Topes de Collantes, located 800 m above sea level and where Salto del Caburní (National Monument) stands out among numerous attractions. On the other, this place also provides visitors with the opportunity of improving their quality of life in an ideal environment that also has a facility for health and pleasure known as Kurhotel.

Meanwhile, in the central region of the province you will be able to see the largest artificial lake of Cuba, the Zaza dam. Its impounding capacity surpasses the one thousand million cubic meters of this valuable liquid, which constitutes a perfect place for sport fishing, especially for trout, whose sizes rate them among the best ones at the international level. To the north, Caguanes National Park, recently declared by UNESCO a reserve of the Biosphere, treasures an important group of caves with plenty of interesting archeological sites and under water caves; natural habitat of a variety of fresh water sponges that can only be seen in this place.