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Santiago de CubaSantiago de Cuba City - Santiago de Cuba City Attractions- Other Cities and Attractions Basic Information Its transcendental historic and cultural values and the well-known hospitality of its people, of happy and noisy character, are 2 of the characteristics of that distinguish the southeastern province of Santiago de Cuba, considered the authentic capital of the Caribbean because of its geographic position and ethnic origins. It is bounded on the west by Granma Province, on the north by Holguín Province and on the east by Guantanamo Province. To the south, the Caribbean Sea bathes its coast. Most of the beaches are spectacular, with dark sand or pebbles and the Sierra Maestra Mountains as a backdrop. The area is noted, among other things, for its sugar production and is also an important provider of citrus fruits and tobacco. It is, however, most famed for its history of rebelliousness, being part of Oriente, an area known as the cradle of the Revolution. These days it has been earmarked as a prime tuorist destination and, with its beautiful physical setting, it seems destined to become one of the most popular and visited areas of Cuba. This tourist region has 3 well defined areas: the Sierra Maestra Mountains, which runs from Niquero near the Gulf of Guacanayabo to east of Santiago de Cuba past the Gran Piedra National Park. The country's highest elevation, the Pico Real del Turquino, forms part of this range; Santiago de Cuba Basin and the coastal plain. The province has good roads that connect it with its neighboring provinces and is also linked to the rest of the country through the port of Santiago de Cuba. Visitors from abroad can come to Santiago de Cuba through Antonio Maceo International Airport, Guillermon Moncada Port and the Punta Gorda International Marina. The Baconao World Preserve of the Biosphere, the Guama area (El Mazo and El Papayo Bay) and the northern subregion of the Sierra Maestra Mountains (El Salton end El Cedron) also form part of the Santiago de Cuba tourist region. Santiago de Cuba is a tourist destination combining many values and attractions, which enables visitors to come into contact with the distinguishing characteristics of its people and the culture and history of the province while, at the same time, enjoying its exotic beaches and other well conserved natural attraction. From the historic-cultural point of view, many aspects of this province, which is known as the cradle of the son and the bolero and where traditional ballads and choral expressions are deeply rooted, are unique. This explains why the city of Santiago de Cuba hosts so many important artistic and other cultural events, such as Caribbean Festivals, International Chorus Festivals, Miguel Matamoros Son Festivals, Pepe Sanchez International Festivals of Ballads and Bolero Festivals. The first house that Europeans built in the Americas, the first cathedral erected in Cuba, the first open-sky copper mine in the Americas and the first museum in Cuba are all in Santiago de Cuba. Its rum made from sugarcane and aged in oaken barrels is the best of all the rum produced in Cuba and even in all the Antilles, and UNESCO has declared the impressive colonial fortress called the Castle of San Pedro de la Roca del Morro to be a part of world heritage in 1997. Santiago de Cuba grew under the protection of this kind of forts. Its historic center keeps in its splendor valuable examples of colonial architecture (of strong Andalusian and Moorish tradition) with the outstanding house of Diego Velázquez, considered the oldest one in the island, and the Metropolitan Cathedral, both of them located very close to the most well known arteries of the city: the streets of Enramada and Padre Pico. This province is also the place where Hernando Cortes set out on his conquest of Mexico and the one to which scores of French immigrants flocked in 1791, after Toussaint l’Ouverture’s Haitian Revolution and introduced coffee growing in Cuba. The poet Josa Maria Heredia, one of the early romantics in the Spanish language, was born here. The remains of Jose Marti, a native of Havana, are buried here. He is Cuba’s greatest revolutionary and intellectual, a poet, essayist, diplomat, teacher and combatant, considered to be the country’s National Hero.
Besides, very close from there you will be able to find important ruins of FrancoHaitian coffee plantation settlements were recently declared Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. A little further, the Great Natural Park of Baconao, located in the Biosphere Reserve equally named, calls for a tour on the Promenade of Sculptures, the Prehistoric Valley (a true Caribbean Jurassic Park), the Dolphins Pool, or enjoying a good portion of the beaches of the province. Its coasts are fed by the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea and protected by the hills of the most important Mountainous Region in the country. There are in total 70 Scuba Diving Sites all along the 150 km of the coasts of Sigua, Daiquirí, Bucanero and Sierra Mar. In these sites, besides the untouched natural beauty of the sea bottom, it is possible to see the remains of sunken ships that date back to the 19th century. Ideal for vacations filled with surprises, Santiago de Cuba offers visitors a complete infrastructure of facilities and services. Here, you will find not only comfort but also adventure and warm hospitality. Unquestionably, this province is one of the most interesting tourist destinations in Cuba! |
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The Natural Protected Landscape of La Gran Piedra is one of the most beautiful places in the province. This enormous rock sits more than 1100 meters above the sea level and the estimate of its weight is about 70 000 tons, and constitutes an exceptional lookout from where you can enjoy the splendid landscape of La Sierra Maestra.