Santiago de Cuba
Life may be hard, but it definitely has a soundtrack in CubaâA¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬A¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢s second largest city. Located on the islandâA¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬A¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢s south coast, nestled between peaks of the Sierra Maestra and not directly accessible by international flights, the city has less of an influx of tourists than the capital Havana, a distinct âA¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬A€¹Ã…“villageâA¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬A¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢ feel and oodles of charm.
Santiago de Cuba has played an important role in CubaâA¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬A¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢s history, which every visitor today can relive by visiting historic sites ranging from a fortress built to protect the city from pirates to Diego Velazquez original house and SantiagoâA¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬A¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢s first to the Moncada Barracs where Fidel and his fellow rebels started the revolution with their attack. Exhibits in museums and other places of interest are well explained (mainly only in Spanish) most places offer guides for translation and tours.
The city has many old colonial buildings, in different states of repair, and it is well worth a stroll through e.g. âA¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬A€¹Ã…“El TivoliâA¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬A¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢ an old part of town to just look and appreciate.
Everything is walkable distance, which makes exploring easy. There are many squares with benches to sit, relax and watch.
Santiago is known to be the undisputed cradle of traditional Cuban music and rich in locations for life music and fabulous talent. Check out the âA¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬A€¹Ã…“Casa de la TrovaâA¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬A¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢ in Calle Heredia during the day for natural talent and performance and just enjoy.
SantiagoâA¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬A¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢s biggest attraction though is its people. The town is a real mix of races, colourful, friendly and open. It is difficult not to be drawn in, to meet and talk.
You can visit Santiago de Cuba as a single traveller or with a group, children are very welcome everywhere. And you can do things on a budget, staying in private houses, which are available in abundance across the town and generally start at about $18,-/night âA¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬A¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…“ these âA¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬A€¹Ã…“casas particularesâA¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬A¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢ offer you a direct connection to the locals and ways of life. There is a new hostel, too, which offers rooms from $ 30,-/night, plus a variety of hotels offering accomodation at different price points to choose from.
Santiago is a bit thin in terms of restaurants, these tend to have limited menus and the quality of food is generally not exciting. The answer is to eat in private houses, either at your place of stay or in the so-called âA¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬A€¹Ã…“paladaresâA¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬A¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢ where the locals cook traditional Cuban food for you at reasonable prices.
Whilst the town is on the seafront, all the beaches are a $20 taxi ride away. Try âA¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬A€¹Ã…“SiboneyâA¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬A¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢ for a day.
I have been to Santiago de Cuba and just love it for what it is. Well worth a visit.
|
|
