This time the drive from Guardalavaca to Holguin is heaven ! For a honest 25CUC, the driver of a Chevrolet 52’ give us a lift back to the bus station of Holguin; here, our german friends (Jose/Manuel & Misha/Michael) and us decide that a cheap and relaxing option to get to Santiago de Cuba would be to share a taxi. Luckily, as usual, taxis are always available at bus stations but most importantly there’s always room for bargaining a bit; perhaps, us wanting to pay the same fare of the bus (11CUC each /44CUC in total) is a bit stretched but in the end we manage to find someone willing to drive us there.
After 4h inside the tiniest taxi you’ll ever see, entering Santiago feels like hitting a wall of much needed happiness and positivity. At a first glance, the city not only looks clean, fascinating and very laid-back but it also sprouts art from every corner. Music playing in a small alley, old people dancing to the sound of a record player, houses of music, concerts in pretty much every restaurant and astounding murales on every façade. What a great start ! The taxi drop us off in the city center at Plaza de Marte and without even having the time to grab our backpacks a man approaches us to offer his casa particular. Sin compromiso (without compromise) we agree to see the house located just a couple of blocks away in Calle Heredia. Well, that was lucky ! A steep set of stairs bring us up to a small balcony overlooking the city which is left entirely to us to enjoy anytime. The two adjacent spacious rooms are even better than we could have ever expected !
Down on the streets, Santiago doesn’t cease to amaze us. Might not be as beautiful as Trinidad or Habana Vieja but this city seems to have a soul of its own ! Walking toward Parque Cespedes we pass by this beautiful old bookstore (Libreria “La Escalera”) which sells anything you can think of about modern and past history of Cuba; whether you’re looking for books, stamps or Che signed paper money, Eddy will surely have it. Definitely make sure to stop by ! Once at the Casa de la Trova, a jazzy-looking guy joins our group and gift us a couple of nice songs to keep us company until we reach the beautiful plaza.
Just behind the plaza is where the Boulevard passes. Similarly to Cienfuegos, the boulevard of Santiago is full of life, shops, people walking, selling, kids playing but you can tell the lifestyle of people is very different. Flower shops, pet shops, fast foods, churro sellers, all the basic mini-supers have been overtaken by these “luxury” places. What a change ! Fortunately, in small parks you still get to see the old-chaps playing dominoes on pre-revolution tables: Ol’ vs. New !
Following the boulevard to the end, you will reach the Malecón of Santiago; the area is very relaxing and apart from the touristy huge “Cuba” sign where everybody can take a nice pic, there’s plenty of little bars where to have a drink on the seaside.
Just 2km from the city center, there’s also the famous San Ifigenia Cemetery where you can go visit ghosts of the past, fighters and founders of Cuba like Jose Marti and Fidel Castro. Together with the marvelous architecture, at the cemetery, every half an hour there is the change of the guard which is quite fascinating to witness. Quick tip, if you’re planning on go there make sure you pay no more than 10CUC to get there by taxi !
Another nice spot worth a half-day visit is the Castillo Roca del Morro, located around 14km from Santiago. The military fortress was built in 1638 on top of a hill at the entrance of the Santiago Bay; this strategic location was chosen in order to be able to protect & anticipate possible pirate attacks. Before entering, we also notice that in 1997 it was declared part of the UNESCO heritage due to its great historical and architectural value. The price of the ticket is not even that much given that you can freely wander around (there’s also a museum inside) and get on the highest roof to enjoy a 360º view of the coast. Going there in late afternoon, around 4pm, its the best option if you want to avoid the day warmth of the sun and also get the best late for taking pictures.
For those enjoying night life, a Sunday evening we happened to be wandering around the area of Plaza de Marte and we heard cuban music. In the plaza, every Sunday night, there are free concerts for the people where you can play, dance, listen and enjoy. And why not ! We all (germans and us) grab a beer, sit down and start talking, laughing and even discussing in german with the friendly cubans around. Marta also receives her first “on-the-street” class of cuban dance from some guys that are dancing just next to us !Just grab a couple of beers with some friends and I’m sure you’ll have a great time like we did !
Great people, great city and great vibes, Santiago deserves a 10/10 !!
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