The most exotic city of Cuba, lots of different etnic groups have settled themselves in this city.
The second biggest city, after Havana. Santiago de Cuba, a city full with history of the revolution, the fight against dictator Batista
The Capital of Santiago de Cuba Province, which has one of the first seven settlements that the Europeans founded in Cuba early in the 16th century, is one of the most pitoresque on the island.
The founding fathers made the most of its stunning settinga coastal terrace bordering and impressive purse-like bayand used the wood from the tall forest on the nearby mountain range to raise the first buildings of what would, for several years, be Cuba's first capital.

That excellent site close by the Caribbean sea, with a backdrop of mountains and terrain which determined that none of the city's street would be absolutely level is the setting of one of the most beautiful and joyous of Cuba's cities, filled with a mixture of architectural styles which run from the baroque to the neoclassical.
July is carnival time in Santiago de Cuba, and its carnivals are the most spectacular ones in the country just as it rum is the most popular.

Santiago de Cuba has many things of which to be proud. For example, it is the cradle of nearly all the music genres of Cuba, a country in which music expresses its soul and essence. However, it is the people of Santiago de Cuba who constitute is most unmistacable aspect. These joyous, proverbially hospitable people are self-willed, are capable of carrying out the greatest feats and embody great virtues.

They are proud to live in the only city in Cuba which has been officially declared to be heroic a title bestowed on it in recognation of the extraordinary contributions that its sons and daughters made to Cuba's Wars of independence.
This is why we recommend that you get to know Santiago de Cuba trough its people lives.

Explore its narrow, winding streets, that are filled with both history and music streets bordered by large windows and crowded balconies overflowing with flowers. This is a place where you have to get within touching distance and where you won't feel let down if you follow the golden rule that every minute of a vacation should have a surprise, something to admire or a goodplace to explore.

Santiago de Cuba has first-class hotels, not only in the city but also at its beaches and well-conserved natural settings.
Its hotel facilities provide a solid base for large-scale tourism, with many possibilities for developing specialized tourism of the most demanding kind.

Santiago de Cuba Hotels

Antonio Maceo International Airport, which can handle large planes used for long flights, is one of the best-equipped airports in the Caribbean, and the cruise ship terminal, on the bay, has excellent conditions for cruise ship tourism.
The provincial capital and the territory as a whole have experienced considerable socioenomic and cultural developement, which provides them with high levels of health and education.
Moreover, Santiago de Cuba city with the greatest Caribbean flavor and Cartagena, Colombia, are the only Latin American cities to have recieved the Golden Apple Award presented by the International Federation of Travel Writers and Journalists (FIJET) in recognation of their exceptionally high quality and excellent conditions as tourist destination.

The city has buildings in a wide architectual styles, and visitors are always given a warm welcome here. The water at its beaches remains at a pleasant temperature all year round, and theocean bed hosts a fascinating world of marine flora and fauna. Moreover, the scenery in the Sierra Maestra Mountains is truly Impressive. In addition to all this, Santiago de Cuba contains some places that are unique in Cuba.

Two of them are the fortress of San Pedro de la Roca del Morro and the Ruins of French coffee plantations in the mountains east of the city both of which UNESCO has declared to be a part of world cultural heritage.
Others include Troubadours' House; the Rum Museum; Santa Ifigenia Cementery where Jose Marti, Cuba's national hero, is burried and the Basilica of El Cobre Sanctuary of Our Lady of Charity, the patron saint of Cuba, whom Pope John Paul II crowned during his visit to Cuba in January 1998.

But there are other actractions too: the shady parcs, which are always filled with people; the winding roads that go up and down; streets with steps cut in them; and the museums, theatres and other cultural institutions.

You really haven't seen Santiago de Cuba if you haven't visit Tivoli, a neighborhood of French-Haitian origins where the quadrille evolved into the danzon, whose popularity then swept all over the world; the San Juan Hill Historic-Military Park, scene of the last battles in the Spanish-Cuban-American War of 1898; and the former Moncada Garrison, which the young Fidel Castro and his comrades attacked on July 26, 1953, as the first action in the Revolution that brought Cuba complete independence on January 1, 1959.

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.

Health and Life Style
This city has a large health infrastructure that embraces medical services and the most modern diagnostic and therapeutic technologies.

A modern International Clinic providing 24 hour emergency service is available togetter with day-time services in nursing, pharmacy, dentisy, clynical laboratory, x-rays, ambulance and optical surgical consulations provided in close co-operation with prestigious hospitals in the region. There is primary health care provision in all hotels, which is accompanied by pharmaceutical services in most cases.

The hotel Carrousel El Salton specializes in anti stress programs, and there are similar services in the following hotels; Club Amigo, Carisol-Los Corales, Melia Santiago de Cuba, Sierra Maestra and Brisas Sierr amar Galeones.

International Drug Disability and Alcohol Clinic, on the El Indio Estate in an incomparably beautiful natural setting with privacy ensured offers specialized treatment for combating drug addiction and alcoholism.

In addition, there are other services for improving the quality of life, complementing the benefits to be derived from the mild climate, health giving natural setting and high level of health care.

Salsa Lessons
CubanRhythm is based in Santiago, the very heart of Cuban dancing and music. Our teachers are local professionals who take pride in introducing visitors to their culture. As the organisation was set up by a Dutch woman living in Cuba, we are in the unique position of understanding what visitors to Cuba wish to get out of their holiday. Let us introduce you to the beat of Cuban life for a truly unforgettable holiday.

CubaRhythm website

• Santiago.cu
• Santiago de Cuba.com
• Frommers

• Salsa lessons in Santiago de Cuba
• Sierra Maestra.cu