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Sancti Spiritus City

Maybe not as beautiful as Trinidad, but the villas in Sancti Spiritus have not lost their beauty of the past. The old center of the city was build from until 1514 where you can see the "Iglesia Parroquial Mayor del Espiritu Santo" build in 1522, and rebuild in the 17th century with the same materials because the church has been a victim of pirates several times. The church and the picturesque houses on Calle El Llano, as well the Puente Yayayo bridge are national monuments ...

Though captial of Sancti Spíritus Province, is a fairly minor city in terms of economic importance. With a population of about 100,000 , Sancti Spíritus is not a large city compared with other provincial capitals around Cuba.

Sancti Spíritus was one of the original seven Cubans cities founded by the Spanish in 1514. Its colonial origins are evident in its buildings and layout, though it's capital status has lent it a more commercial atmosphere. Historically, Sancti Spíritus has been somewhat neglected by Spanish governments as well as more recent dictatorships, and as such has been quite loyal to the various revolutions in Cuban history.

During the Revolution of 1959, Sancti Spíritus aided Che Guevara's division of the rebel army with hundreds of volunteer fighters.

Sancti Spíritus does not earn much tourist attention; for all its historic sites and attractions, it dims in comparison with the exquisitely preserved colonial city of Trinidad to the south. Tourists heading through the province generally go south, enjoying the nature and wildlife, stop in Trinidad to take it the colonial sights and sounds, and then head on south to the beaches. Sancti Spíritus is therefore relatively tourist-free.

The city is located just a few miles from Presa Zaza, the island's largest lake. Presa Zaza is a manmade lake from the dam on the river Río Zaza. Despite any images of dirty shores and oily water this may conjure up, Presa Zaza is a beautiful setting. The area around it is now a pristine wetlands, home to many species of fish and waterfowl, so much so that it is a tourist attraction for the hunting.

Reviews by travelers Sancti Spiritus

Name: Susan Quinn
Country: Canada

Sancti Spiritus

We recently went to Cuba - took the bus to a few places and stayed at B & Bs. When we were in Trinidad, we asked people about our plan to go to Sancti Spiritus and Santa Clara and they unanimously turned their noses up and said that neither one of them was worth it.
We suspected that perhaps they were immensely proud of Trinidad and/or wanted us to spend our tourist dollars in Trinidad instead of elsewhere.
Since we were getting to the end of our trip, we just took the early morning bus to Sancti Spiritus, spent the day there and then took the late afternoon bus to Santa Clara.
We really liked what we saw of Sancti Spiritus and would love to go back there to spend more time and get a better feel for the place.
We took a horse carriage from the bus station to the centre of town and did what we usually do - found a place for coffee and sat watching people go by. This is not a touristy place, so we had the pleasure of seeing people just living and doing what they do. There is a pedestrian mall, and the city itself seems relatively prosperous.
It is very walkable. We lingered around a school where the students were practicing for a concert, saw the bridge, ate lunch. Saw only a few B & Bs. Really, it's not touristy - but for my husband and myself, that is a big attraction!

Name: Prefiero no Darlo...
Country: Exilado en USA hace 50 anos

Plaza de Jesus en Sancti-Spiritus
Quiero mucho a Sancti-Spiritus y le tengo muy gratos recuerdos. Aplaudo la creacion de este website.
Aunque lo deje muy joven y sali tambien de Cuba, aun mantengo algo en la memoria. Me parece que vuestra relacion de la Plaza de Jesus con el Parque Honorato del Castillo es errada (puedo estar equivocado, por supuesto).
1. Recuerdo la Plaza e Iglesia de Jesus Nazareno, cuya Iglesia estaba convertida en un aserradero de maderas. Oi decir que la Iglesia fue posteriormente restaurada y devuelta a su funcion...me alegra mucho.
2. Pero creo que el Parque Honorato con una estatua estaba frente a la Iglesia Parroquial Mayor, no en la Plaza de Jesus. La calle entre la Iglesia Mayor y dicho parque tambien se llamaba Honorato del Castillo.

Les ruego me confirmen si mi memoria anda mal o si es real.

Author: Cristi
Country: Spain

Hi! During April 2009 I visited Cuba for the first time. I was in Sancti-Spiritus and the experince was facinating in all the senses. I met a lot of good people which made me feel really well and very welcomed. I want to make a special mention to Victor and Elena, in which I spent 2 days at their Hostal "Puente Yayabo". Although I only stayed 2 days, I miss tremendesly their kindness and execelent service. I recommend them, to all the travellers around the world. I will surely repeat again very soon. Cheers!

Author: Helga
Country: Belgium

In the heart of the city lies a quiet square with a gazebo, trees and benches where the locals come at night to socialize. The square is surrounded by neo-classical buildings. It is named after a local hero in the War for Independence.

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