Museo de Ambiente Histórico.

Casa Velázquez

Felix Peña 612

corner of Calle Aguilera and Calle Felix Peña on the Parque Cespedes

Open daily between 9am-1pm and 2-5pm

Tel.: 22/65-2652

Once the house of the viceroy. Now showing artifacts from the history of Cuba.

Casa Natal de José María Heredia.

Calle Heredia No. 260 e/ Pío Rosado y Hartman.

Birthplace of one of Cuba's greatest poets.

Casa Natal de Antonio Maceo.

Calle Los Maceo No. 207 e/ Corona y Morúa Delgado
Tel.: 22/62-3750
Birth place of one of the heroes of the war of independence.

Casa Natal de Frank País Garcia.

Calle General Banderas No. 226 e/ Habana y Maceo

Birth place of one of the heroes of the urban guerilla.

 

Museo del Carnaval.

Heredia 303

On the corner of Pío Rosado

Open: Tues-Sat 9am-8pm; Sun 9am-5pm

Tel.: 22/62-6955

The museum aims to give an overview of the great tradition of carnaval in Santiago.

Museo Emilio Bacardí.

Pío Rosado y Aguilera
Open: 3pm-8pm Mon; 9am-9pm Tue-Sat; 9am-4pm Sun

This was one of Cuba's first museums, set up by Emilio Bacardí, and built by architect Carlos Segrera. It houses  a valuable collection covering the period between the Spanish conquest and the Wars of Independence (from Spain).

 

Museo del Ron.

On the corner of Calle Hartmann (San Félix) and Calle Castillo Duany (Santa Lucía)

All about the great beverage.

La Moncada.

(Ciudad Escolar 26 de Julio)

Calle Trinidad at the corner of Moncada

Open Mon-Sun 9am-9pm; Tues-Sat 10am-10pm; Sun 9am-1pm

Tel.: 22/62-0157

The yellow barracks of the Spanish army attacked by Fidel. The ochre-colored exterior is marked with carefully re-opened bullet holes, a reminder of the July day in 1953 when Fidel Castro and a band of ragtag rebels launched an assault on the barracks. You can see the rebels' weapons, bloodstained uniforms, photographs, letters, and other documents.

Museo Granjita Siboney.

Carretera de Siboney km. 13 ½

It was the place of gathering for attack the Moncada Garrison. It now shows memorabilia of the attack.

Museo de la Clandestinidad.

(Museum of the Underground Struggle)

General Rabí 1 between Santa Rita and San Carlos

(tel. 22/62-4689)

located in a 18th-century mansion on a hill, Loma del Intendente.

Memorabilia of the revolution.

Fortaleza del Morro.

Bahia de Santiago

Open daily between 9am-8pm

Tel.: 22/69-1569

Guarding the entrance to the Bahía de Santiago built  on op a of a rocky promontory. It was engineered in 1638 by an Italian architect. The fortress is about 16km (10 miles) south of the center of Santiago along the Carretera del Morro.

The fortress now houses the Museum of Piracy.

Cementerio Santa Ifigenia.

Calzada Crombet

Open daily between 7am-6pm

22/63-2723

This large cemetery, dating to 1868, is a small city of the dead, populated by elaborate marble tombs  including several spectacular mausoleums. One of these belong to José Marti.

Loma de San Juan.
Reparto Santa Bárbara, corner of Av. de Raúl Pujol and Carretera de Siboney Km 1.5 (next to the Hotel Horizontes San Juan)

The place where Teddy Roosevelt and hisRough Riders stormed the hill and defeated the Spanish troops.

 

Museo "La Isabelica"

Carretera de la Gran Piedra km. 14

Shows some history of the French settlements in the area. The museum exhibits farming implements and archeological objects.

 

Other places of interest:

 

Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Caridad

(Sanctuary of the Caridad del Cobre)
Carretera al Cobre

Church of the national Virgin of Cuba.

The walls of the church are laden with gifts from people that were healed or asked for the Virgin's blessing.

 

La Gran Piedra.

Carretera de la Gran Piedra km. 14
Enormous rock of volcanic origin. It is 51 meters long and 25 meters wide, with an approximate weight of 63 000 tons. It is on the top of a mountain at 1 225 meters. The views of the Sierra Maestra are stunning.

 

Parque Baconao.

A World Heritage Biosphere Reserve and it is filled with attractions other than wildlife refuges and coffee plantations.

There is an old car museum and a magnificent 45-hectare (111-acre) garden, the Jardin Ave de Paraiso, dating from 1860. The natural park has places of great beauty.

 

Valle de la Prehistoria.

A bit tacky collection of dozens of life-size model dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures.

Nice for children.