Sancti Spiritus

The provincial capital of Sancti Spíritus is a lesser Trinidad—its historic center is much smaller, and it also receives a mere fraction of the visitors that flock to its more famous neighbor. (Sancti Spíritus does have twice the population of Trinidad, though.) City fathers have looked with envy at the tourism boom in nearby Trinidad and have begun to spruce up Sancti Spíritus's own offerings in recent years. It's a tranquil, traditional city, where bicycles and horse-drawn taxis make up much of the traffic and where the locals hang out in the central plaza at night. The city also has some splendid colonial architecture, much of which the government has restored and painted, including two small museums in colonial homes. It's worth a stop if you have the time.