49 Best Sights in Eastern Cuba, Cuba

After a drive through the countryside west of Santiago you'll see the red-tile tower of La Basilica de Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Cobre—dedicated to Cuba's patron saint in 1926—before the turn-off to the copper mining town of El Cobre in which it is located. The story of the Virgin dates from the early 1600s, when three men in a boat first saw her floating on water during a storm; tradition holds that the Virgin saved the men from certain drowning. Records show that the statue was most likely brought from Spain on order of the then-governor of Cuba, but don't play iconoclast with the millions of faithful who take seriously the Virgin's reputed miraculous powers. (Her image has also been blended with that of Ochún, the orisha, or goddess, of love in the Santería religion.) Each September, pilgrims journey here—sometimes crawling uphill on their knees—on the Virgin's feast day (September 8) to pay homage to the image housed in a glass case high above the main altar. Her shrine is filled with gifts from the faithful, including Ernest Hemingway's 1954 Nobel Prize, which he won largely for his novel The Old Man and the Sea. The Nobel medal was stolen in 1986 but recovered. It is no longer on display, except during special occasions. A staircase at the back of the cathedral leads to the chapel containing the Virgin's wooden image. In front of the cathedral you'll find a plaque commemorating Pope John Paul II's visit here during his 1998 trip to Cuba. A taxi is the quickest way to get out here. Plan to pay CUC$30. Most area tours feature the basilica as a stop, too.

This well-kept cemetery is home to the majestic mausoleum of the great poet-patriot in the wars of independence, José Martí. The structure is true to Martí's wishes (expressed in one of his poems) that he be buried below the flag of Cuba and surrounded by roses. Marble steps lead to the tomb, above which is a domed tower. An honor guard keeps watch over Martí's tomb 24 hours a day and changes guard every 30 minutes in an eye-catching, goose-stepping ceremony. Fidel Castro also chose to be entombed here, his ashes encased inside a large rock adorned with a plaque that says simply FIDEL. Other highlights include a memorial to Cuban soldiers who have fallen in battle---many of the partisans who fought in Angola, in southern Africa, are buried here---and the tombs of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes and those who died in the Moncada Barracks attack. While admission is technically free, you may enter only in the accompaniment of a guide, for which you must pay. You'll also be charged a hefty photo fee, whether taking stills or videos. The changing-of-the-guard ceremony is impressive enough that most visitors pony up and pay the photo fee.

If you're up to the ascent, exactly 456 steps lead up to the Loma de la Cruz, a hill named for the large white cross that has graced it since 1790.

Pace yourself—you'll find landings every 50 steps or so—and bring water. The climb up can get hot.

From here you have a lovely view of Holguín and the surrounding limestone hills. There are also artisan shops and a snack bar.

If you have an interest in all things revolutionary, a visit to the Moncada Barracks is a must, because here's where it all started. On July 26, 1953, Castro and 100 men attempted to storm this former army barracks. It was carnival time in Santiago; the streets were full of revelers, and Castro had hoped that security would be lax. Unfortunately, his hopes were dashed, and the rebels were either killed or captured. Castro, who fled to the mountains, was eventually caught, tried, and imprisoned on the Isla de la Juventud off Western Cuba's southern coast. Although unsuccessful, the attack ignited the sparks of Castro's Revolution. He wrote his famous speech "La historia me absolverá" ("History will absolve me"), which was smuggled out of prison, printed, and distributed throughout the island. Although luck had not been on his side in 1953, it certainly was in 1955, when Batista granted many political prisoners their freedom. Castro left for the United States, where he began soliciting support for his 26th of July Movement (named in honor of the ill-fated barracks attack) to rid Cuba of Batista's regime. From there, he took his cause to Mexico. In 1956, just a year after being released from prison, Castro made his historic journey from Mexico to Cuba aboard the Granma.

Today the former stronghold of Batista's troops contains a grammar school and the Museo de 26 de Julio. The bullet holes surrounding the doorway to the museum are re-creations of those left after the original attack, which were quickly patched over by Batista's men. The exhibits here tell, in Spanish only, the entire story of the attack and the events that followed. They're among the nation's most comprehensive ones on revolutionary history. Take the guided tour (it's customary to tip docents CUC$1).

This ceramic-tiled terrace is all that remains of a fort once used by authorities to monitor boat traffic. It's a great place to linger while taking in views of both the city and the bay. Music shows and other events are often held here, particularly on weekend evenings.

Guardalavaca is part of the county of Banes (pronounced BAH-nays). Castro married his first wife at the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Caridad on the town's Plaza Martí. Fulgencio Batista, the dictator Castro eventually toppled, was born here in 1901. But Banes is best known for its archaeological treasures, many of which are exhibited in its Museo Indocubano.

The climb up the stone steps to this street will reward you with more than just dramatic views. It's part of the Tivoli neighborhood, where 18th-century French-colonial mansions sit side by side with 16th-century structures. Locals gather on its shady edges to gossip, play dominoes, or watch visitors like you make their ascent.

Constructed in 1516, this structure is reputed to be Cuba's oldest house, although many historians now doubt that claim. First or not, it is one of Santiago's top attractions. Diego Velázquez, the Spanish conquistador who founded the city and was the island's first governor, lived upstairs. Inside you'll find period beds, desks, chests, and other furniture. On the first floor is a gold foundry. Memorable are the star-shape Moorish carvings on the wooden windows and balconies, and the original interior patio with its well and rain-collecting tinajón vessel. An adjacent house is filled with antiques intended to convey the French and English decorative and architectural influences—such as the radial stained glass above the courtyard doors—in the late 19th-century.

The Casa Natal Calixto García contains some of the belongings of General Calixto García, a local patriot. It's worth a visit if you're an aficionado of Cuban history, and you can learn more about the Ten Years' War here.

This two-story house on the north side of Parque Céspedes is the birthplace of Céspedes himself. It has been a museum since 1968, the centennial anniversary of the signing of the Cuban Declaration of Independence, and is filled with period furniture and the belongings of the Cuban patriot. Also on display is the printing press on which Céspedes published Cuba's first independent newspaper.

This Spanish-colonial mansion was the birthplace of poet José María Heredia, who, because of his pro-independence writings, is considered Cuba's first national poet. Heredia died in 1839 at age 36 while exiled in Mexico. The house, now just a fraction of its original size, displays period furniture and some of the poet's works and belongings. The home's traditional interior patio is planted with trees and plants—including orange, myrtle, palm, and jasmine—associated with Heredia's verse. A marble plaque on the house's Calle Heredia facade excerpts one of the poet's most famous works, "Niágara" ("Ode to Niagara Falls").

The Spanish fortress known as El Morro, south of Santiago, was constructed between 1638 and 1700 and was designed by Giovanni Antonelli, the Italian architect and engineer responsible for fortresses bearing the same name in both Havana and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Dominating a bluff at the entrance to the Bahía de Santiago de Cuba, El Morro was built to ward off pirates (and rebuilt after a 1662 attack by the English pirate Henry Morgan). Inside you'll find a museum with exhibits on, appropriately enough, pirates. Signage is in Spanish only, but English-speaking guides can lead you around. (Tip them, of course.) There are wonderful views from interior rooms, which have wooden floors and stone walls, as well as from various terraces. From the lowest terrace, the view of the fortress itself, formed from the sheer face of the bluff, is powerful. The way into the structure takes you down and then back up a 207-step staircase; a drawbridge over a moat leads to the entrance. You'll find little shade here; sunscreen and a brimmed hat are musts. Midday gets unbearably hot.

Visit early in the morning or late afternoon if your schedule permits.

An impressive flag-lowering, cannon-firing ceremony winds up the day, and that makes a good case for a late-afternoon visit.

The twin towers and central dome of Santiago's Neoclassical cathedral loom over the southern edge of Parque Céspedes. Because this area is atop a hill, the cathedral's profile is visible from afar and creates a recognizable silhouette. Although it was first built on this site in 1523, the current building dates primarily from 1922. Inside, the painted ceiling has been beautifully restored, and there are several noteworthy works of religious art, including a sculpture of Cuba's patron saint, La Virgen de la Caridad. A two-room museum near the east entrance displays objects relating to the history of the Catholic Church in Cuba.

The Parque Independencia is home to the Baracoa's cathedral, built in 1833. The church is best known for preserving the Cruz de la Parra that Columbus supposedly used when he came ashore in 1492 to claim Cuba for Spain and Christianity. Indeed, carbon dating has confirmed that the cross was fashioned in the late 1400s and is old enough to have been brought by the explorer. One pesky detail pokes holes in the story, though: the cross is made of hardwoods native to the island and could not have been brought here by Columbus. No matter. It can be stated with certainty that this is one of oldest crosses (perhaps the oldest) in the New World. For years, parishioners were permitted to carve slivers of wood from the cross to keep as relics. That practice is no longer permitted.

This fortress, which now houses the Hotel El Castillo, dominates a hill overlooking Baracoa. Although construction on it started in 1739, the fort wasn't finished until nearly 200 years later. Even if you don't stay here, stop by for the views of El Yunque and the city.

Cuba's oldest rum distillery, the former Bacardí family enterprise, now makes the Caney, Santiago, and Varadero brand rums. The on-site shop—which has a bar, live music, and free samples—is the central attraction. Unfortunately, there are no factory tours.

You can get a taste of country life at this replica of a typical Cuban plantation. A tour takes you past mango and coconut trees as well as coffee and cocoa crops. You'll also visit a typical bohío, or peasant's hut, where staff members actually live. A rustic restaurant serves a good comida criolla lunch for about CUC$10 per person.

Baracoa's third fortress, Fuerte de la Punta, was built in 1803 on a spit of land over the entrance to the bay. The fortress now contains the Restaurante La Punta.

One of Baracoa's three fortresses, Fuerte Matachín, was completed in 1802. Today it houses the Museo Histórico Matachín, whose displays discuss the city's history, including its Taíno roots. There are examples of Taíno pottery, sculpture, and other artifacts; exhibits on famous citizens; and displays explaining the community's role in the wars for independence and the Revolution.

In the sugar country outside Manzanillo this farm is where poet, patriot, and cane farmer Carlos Manuel de Céspedes freed his slaves and called for rebellion against Spain. There's a large monument at the entrance to the estate, and you can see the bell used by Céspedes to summon his slaves to freedom. The Museo Histórico La Demajagua, in Céspedes's former home, displays documents, photos, and other artifacts.

Made famous by Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders, San Juan Hill marks the sight of the decisive July 1, 1898 battle in the Spanish-American War. (The conflict is known here as the Guerra hispano-cubano-norteamericana, or Spanish-Cuban-American War.) Today it's a park, in the Reparto San Juan neighborhood, covered by monuments left by U.S. and Cuban militaries, dedicated to the battle fought here during the Spanish-American War. It's a lovely spot, with amusements for small children in the Parque de Diversiones—identifiable by its large Ferris wheel—at the base of the hill.

To reach the Monumento Celia, a monument to revolutionary hero Celia Sánchez, a longtime confidante of Fidel Castro, you climb a beautiful staircase lined with Moorish-style residences.

This museum, a Moorish-style structure with beautiful ceramic tile work, contains a decent natural-history collection with preserved specimens of 11 Cuban ecosystems. Be sure to check out the Polymita snail-shell collection from Baracoa.

Every Cuban city of any size has a museum dedicated to the Revolution. To be frank, most begin to blur together after awhile. This so-called Museum of the Clandestine Struggle is one of the country's better such facilities. It is housed in a 19th-century building that was once the city's police headquarters. It was attacked and burned by Frank País and a band of rebels on November 30, 1958. Displays in this now-restored structure give you a complete overview of the struggle, and the architecture and bay views are as compelling as the exhibits.

The spirit of one of the Caribbean's most vibrant street parties, Santiago's annual July carnival, is recalled in photos and newspaper clippings, floats, costumes, and musical instruments. To be honest, the artifacts here are rather ho-hum and do not justify the added camera fee on top of the admission price.

Late afternoons here give a better sense of what carnival is like; stop by at 4 pm Tuesday through Saturday for a performance by music and dance troupes.

The short spectacle of colorful costume, Afro-Cuban rhythms, and stirring song might justify the photo fee and might have you planning your next trip to coincide with the main event. The performers are always grateful for tips.

Exhibits here take you through the rum-making process. You'll also find displays of antique rum paraphernalia and bottles, as well as exhibits documenting the history of the former Bacardí factory. The Bacardís, one of Santiago's oldest families, initially supported Castro's revolutionary goals but left Cuba for Puerto Rico when their installations were nationalized. In the same building (but accessible only through an entrance around the corner) is the Taberna del Ron, which sells rum products and gifts.

The museum, in the former Casino Español at the plaza's northern end, contains an exhibit of pre-Columbian artifacts as well as displays on the Revolution and the province's role in it. Locally, the redbrick building is known as La Periquera ("the Parrot Cage"), because brightly dressed Spanish officers peered through its barred windows while the city was under siege by General García's troops in 1868.

The museum has displays on local history and popular culture. One exhibit is dedicated to Taty Labernia, who was so famous for her renditions of boleros (traditional Cuban songs descended from troubadour ballads) that she was known as "La Reina del Bolero" (The Queen of the Bolero).

The museum has one of Cuba's largest collections of such indigenous artifacts (20,000 of them) as pottery, jewelry, and tools. There are also murals depicting indigenous life.

This eclectic museum is housed in the birthplace of composer and violinist Manuel Muñoz Cedeño (1813–95). There are exhibits on the region's colonial history and its geography.