6 Best Sights in Sancti Spiritus, Central Cuba

The Neoclassical Biblioteca, on Plaza Serafín Sánchez's southwest corner, is the most conspicuous edifice. Built in 1929 by the city's wealthiest citizens as an exclusive club, it became a public library following the Revolution, and was meticulously restored in 1998. On the second floor in the former ballroom, students now read beneath painted columns and crystal chandeliers. Be sure to check out the view from the balcony.

Down the hill behind the church is Calle El Llano, a steep, cobbled street lined with some of the city's oldest houses, most of which are private homes. At the bottom of the hill stands the Quinta Santa Elena, a former farmhouse that dates from 1719. It's now a restaurant, and its shaded front terrace has the best view of the 19th-century stone bridge that spans the Río Yayabo.

For several blocks south of the Plaza Serafín Sánchez, Calle Independencia is a pedestrian mall lined with an array of shops, a couple of banks, and the main post office. The mall ends in front of the 19th-century Colonia Español building, to the west of which is Sancti Spíritus's ancient church, the Iglesia Parroquial Mayor del Espíritu Santo.

Built in 1680, the starkly beautiful Iglesia Parroquial Mayor del Espíritu Santo is one of Cuba's oldest and best-preserved churches. Its massive bell tower is visible from much of Sancti Spíritus, and though its interior is sparsely decorated—a carved wooden ceiling and a blue-and-gold wooden arch framing a simple altar—it's extremely well preserved.

The meticulously restored mansion that now houses the Museum of Colonial Art was long the property of the Valle Iznaga family, who owned sugar plantations, processing plants, a railroad, and a port, among other things. Dating from 1744, it's furnished with antiques from several centuries, most of which belonged to the Valle Iznagas, so the house appears much as it might have for a party a century ago—the music room is full of instruments, the dining room is set for a banquet, and the kitchen is ready for the cooking to begin.

The heart of Sancti Spíritus is the Plaza Serafín Sánchez, a shady central park, roughly triangular in shape, and surrounded by an eclectic mix of 18th- and 19th-century architecture, including the town library and a museum with displays on the province's history. The park comes into its own as the sun goes down on the torrid afternoon and locals come out to chat and mingle.