222 Best Sights in Cuba

This once-elegant, arched bridge over the Yumurí Estuary used to set a Parisian, Seine-like scene. Built in 1878, with two imposing carved columns at each end, it connected the barrio of Versalles, named for resident wealthy French coffee planters, and the city. Although it's currently in sad shape, it's still one of the most striking pieces of Matanzas architecture. The Cuban government used to give replicas of the columns as official gifts to visiting dignitaries.

With no fewer than 56 dive sites—with such evocative names as Tunnel of Love—the waters around Punta Francès are truly a diver's paradise, with underwater caves, varied fauna and sunken ships to explore. Legends of sunken treasure and Spanish galleons add romance, but divers are more likely to explore a modern ship that was sunk after being used for target practice.

Probably named for a West African Yoruba deity, this seafarers' and fishermen's enclave retains a rough vitality. Originally a camp for black slaves—especially of the Ibibio, Bantu, and Yoruba tribes—Regla's Afro-Cuban roots are strong.

The waterfront Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Regla, the first stop as you leave the ferry, was built in 1810. It's famous as the home of La Virgen de Regla (The Black Virgin of Regla), a black Madonna who cradles a white infant. Identified with Yemayá, the Yoruban orisha of the sea, the Virgin is the patron saint of motherhood and of sailors. On September 8 both Catholic and Santería celebrations honor her. There's a procession through the streets to the wailing of dirge music. The faithful also fill the church—dressed in their finest and wearing something blue, the color of the sea and of Yemayá—waiting their turn to touch the virgin or their favorite icons and crucifixes in side chapels. At the water's edge, women standing ankle-deep in the harbor's oily waters sing or pray to Yemayá, sometimes tossing in a coin or launching offerings of flowers, oranges, or melons. A branch of the Museo Municipal de Regla, just to the right of the church, has a display of Afro-Cuban orishas. There's also a shrine to Yemayá in the entryway of a private house, two doors up at No. 15.

This elegant neighborhood of mansions is a place of historical splendor. French-inspired plantation homes, stately Spanish-colonial mansions, even Art Deco gems are beautifully decaying amid riotous vegetation under the clear Caribbean sun. Chevy Bel Airs and Cadillacs from the late 1950s roll down the wide, quiet streets where time seems to have frozen four decades ago, just before the Revolution. The district, framed in bougainvillea and hibiscus, resembles Havana's Vedado and older residential neighborhoods in Miami.

Right outside the east end of town you'll cross the Río Miel. Legend has it that after swimming in these waters you'll fall in love in Baracoa and stay here forever.

On the northwest corner of Parque Vidal stands Santa Clara's principal theater, simple and linear on the outside, ornate and frescoed on the inside. The structure dates from 1885—tenor Enrico Caruso was among the early luminaries who performed here—and underwent a thorough restoration in 2009. Caridad means "charity" in Spanish, and proceeds in those early days went to fund projects for the poor. On the opposite side of the park is a statue of Marta Abreu, a 19th-century philanthropist who financed the theater's construction.

On the Plaza de la Vigia, the massive, white Teatro Sauto is one of Cuba's finest and best-preserved Neoclassical structures. Also known as the Teatro Antillano, or Theater of the Antilles, it was built in 1863 at the peak of the city's prosperity. The theater is currently undergoing a major restoration and is closed indefinitely, but you can't miss seeing this landmark building.

The city's principal theater was built in 1889 and named for Venezuelan millionaire Tomás Terry (1808–86) whose fortune funded its construction. If you can't come for a concert or dance performance, you can admire the painted ceilings, statues, and carved hardwoods for a small fee. The small café off the lobby is a perfect place to grab a bite on a hot afternoon.

On the north side of Santa Clara, just across the Río Cubanicay, is the armored military train that was carrying soldiers and weapons that was derailed by Che Guevara and a group of rebels on the morning of December 28, 1958—a decisive moment in the Cuban Revolution. Guevara's troops went on to take the city, cutting Havana off from the eastern half of the country, which prompted dictator Fulgencio Batista's flight from Cuba and Castro's victory—all in a matter of days. Several train cars, some containing displays, lie in the grass next to the tracks in memory of that battle; the bulldozer used to destroy the tracks stands on a nearby cement slab.

Occupying what was once the Casa Juan Gelats, one of Vedado's finest early 20th-century mansions, the National Union of Writers and Artists is the site of cinematic events, lectures, and prose and poetry readings, as well as musical performances. On Wednesday evenings (5–8 pm) you can see trova or Afro-Cuban performances, while Saturday (9 pm) is the night of boleros. Have a seat at the bar with a Cuba Libre, and you are likely to end up chatting with some of the creative types that appear here. Writers, filmmakers, artists gather here, as their union offices are in the building. The building across Calle H from this one is an important UNEAC annex.

The coast southeast of Cienfuegos has several nice beaches, the nearest of which is the public Playa Rancho Luna, a pale crescent flanked by rocky points 18 km (11 miles) southeast of town. All go by the name "Rancho Luna." It has various hotels, the largest of which is the Club Amigo Rancho Luna. An extensive coral reef wraps around the point directly to the west—you can rent snorkeling equipment at the Faro Luna Diving Center there. A smaller beach, also called Rancho Luna, lies just around the point to the east. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; showers; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; sunset; swimming; walking.