Planning a trip to Santiago de Cuba
Visitor Information
Santiago has a new Infotur desk inside the Cubatur office, Calle Lacret 701, corner of Heredia (tel. 22/66-9401), that's open daily from 8am-5pm. There's another Infotur office at the airport (tel. 22/69-2099). Most of the major tour agencies, including Cubanacán, Calle M, corner of Avenida Las Américas (tel. 22/64-1517) and Cubatur, Calle Lacret 701, corner of Heredia (tel. 22/68-6033) have offices in the airport and at several hotels in town. They all offer guided city and area tours for CUC$36 to CUC$70, excursions to El Cobre for CUC$15, La Gran Piedra for CUC$42, Baconao for CUC$61, and Tropicana for CUC$12-CUC$37. The best value tour takes you around the city, out to Cayo Granma, El Morro, and El Cobre for CUC$54.
City Layout
The historic center of the city rolls across low hills to the east of the Bahía de Santiago. The focal point of colonial Santiago is Parque Céspedes. This historic square boasts perhaps the oldest house in the Americas. Calle Heredia, which leads east from the square, is a popular street with plenty of foot traffic, and it is lined with live music venues, colonial houses and museums, and artisans selling their crafts. South of Parque Céspedes is the charming, hilly El Tivolí district and its emblematic Padre Pico steps. Heading east of Parque Céspedes is Plaza de Dolores, an attractive and shady little square that's a popular and easygoing hangout ringed by a handful of restaurants, bars, and cafes. Plaza de Marte marks the divide between old Santiago and the newer section, leading along the long and wide avenue Victoriano Garzón out toward the nicest suburbs in Santiago and districts of several hotels and casas particulares, Reparto Sueño, Reparto Vista Alegre, and Reparto Santa Bárbara.
Old and new street names (pre- and post-Revolution) are still sometimes used interchangeably in Santiago. The most common pre-Revolution street names used in the old colonial center are: Enramada (for José Antonio Saco); San Basilio (Bartolomé Masó); San Pedro (General Lacret); Santo Tomás (Félix Peña); Marina (Aguilera); and Carnicería (Pío Rosado).
Getting There
By Plane
Direct international scheduled and charter flights arrive at the Aeropuerto Internacional Antonio Maceo (tel. 22/69-8614; airport code SCU). Airlines regularly servicing Santiago include Aerocaribbean from Santo Domingo and Cubana. Charter flights run between Miami and Santiago several times each week.
Daily flights connect Santiago with Havana via Cubana (tel. 22/65-1578 in Santiago, or 7/838-1039 in Havana; www.cubana.cu) for CUC$116. AeroCaribbean (tel. 22/68-7255 in Santiago, or 7/870-4965 in Havana) flies on Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday for CUC$115. Flights are about 2 hours.
The airport is 8km (5 miles) south of the city. There are several car-rental agencies at the airport. The quickest and safest way to the city is by registered taxi; the trip into town is CUC$6 to CUC$9.
By Bus
Víazul's (tel. 22/62-8484 in Santiago, or 7/881-1413 in Havana; www.viazul.com) Havana-Santiago de Cuba line, with stops in Santa Clara, Sancti Spíritus, Ciego de Avila, Camagüey, Bayamo, and Holguín, is the best way to get to Santiago by bus, especially if you're planning to see any points of interest between Cuba's two main cities. For the trip from Havana, buses depart at 9:30am, 3:15pm, 6:15pm, and 10pm, and arrive at 1:20am, 7:20am, 7:15am, and 12:35pm respectively; the fare is CUC$51 one-way. From Trinidad (tel. 41/99-4448), a bus leaves daily at 7:40pm and arrives at 7:05am; the fare is CUC$33 one-way. From Varadero, buses leave at 9:25pm and arrive at 12:10pm; the fare is CUC$49 one-way. (Buses depart Santiago for Havana at 9am, 3:15pm, 6:15pm, and 10pm).
Víazul also has once-daily service between Santiago and Baracoa, leaving Santiago at 7:45am and returning from Baracoa at 2:15pm. Duration is 4 hours and 50 minutes; the fare is CUC$15 one-way.
The Terminal de Omnibuses (tel. 22/62-8484) for Víazul is located on Avenida de los Libertadores at the corner of Avenida Yarayó, about 2km (1 1/4 miles) from Parque Céspedes. A taxi to downtown costs about CUC$3, but the private taxistas who mob the exit will demand up to CUC$5. Only pay CUC$3.
By Train
The Cuban ferrocarril (railway) is not dependable, and delays, midrun breakdowns, and other problems are quite common. Taking the train is a potentially adventurous experience for those who wish to see the "real Cuba," but can be frustrating for those who need to adhere to a schedule.
A special fast train, also known as the "French Train" or "Tren Francés," travels from Havana to Santiago when it can (12 hr. with stops in Santa Clara and Camagüey); check the schedule before you leave, since it varies. It offers primera especial (first-class) service for CUC$62 and segunda clase (second-class) service for CUC$50, featuring reclining seats, air-conditioning, and cafeteria services. Prices are discounted by 50% for children under 7 years old, and Ferrotur claims it will refund the fare if arrival is more than 1 hour late. Daily departure from Havana in the high season is at 6:05pm, arriving at 6:30am in Santiago.
In Santiago, the large, modern Terminal Central de Ferrocarriles is located on Avenida Jesús Menéndez at Paseo de Martí (tel. 22/62-2836), across from the Caney rum factory.
By Car
Driving to Santiago is a good way to see the breadth of the country. The six-lane, toll-free Autopista Nacional (A1) and the Carretera Central run the length of Cuba, straight down the spine of the country from Pinar del Río to Santiago. However, east from Sancti Spíritus, it is just two lanes almost the entire way to Santiago, and the going can be slow at times, since there are equal numbers of cars, trucks, horse-drawn carriages, bicycles, and pedestrians making use of the Carretera Central. Santiago is 860km (534 miles) east of Havana, 127km (79 miles) east of Bayamo, and 134km (83 miles) southeast of Holguín.
Fast Facts
Currency Exchange -- A CADECA (tel. 22/65-1383) branch is on Calle Aguilera 508. The local branch of Banco de Crédito y Comercio (tel. 22/62-3316), where you can exchange traveler's checks and get cash advances, is on Félix Peña 614. Bandec (tel. 22/62-7581), with similar services, is on Félix Peña between Aguilera and Heredia with an ATM. Both are open Monday through Friday from 8am to 3pm and Saturday 8 to 11am. An ATM is at the Banco Popular de Ahoro (tel. 22/64-2454) on Plaza Dolores; it's open Mon-Sat 8am-7pm. You can also change money at the Meliá Santiago and most other hotels in the city.
Emergency -- Dial tel. 106 for police or tel. 185 for an ambulance.
Hospitals & Medical Assistance -- Clínica Internacional, Avenida Raúl Pujol at Calle 10 in Reparto Vista Alegre (tel. 22/64-2589), has 24-hour emergency services, a dentist, and English-speaking doctors. There are pharmacies at the clinic and along Calle José Antonio Saco.
Internet Access -- The Etecsa Multiservicios Céspedes on Heredia, corner of Sto Tomás (tel. 22/62-4784) provides telephone and Internet service daily from 8:30am to 7:30pm. You can also find Internet at the Meliá Santiago and Casa Granda.
Police -- The police station is located at Corona and San Gerónimo (tel. 106). However, the probability of finding an English speaker is remote. In case of an emergency, one of the better hotels (such as the Casa Granda or Meliá Santiago) should be able to help or at least interpret for the police.
Post Office -- The main post office is on Calle Aguilera 517 at Padre Quiroga (tel. 22/65-2397); it's open Monday through Saturday from 8am to 10pm. There are basic postal facilities in all the major hotels. A DHL office can be found at Calle Aguilera 310 at the corner of San Félix (tel. 22/68-6323).
Safety -- Santiago is one of Cuba's less safe cities, if only because the local jineteros are relentless in accosting foreigners. They are, for the most part, innocuous. Still, if you're attending a street festival, concert, or Carnival, put your money in a money belt and leave your watch, jewelry, and knapsack behind (these items will be safer in your hotel or casa particular). Also, be careful and keep an eye on your bags at the Santiago bus and train stations. That said, Santiago, as with the rest of Cuba, is still relatively safe for a large city.
Telephone -- You can make local, long-distance, and international phone calls with a phone card from Etecsa (see "Internet Access").
Getting Around
By Taxi
Cubataxi (tel. 22/64-1965) and Gran Car (tel 22/62-4328) congregate near the cathedral on Parque Céspedes and at the major tourist hotels. Be sure to ask prices before hiring one, as tourist gouging is a favorite local pastime (from the Meliá Santiago to Parque Céspedes, the fare should be CUC$3; from downtown to El Morro the fare is CUC$12-CUC$15). Gran Car charges CUC$0.80 a kilometer. Cheaper taxis, both registered and unregistered, can be found parked around Plaza Marte. With the latter, negotiate a price, but understand that the driver may be uncomfortable taking you directly to the door of your hotel if he's not officially licensed to carry foreigners.
There are also bicitaxis (bicycle taxis), which are convenient and inexpensive (usually CUC$1-CUC$3), but occasionally hair-raising for many passengers.
By Car
Cubacar (tel. 22/68-6107; www.transtur.cu) has offices at the airport, opposite the Cupet gas station on Carretera Central; Hotel Casa Granda; Hotel Las Américas; Meliá Santiago; and Hotel Villa San Juan. Vía Rent a Car (tel. 22/62-4646) is inside the Cubatur office, Lacret 701, corner of Heredia. Rates are CUC$60 to CUC$80 per day for a standard four-door compact car.
By Foot
The area of greatest activity and cultural interest to many visitors in the historic center -- the few streets around Parque Céspedes -- is easy to get around on foot, though some areas, such as the Tivolí district, are extremely hilly. However, many hotels are at least a couple of kilometers from the city center, and a good number of the city's foremost attractions, such as El Morro, are beyond the city and require transportation.
