SANTIAGO DE CUBA, CUBA

Leaving the harbour, we commence a tour of the most interesting sights of Cuba’s second city. We will stop in Céspedes Park, the heart of the city, where Santiago’s beautiful Cathedral overlooks the square

Leaving the harbour, we commence a tour of the most interesting sights of Cuba’s second city. We will stop in Céspedes Park, the heart of the city, where Santiago’s beautiful Cathedral overlooks the square. While there is not an organised visit inside the Cathedral we can, if there is time, walk around this impressive building. We will visit the Cigar House, Revolution Square – with its huge statue of the 19th-century revolutionary hero, Antonio Maceo – and the House of Diego Velázquez (Cuba’s Spanish conqueror), now home to the city’s Colonial Art Museum.We will see the Moncada Barracks – famous for the attack carried out by Fidel Castro and his fellow revolutionaries, in 1953 – and visit the El Morro Castle, with its stunning views over the harbour entrance. El Morro is a huge stone castle built in the 17th century; it was also used as a prison.This tour involves quite a lot of walking, some of which may be over cobbled surfaces. The walk from our bus to the castle is approximately 200 metres (650 feet) each way. As some of the walking will be around the Cathedral, museum and castle, we are likely to encounter some steps. We may be taken to a rum shop and a cigar shop, although the itinerary is subject to change.

DESCRIPTION CORRECT FOR 2007 CARIBBEAN SEASON