Tour of Santiago de Cuba

Santiago de Cuba is the capital city of Santiago de Cuba province, located in the southeastern area of Cuba, at 540 miles (869 km) of Havana. This city has long been the second most important city on the island after Havana and nowadays it still remains the second largest. It is located on a bay connected to the Caribbean Sea and is an important port.
Santiago de Cuba was founded by the Spanish soldier Diego Velazquez in 1514. From 1522 until 1589 Santiago was the capital of the Spanish colony of Cuba.
Some of the most interesting places to see on a tour of Santiago de Cuba are:
- Museo de Ambiente Historico; it was once the house of the viceroy and now displays artifacts from the history of Cuba.
- Casa Natal de Jose Maria Heredia; is birthplace of one of Cuba's greatest poets.
- Casa Natal de Antonio Maceo; birthplace of one of the heroes of the war of independence.
- Museo del Carnaval; the museum offers an overview of the great tradition of carnaval in Santiago.
- Museo Emilio Bacardi; its was one of Cuba's first museums, set up by Emilio Bacardi, and it houses a valuable collection covering the period between the Spanish conquest and the Wars of Independence.
- Museo del Ron; offers interesting information about rum and should be included into a tour of the city.
- Fortaleza del Morro; it guards the entrance to the Bahia de Santiago and is built on a rocky promontory. The fortress is about 16 km (10 miles) south of the center of Santiago along the Carretera del Morro and now the fortress houses the Museum of Piracy.
- Loma de San Juan; is the place where Teddy Roosevelt defeated the Spanish troops.
- Museo "La Isabelica"; shows some history of the French settlements from the area.
- Church of the national Virgin of Cuba.
- La Gran Piedra; is an enormous rock of volcanic origin. It is 51 meters long and 25 meters wide. It is on the top of a mountain at 1225 meters. From there the views of Sierra Maestra mountains are stunning, so a tour of Santiago should include this place too.
- Parque Bocanao; it's a World Heritage Biosphere Reserve and it's filled with attractions such as a magnificent 45-hectare (111-acre) garden - Jardin Ave de Paraiso, dating from 1860.
- Valle de la Prehistoria; it's a collection of dinosaurs bones and other prehistoric creatures.