Varadero to Matanzas
The 40-minute drive along the wide, smooth 36km sweep of the Vía Blanca Hwy, heading between the cities of Matanzas and Varadero, passes many of northern Matanzas' most magnificent sights: subterranean swimming holes, superb snorkeling and boat trips on hidden rivers. You could spend the best part of a day lingering for aquatic diversions at the Río Canímar and Playa Coral, and there's a full-on cabaret in the evenings.
1Sights & Activities
Parque Turístico Río CanímarRIVER
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Boat trips on the Río Canímar, 8km east of Matanzas, are a truly magical experience. Gnarly mangroves dip their jungle-like branches into the ebbing water and a warm haze caresses the regal palm trees as your boat slides 12km upstream from the Vía Blanca bridge to a riverside ranchón called 'La Arboleda,' where you can have lunch and go horse-riding.
Four-person self-drive motor boats (first hour CUC$35, each additional hour CUC$10), or kayaks (first hour CUC$10, each additional hour CUC$5) can be rented to get upstream. The rental point is on the east side of the river by the Vía Blanca bridge. It takes roughly 25 minutes to reach La Arboleda with a motor boat.
Most Varadero hotels have tour agencies offering this trip (look for the Río Canímar 'Back to Nature' tour).
Playa CoralBEACH
( GOOGLE MAP )
Your closest bet for shore snorkeling in the Varadero area is Playa Coral, on the old coastal road (about 3km off the Vía Blanca) halfway between Matanzas and Varadero. You can snorkel solo from the beach, but it's far better (and safer) to enter from the Flora y Fauna Reserve (8am to 5pm), 400m east of the beach. Professional Ecotur provide guides to take you out to the reef 150m off-shore (one hour CUC$10).
There are a reported 300 species of fish here and visibility is a decent 15m to 20m. Diving is on offer, too (immersion CUC$35).
The flora and fauna reserve also incorporates the Laguna de Maya (
GOOGLE MAP
; 
pc) 2km inland from Playa Coral. A package including all the activities is offered for CUC$25 and can be organized through most Varadero hotels or the Barracuda Scuba Diving Center. Most of the coast hereabouts is a gray-white coral shelf, but there are beaches just west of Playa Coral.
Cuevas de BellamarCAVE
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GOOGLE MAP
; 
%45-25-35-38, 45-26-16-83; admission CUC$10, camera CUC$5; 
h9am-5pm; pc)
Cuba's oldest tourist attraction, according to local propaganda, lies 5km southeast of Matanzas and is 300,000 years old. There are 2500m of caves here, discovered in 1861 by a Chinese workman in the employ of Don Manuel Santos Parga. The entrance is through a small museum, and a 45-minute Cuevas de Bellamar visit leaves almost hourly starting at 9:30am. The caves on show include a vast 12m stalagmite and an underground stream; cave walls glitter eerily with crystals.
Well-maintained, well-lit paths mean it's easy for kids to imbibe the stupendous geology, too. Outside the Cuevas de Bellamar are two restaurants and a playground.
To get there, take bus 12 from Matanzas' Plaza Libertad ( GOOGLE MAP ).
Cueva de SaturnoCAVE
(
GOOGLE MAP
; %45-25-38-33, 45-25-32-72; incl snorkel gear CUC$5; h8am-6pm)
One kilometer south of the Vía Blanca by the side of the road to Varadero's International airport, is the freshwater Cueva de Saturno, a highly popular (read: crowded) subterranean cave with a pool billed as a snorkeling and/or swimming spot. The water's about 20°C and the maximum depth is 22m, though there are shallower parts. There's a snack bar and equipment rental post on-site.
Castillo del MorrilloCASTLE, MUSEUM
(
GOOGLE MAP
; CUC$1; h9am-5pm Tue-Sun)
On the western side of the Río Canímar bridge, 8km east of Matanzas, a road runs 1km down to a cove presided over by the four guns of this yellow-painted castle (1720). The castle is now a museum dedicated to the student leader Antonio Guiteras Holmes (1906–35), who founded the revolutionary group Joven Cuba (Young Cuba) in 1934.
After serving briefly in the post-Machado government, Guiteras was forced out by army chief Fulgencio Batista and shot on May 8, 1935. A bronze bust marks the spot where he was executed.
4Sleeping
Hotel CanimaoHOTEL$$
(
GOOGLE MAP
; %45-26-10-14; Carretera Matanzas-Varadero Km 5; r incl breakfast CUC$45-65; p
a
s)
Perched above the Río Canímar 8km east of Matanzas, the Canimao has 160 rooms with little balconies that look like they were last updated during the Cold War – by Soviet interior designers. It's handy for Río Canímar excursions, the Cuevas de Bellamar or to visit the Tropicana Matanzas, but otherwise you're isolated here. There's a 'meh' restaurant.
3Entertainment
Tropicana MatanzasCABARET
(
GOOGLE MAP
; %45-26-53-80; Carretera Matanzas-Varadero Km 5; CUC$35; h10pm-2am Tue-Sat)
Capitalizing on its success in Havana and Santiago de Cuba, the famous Tropicana cabaret has a branch 8km east of Matanzas, next to the Hotel Canimao. You can mingle with the Varadero bus crowds and enjoy the same entertaining formula of lights, feathers, flesh and frivolity in the open air.
Matanzas
Pop 152,408
Matanzas is like a sunken galleon left at the bottom of the ocean. Most casual visitors to Cuba sail right over the top of it (usually on a tour bus to Varadero), but, a few curious adventurers dive down and discover that this ostensibly scruffy city is still full of priceless treasure. Go back a few generations and Matanzas was a very different place. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the city developed a gigantic literary and musical heritage, and was regularly touted as the ‘Athens of Cuba.' Two pivotal Cuban musical forms, danzón and rumba, were hatched here, along with various religions of African origin. Matanzas also hosts one of Cuba’s finest theaters, and was the birthplace of some of its most eloquent poets and writers. Despite the contemporary aura of decay, the cultural riches haven’t disappeared. You just need patience, imagination and a Sherlock Holmes hat to disentangle them.
Matanzas
1Top Sights
1Sights
4Sleeping
5Eating
3Entertainment
7Shopping
1Sights
oTaller-Galería LoloGALLERY
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %45-26-08-54; Calle 97, cnr Calle 288)
Imagine. You're tramping through Matanzas' tatty streets wondering whether the 'Athens of Cuba' moniker is just a local joke when you stumble upon this busy artist's collective down by the river, guarded by epic surreal sculptures seemingly made out of bits of a salvaged ship. Inside you plunge, for plenty more artistic apparitions from the cutting edge of Matanzas' cultural custodians.
Within minutes, you'll be emailing your amigos back home to tell them about Lolo, a not-to-be-missed art gallery-workshop intent on putting Matanzas back where it should be – alongside Havana on the cultural map.
oIglesia de MonserrateCHURCH
(
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; Calle 306; 
g26)
For a mappable view of mildewed Matanzas on one side and the broccoli green Valle de Yumurí on the other, climb 1.5km northeast of the center up Calle 306 to this renovated church dating from 1875. The lofty bastion perched high above the city was built by colonists from Catalonia in Spain, as a symbol of their regional power.
The lookout near here has a couple of ranchón-style restaurants good for skull-splitting music and basic refreshments. Come in the early morning, however, and the views offer a whole new perspective on this deceptively beautiful city.
Plaza de la VigíaSQUARE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP )
The original Plaza de Armas still remains as Plaza de la Vigía (literally 'lookout place'), a reference to the threat from piracy and smuggling that Matanzas' first settlers faced. This diminutive square was where Matanzas was founded in the late 17th century and numerous iconic historical buildings still stand guard.
Teatro SautoTHEATER
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %45-24-27-21; Plaza de la Vigía)
The defining symbol of the city according to Mexican painter (and admirer) Diego Rivera, the Teatro Sauto (1863) on Plaza de la Vigía's south side is one of Cuba's finest theaters and famous for its superb acoustics. The lobby is graced by marble Greek goddesses and the ceiling in the main hall bears paintings of the muses.
Three balconies enclose this 775-seat theater, which features a floor that can be raised to convert the auditorium into a ballroom. The original theater curtain is a painting of Matanzas' very own Puente de la Concordia, and notables like Soviet dancer Anna Pavlova have performed here. The theater will reopen, after a long restoration, in 2017.
Castillo de San SeverinoFORT
(
GOOGLE MAP
; Av del Muelle; CUC$2; h10am-7pm Tue-Sat, 9am-noon Sun)
Northeast of Versalles lies this formidable bastion, built by the Spanish in 1735 as part of Cuba's defensive ring. It was tested early on by the British; during their 1762 invasion, they mercilessly bombarded it. Rebuilt in the 1770s, it became an offloading point for slaves. Later, Cuban patriots were imprisoned within the walls – and sometimes executed. San Severino remained a prison until the 1970s and in more recent times has become the modest slavery-themed Museo de la Ruta de los Esclavos.
The castle itself has great views of the Bahía de Matanzas, but could offer a lot more to inspire curious visitors.
Catedral de San Carlos BorromeoCHURCH
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MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Calle 282, btwn Calle 83 & Calle 85; h8am-noon & 3-5pm Mon-Sat, 9am-noon Sun)
Standing back from the disorganized melee of Calle 83 behind shady Plaza de la Iglesia is Matanzas' main church, a neoclassical structure with two unequal towers founded in 1693 (although the existing building dates from the 1730s). Despite being made a cathedral in 1912, the church suffered terribly from years of neglect in the 20th century. It reopened in 2016 after eight years of renovation. The interior is relatively plain, but handsome all the same, and has once again become a hub of local life.
Museo FarmaceúticoMUSEUM
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MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Calle 83 No 4951; CUC$3; h10am-5pm Mon-Sat, to 4pm Sun)
Museo Farmaceútico, on the park's south side, is one of Matanzas' showcase sights. Founded in 1882 by the Triolett family, the antique pharmacy was the first of its type in Latin America and still looks much as it did in the 1880s. The fine displays include all the bottles, instruments and suchlike used in the trade. The included guided tour will explain the rest.
Puente Calixto GarcíaBRIDGE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP )
If you've only got time to see one bridge (there are 21 in total) in Cuba's celebrated 'city of bridges,' gravitate toward this impressive steel structure built in 1899, spanning the Río San Juan with its kayaks floating lazily by. Just south is an eye-catching Che Mural ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ) while the northern side leads directly into Plaza de la Vigía.
Museo Histórico ProvincialMUSEUM
(
MAP
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; cnr Calles 83 & 272; CUC$2; h9am-5pm Tue-Sun)
Also known as Palacio del Junco (1840), this double-arched edifice on the Plaza de la Vigía showcases the full sweep of Matanzas' history from pirate incursions to the cruel reign of slavery. There's a huge statue of unpopular Spanish king Ferdinand VII on a side patio, made in Italy in the 1830s.
Parque LibertadSQUARE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP )
A few blocks directly west of Plaza de la Vigía is Parque Libertad with several of Matanzas' most stimulating sights, including a 'liberty' statue depicting an open-armed woman, her wrists bearing broken chains, and a bronze statue (1909) of José Martí.
Iglesia de San Pedro ApóstolCHURCH
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Calles 57 & 270, Versalles)
Dominating the scruffy Versalles neighborhood is this fine neoclassical church that was recently refurbished inside and out. The interior is bright with cream-colored arches but little ornamentation.
ABAKUá
A secret all-male society, a language understood only by initiates, a close-knit network of masonic-like lodges, and the symbolic use of the African leopard to denote power: the mysterious rites of Abakuá read like a Cuban Da Vinci Code.
In a country not short on foggy religious practices, Abakuá is perhaps the least understood. It's a complicated mixture of initiations, dances, chants and ceremonial drumming that testifies to the remarkable survival of African culture in Cuba since the slave era.
Not to be confused with Santería or other syncretized African religions, Abakuá’s traditions were brought to Cuba by enslaved Efik people from the Calabar region of southeastern Nigeria in the 18th and 19th centuries. With practitioners organizing themselves into ‘lodges’ or juegos, the first of which was formed in the Havana suburb of Regla in 1836, Abakuá acted as a kind of African mutual aid society, originally made up primarily of black dock workers whose main goal was to help buy their tribal brethren out of slavery.
In the early days, Abakuá lodges were necessarily anti-slavery and anti-colonialist and were suppressed by the Spanish. Nonetheless, by the 1860s, the lodges were increasingly admitting white members and finding that their strength lay in their secretiveness and invisibility.
Today, there are thought to be over 100 Abakuá lodges in Cuba, some up to 600-strong, based primarily in Havana, Matanzas and Cárdenas (the practice never penetrated central or eastern Cuba). Initiates are known as ñáñigos and their intensely secret ceremonies take place in a temple known as a famba. Although detailed information about the brotherhood is scant, Abakuá is well-known to the outside world for its masked dancers called Ireme (devils) who showcase their skills in various annual carnivals and were instrumental in the development of the guaguancó style of rumba. Cuba’s great abstract artist, Wilfredo Lam, used Abakuá masks in his paintings, and composer, Amadeo Roldán, incorporated its rhythms into classical music.
While there is a strong spiritual and religious element to the brotherhood (forest deities and the leopard symbol are important), it differs from the more widespread Santería religion in that it is does not hide its deities behind Catholic saints. Cuban anthropologist, Fernando Ortíz Fernández, once referred to Abakuá societies as a form of ‘African masonry’ while other researchers have suggested it acts like a separate state within a nation with its owns laws and language. The casual Cuban word ‘asere’ (meaning ‘mate’) is actually derived from the Abakuá term for ‘ritual brother.'
zFestivals & Events
Festival del Bailador Rumbero During the 10 days following October 10, Matanzas rediscovers its rumba roots at this festival, currently held in a small park outside Museo Histórico Provincial, while the Teatro Sauto is being restored. The festival coincides with the anniversary of the city's founding (October 12), a multiday party which includes celebrations of luminaries who have made the city what it is (or was).
4Sleeping
oHostal AzulCASA PARTICULAR$
(
MAP
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; %45-24-24-49; hostalazul.cu@gmail.com; Calle 83 No 29012, btwn Calle 290 & Calle 292; r CUC$25-30; a)
With a front door large enough to ride an elephant through, this handsome blue house dating from the 1890s has original tiled floors, an antique wooden spiral staircase and four castle-sized rooms set around a spacious alfresco patio.
Even better, multilingual owner, Joel, is a true gent and happy to offer his sturdy 1984 Lada for taxi duty. And best? Possibly the spacious period bar with its soaring wooden ceiling (10am to 10pm), with live music in the evenings, making this one extremely atmospheric address.
Villa SoñadaCASA PARTICULAR$
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; %45-24-27-61; mandy_rent_habitaciones@yahoo.com; Calle 290 No 6701, cnr Santa Isabel; r CUC$25-30; a)
The 'villa of dreams,' set four blocks north of Matanzas' main square, has an attractive facade topped by a huge terrace guarded by sculpted lions. The rooms are modern with glass bricks, lots of space (one has two levels), mini-bars and super-slick bathrooms. Inside and out, there are plenty of nooks to relax and the breakfasts and dinners (at extra cost) are fabulous and plentiful.
Hostal RíoCASA PARTICULAR$
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; %45-24-30-41; hostalrio.cu@gmail.com; Calle 91 No 29018, btwn Calle 290 & Calle 292; r CUC$25-30; a)
This house is owned by the parents of Joel, star of nearby Hostal Azul; the overriding color here is amarillo (yellow) rather than azul (blue). There are two comfortable rooms with high ceilings in colonial digs. Meals are served at Hostal Azul two blocks away.
Evelio & IselCASA PARTICULAR$
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; %45-24-30-90; evelioisel@yahoo.es; Calle 79 No 28201, btwn Calle 282 & Calle 288; r CUC$20-25; pa)
Rooms at this 2nd-floor apartment have TV, security boxes, balconies and underground parking. Congenial owner Evelio is a font of knowledge about the Matanzas music scene.
Hostal AlmaCASA PARTICULAR$
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; %45-29-08-57; hostalalma63@gmail.com; Calle 83 No 29008, btwn Calle 290 & Calle 292; r CUC$25-30; a)
A house with mucha alma (a lot of soul), Mayra’s place has Seville-invoking azulejos (tiles), relaxing rocking chairs, and rainbow vitrales (stained-glass windows) that refract colored light across the tiled floors. You can enjoy a welcome cocktail on one of its two colossal terraces while surveying Matanzas' semi-ruined rooftops. There are three spiffy rooms.
Hotel VelazcoHOTEL$$
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; %45-25-38-80; Calle 79, btwn Calle 290 & Calle 288; s/d CUC$85/128; a
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W)
This lovely period hotel harks back to the early years of the Cuban Republic – the original 1902 fin-de-siècle style blends seamlessly with the horses, carts and antediluvian autos in the square outside. A beautiful mahogany bar lures you in; 17 elegant rooms (with flat-screen TVs and wi-fi) practically force you to stay.
5Eating
oEl ChiquirrínINTERNATIONAL$
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; %45-24-38-77; Calle Laborde No 27013; mains CUC$2.50-6.50; h12:30pm-11pm Tue-Sun)
A pianist plays romantically on a baby grand, chefs work artistically behind a glass partition in the kitchen, and a waiter carves Chateaubriand at your table. New York? Paris? No, the former culinary wasteland of Matanzas. A testament to how things are changing in Cuba is this charming new restaurant facing the bay in the city's Versalles quarter.
Starched table cloths play host to well-executed Cuban food backed up by pizza and pasta and – like all good restaurants – they'll bring you a complementary snack while you wait.
Amelias del MarCUBAN, INTERNATIONAL$
(
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; %45-26-16-53; Via Blanca No 22014, Playa; mains CUC$2-7; hnoon-2am Thu-Tue)
Amelias del Mar brings tongue-in-cheek creativity to standard Cuban 'international' food through flashy presentation and then serves the concept in a neat open-air patio doubling as a lively bar. Here chicken fajitas become delicious trapos de viejas, or old lady's rags; shrimps are cuerpos revisitados – unearthed corpses. The sign outside just says 'Snack Bar,' but it's so much more than that.
Restaurante Romántico San SeverinoINTERNATIONAL$
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MAP
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; Calle 290, btwn Calle 279 & Calle 283; mains CUC$4.50-6.50; h6-11pm)
Parque Libertad now has a stand-out restaurant up a steep flight of steps on the west side. Colonial interior, good service and excellent shrimp-stuffed fish filets.
Plaza la VigíaCAFE$
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; cnr Plaza de la Vigía & Calle 85; snacks CUC$2-3; h11am-11pm)
Burgers and draft beer rule the menu, while young student-types dominate the clientele in this throwback bar that looks like a scene from a Parisian art nouveau poster, circa 1909. The ultimate anti-Varadero escape!
Café AtenasCARIBBEAN$
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Calle 83 No 8301; CUC$2-5; h10am-10pm)
Settle down on the terraza (terrace) with the local students, taxi drivers and hotel workers on a day off, and contemplate everyday life on Plaza de la Vigía. Decent sandwiches; grilled meats.
Restaurante Paladar MallorcaINTERNATIONAL$$
(
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; %45-28-32-82; Calle 334, btwn Calle 77 & Calle 79; mains CUC$8-14; h12:30-9:30pm Wed-Sun; c)
The Mallorca out in Los Mangos neighborhood northwest of the center impresses with adventurous dishes such as fish in balsamic-cream glaze, and some of Cuba's best piña coladas. Presentation is very nouveau and there are surprise touches such as a kid's menu, handwash brought to your table and live minstrel music.
6Drinking & Nightlife
Café Mambo JamboCAFE
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MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Calle 85 No 27414; h10:30am-6pm)
New dinky little cafe full of antique radios and old album covers that serves strong coffee, frappuccinos and basic snacks. Clientele is a mix of arty students and old ladies fresh from a makeover at the local hairdressers.
ACAABAR
(Asociación Cubana de Artistas y Artesanos;
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Calle 85, btwn Calle 282 & Calle 284; h10am-late)
What begins as a glam-looking art-supplies shop and exhibition venue leads back into a courtyard reminiscent of bohemian Paris, where artsy culture vultures sit around slurping strong coffee and conversing animatedly. A rooftop bar gets going after dark, often with live music as an accompaniment.
Bistro KubaBAR
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MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Calle 83, btwn Calles 292 & 290; h11am-2am)
The tables in this cool dinky bar light up to show old city landmarks. Cocktails are incredible, ditto the espresso. If you're peckish there are ham and cheese tasting platters. The crowd's 95% Cuban and there's live music several nights per week.
Ruinas de MatasieteBAR
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MAP
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; cnr Vía Blanca & Calle 101; h10am-10pm, club 10pm-2am)
The city's famed drinking hole is a frenetic (too frenetic for some) place housed in the ruins of a 19th-century, bay-facing warehouse. Drinks and grilled meats are served on an open-air terrace, but a better reason to come here is to hear live music (9pm Friday to Sunday; cover charge CUC$3).
3Entertainment
oSala de Conciertos José WhiteCONCERT VENUE
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MAP
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; %45-26-70-32; Calle 79, btwn Calle 290 & Calle 288)
Restoration of this 1876 building abutting Hotel Velazco was completed in 2014 and every inch, flourish and cornicing of its former glory is well worth a lingering look. Fitting for a building that formerly hosted the city symphony orchestra, classical music makes up the majority of its performances, although there is also that made-in-Matanzas dance danzón (ballroom dance) performed here. A courtyard bar complements proceedings.
Teatro SautoTHEATER
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MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %45-24-27-21; Plaza de la Vigía)
On the threshold of reopening (some time in 2017) after a lengthy renovation, the Sauto certainly has clout: performances have been held here since 1863. If you're lucky, you might catch the Ballet Nacional de Cuba or the Conjunto Folklórico Nacional de Cuba (rumba).
Centro Cultural Comunitario Nelson BarreraCULTURAL CENTER
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MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; cnr Calles 276 & 77, Marina; h9am-5pm Tue-Sun)
A good starting point for anyone interested in Matanzas' Afro-Cuban history lies in this Marina-neighborhood cultural center. Inquire about upcoming events and you could get lucky with religious processions, drum sessions, or just shooting the breeze with some hombres from the barrio.
Museo Histórico ProvincialCULTURAL CENTER
(Palacio del Junco;
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; cnr Calles 83 & 272; CUC$2; h10am-6pm Tue-Fri, 1-7pm Sat, 9am-noon Sun)
Check the board outside this building for events ranging from theater to danzón performances to rumba, with listings for the month ahead.
Estadio Victoria de GirónSPECTATOR SPORT
( GOOGLE MAP ; Av Martín Dihigo)
From October to April, baseball games take place at this stadium, home of beloved local team the Cocodrilos. It's 1km southwest of the market ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Calles 97 & 298).
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
RUMBA IN MATANZAS
'Without rumba there is no Cuba, and without Cuba there is no rumba,' runs a Cuban saying. Matanzas certainly gave birth to one of Cuba's defining musical forms and occupies a pivotal place both in the history and in the future development of music in the country.
Rumba originated here in the city's African cabildos, secret brotherhood councils formed among slaves brought over from West Central Africa during the 19th century to work Cuba's plantations. These brotherhoods came together in the port backstreets to worship their orishas (deities) and keep their traditions alive. So rumba in Matanzas began, and rapidly spread: the music of a repressed and displaced people remembering their roots through music. It was the outlet through which initially Afro-Cubans, but later other subjugated groups from deprived backgrounds, expressed fears and hopes about their position in society.
Matanzas is responsible for most of the main forms of rumba. The most ancient variety, Rumba Yambú, stems from the Versalles district in the late 19th century, and has a slower, smoother pace. Rumba Guaguancó is more modern and sensual, emulating the mating ritual between a rooster and a hen, and uses conga drums. Then there is Rumba Columbia, named after an old bus stop outside Matanzas, performed only by men because of its dangerous moves. Only recently recognized as a sub-genre, there is also Batá-rumba, invented and best exemplified by contemporary group AfroCuba de Matanzas. Percussion here is provided by hourglass-shaped Batá drums, a ritual instrument of Nigeria's Yoruba people.
Masters of the first three of these forms are Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, formed almost 60 years ago, when an inspired impromptu jamming session on bottles in a bar in the city's Barrio Marina persuaded various locals they could gel as a group. And gel they did. Originally named Guaguancó Matancero, their first A-side 'Los Muñequitos' (little comics) was so popular that that was how the group became known.
Los Muñequitos de Matanzas and AfroCuba de Matanzas are descended from the early days of cabildos, with Lucumí and Kongo origins. But the music they are making now is as much about re-evaluating the roots of music as remembering the roots of their ancestors. A great example is AfroCuba's groundbreaking collection of songs, The Sign and the Seal, which uses a focus on traditional orishas to seemingly push the boundaries of music itself. Songs are dedicated to such deities as Agayú – in Yoruba culture, an uninhabited space or wilderness – while another explores Oshún, the source of rivers, water and life. In returning to the building blocks of a culture, the album revisits the building blocks of music; it reassembles sound as the universe (the relationship with which is the cornerstone of Yoruba beliefs) reassembles sound.
Better than reading about the city's rumba is listening to some and both of the groups mentioned here perform in Matanzas. An incredible ingredient to the city is that, in the home of rumba, its two most renowned exponents can still be found indulging in a spot of low-key jamming here. The best bet to catch rumba is the great alfresco performances that take place at 4pm on the third Friday of every month outside the Museo Histórico Provincial.
7Shopping
Ediciones VigíaBOOKS
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Plaza de la Vigía, cnr Calle 91; h9am-5pm Mon-Sat)
To the southwest of Plaza de la Vigía is a unique book publisher founded in 1985, that produces high-quality handmade paper and first-edition books on a variety of topics. The books are typed, stenciled and pasted in editions of 200 copies. Visitors are welcome in the Dickensian workshop where they can purchase beautiful numbered and signed copies (CUC$5 to CUC$40).
8Information
Internet Access
Etecsa Telepunto (
GOOGLE MAP
; cnr Calles 83 & 282; per hour CUC$1.50; h8:30am-7:30pm) sells phone and internet cards.
There's wi-fi in the park outside the cathedral opposite or in Parque Libertad.
Medical Services
Servimed (
GOOGLE MAP
; %45-25-31-70; Hospital Faustino Pérez, Carretera Central Km 101; h24hr) Clinic by hospital, just southwest of Matanzas.
Money
Banco de Crédito y Comercio (
GOOGLE MAP
; Calles 85 No 28604, btwn Calle 286 & 288; h9am-5pm) ATM.
Cadeca (
GOOGLE MAP
; Calle 286, btwn Calles 83 & 85; h8am-6pm Mon-Sat, 8am-noon Sun)
Post
Post Office (
GOOGLE MAP
; cnr Calles 85 & 290; h8am-5pm Mon-Sat)
8Getting There & Away
Air
Matanzas is connected to the outside world through Juan Gualberto Gómez International Airport, aka Varadero airport, 20km east of town.
Bicycle
Matanzas is reachable by bike from Varadero. The 32km road is well-paved and completely flat, bar the last 3km into the city starting at the Río Canímar bridge. Bike hire is available at some Varadero all-inclusive hotels.
Bus
All buses to Matanzas, long distance and provincial, use the National Bus Station ( GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Calles 131 & 272, Pueblo Nuevo), in the old train station south of the Río San Juan.
Matanzas has decent connections, although for destinations like Cienfuegos and Trinidad you need to change at Varadero, taking the first Varadero bus of the day then waiting for the afternoon Varadero–Trinidad bus.
Víazul (www.viazul.com) has five daily departures to Havana (CUC$7, two hours, 9am, 12:55pm, 2:50pm, 4:50pm and 6:50pm); the 9am bus continues to Viñales. There are also five departures to Varadero (CUC$6, one hour, 8am, 10:05am, 12:05pm, 3:05pm and 7pm), also calling at the airport (CUC$6, 25 minutes).
Car
The nearest car rental to the center is Cubacar (
GOOGLE MAP
; %45-25-32-46; cnr Calles 127 & 204, Playa) in the Playa neighborhood.
Taxi
Taxis hang around the bus station and in Parque Libertad. For a colectivo (shared taxi) to destinations south and east, you might be better off heading to Varadero bus station and looking for a ride-share there.
Train
Matanzas has two train stations. The main train station (
GOOGLE MAP
; %45-29-16-45; Calle 181) is in Miret, at the southern edge of the city. Most trains between Havana and Santiago de Cuba stop here, but services are slow, grubby and unreliable. In theory, there are half a dozen daily trains to Havana (CUC$3, 1½ hours). The Santiago de Cuba train (CUC$27; 13½ hours) should leave in the evening every three or four days. Latest train information is plastered on pieces of paper in the waiting room. Get here well in advance to beat the bedlam.
The Hershey Train Station (
GOOGLE MAP
; %45-24-48-05; cnr Calle 55 & Calle 67, Versalles) is in Versalles, an easy 10-minute walk from Parque Libertad. There are three trains a day to Casablanca station in Havana (CUC$2.80, four hours) via Canasí (CUC$0.85, one hour), Jibacoa (CUC$1.10, 1½ hours; for Playa Jibacoa), Hershey (CUC$1.40, two hours; for Jardines de Hershey) and Guanabo (CUC$2, three hours). Departure times from Matanzas are 4:39am, 12:09am (an express service that should take three hours in total) and 4:25pm.
The train usually leaves on time, but often arrives in Havana's Casablanca station (just below La Cabaña fort on the east side of the harbor) one hour late. This is the only electric railway in Cuba. It's a scenic trip if you're not in a hurry, and a great way of reaching the little-visited attractions of Mayabeque Province.
8Getting Around
Bus 12 links Plaza Libertad with the Cuevas de Bellamar and the Iglesia de Monserrate.
The Oro Negro gas station ( GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Calles 129 & 210) is 4km outside central Matanzas on the Varadero road. If you're driving to Varadero, you will pay a CUC$2 highway toll between Boca de Camarioca and Santa Marta (no toll between Matanzas and the airport).
Bici-taxis ( GOOGLE MAP ) congregate next to the Mercado la Plaza and can take you to most of the city's destinations for one to two Cuban pesos. A taxi to Juan Gualberto Gómez International Airport should cost CUC$25 to CUC$30 (20 minutes), with Varadero fares (CUC$30; 40 minutes) a bit more again.
Cárdenas
Pop 109,552
Without the bright lights of Varadero or the rejuvenated historic and cultural legacy of Matanzas, Cárdenas can appear downright shabby. Looking like a sepia-toned photo from another era, this dilapidated town is home to countless resort-based waiters, front-desk clerks and taxi drivers, but with barely a restaurant, hotel or motorized cab to serve it.
Cárdenas has nevertheless played an episodic role in Cuban history. In 1850 Venezuelan adventurer Narciso López and a ragtag army of American mercenaries raised the Cuban flag here for the first time, in a vain attempt to free the colony from its Spanish colonizers. Other history-making inhabitants followed, including revolutionary student leader José Antonio Echeverría, who was shot during an abortive raid to assassinate President Batista in 1957. This rich past is showcased in three fabulous museums stationed around Parque Echeverría, the city's main plaza, which today constitute the key reason to visit.
1Sights
oMuseo Oscar María de RojasMUSEUM
(
GOOGLE MAP
; cnr Av 4 & Calle 13; CUC$5; h9am-6pm Mon-Sat, 9am-1pm Sun)
Cuba's second-oldest museum (after the Museo Bacardí in Santiago) offers a selection of weird artifacts, including a strangulation chair from 1830, a face mask of Napoleon, the tail of Antonio Maceo's horse, Cuba's largest collection of snails and, last but by no means least, some preserved fleas – yes fleas – from 1912.
The museum is set in a lovely colonial building and staffed with knowledgeable official guides.
Museo de Batalla de IdeasMUSEUM
(
GOOGLE MAP
; Av 6, btwn Calle 11 & Calle 12; CUC$2; h9am-5pm Tue-Sat, 9am-noon Sun)
The newest of Cárdenas' three museums offers a well-designed and organized overview of the history of US–Cuban relations, replete with sophisticated graphics. Inspired by the case of Elián González, a boy from Cárdenas whose mother, stepfather and 11 others drowned attempting to enter the US by boat in 1999, the museum is the solid form of Castro's resulting batalla de ideas (battle of ideas) with the US government.
The displays' themes naturally center round the eight months during which Cuba and the US debated the custody of Elián – but it extends also to displays on the quality of the Cuban education system and a courtyard containing busts of anti-imperialists who died for the revolutionary cause. The exhibit that most epitomizes the purpose of the museum, however, is possibly the sculpture of a child in the act of disparagingly throwing away a Superman toy.
Museo Casa Natal de José Antonio EcheverríaMUSEUM
(
GOOGLE MAP
; Av 4 Este No 560; incl guide CUC$5; h10am-5pm Tue-Sat, 9am-1pm Sun)
This museum has a macabre historical collection including the original garrote used to execute Narciso López by strangulation in 1851. Objects relating to the 19th-century independence wars are downstairs, while the 20th-century revolution is covered upstairs, reached via a beautiful spiral staircase.
In 1932 José Antonio Echeverría was born here, a student leader slain by Batista's police in 1957 after a botched assassination attempt in Havana's Presidential Palace. There's a statue of him in the eponymous square outside.
Arechabala Rum FactoryFACTORY
( GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Calle 2 & Av 13)
To the northwest of the center of Cárdenas, in the industrial zone, is this famous rum factory founded by Spanish immigrant José Arechabala in 1878. Arechabala concocted Havana Club, Cuba's second most iconic rum (after Bacardí) until the family business was requisitioned by the Cuban government in 1959. Arechabala left for the US, but failed to register the Havana Club trademark, which was picked up by the Cuban government in 1976.
Arechabala (and its international partner Bacardí) has recently been entangled in a trademark dispute with the Cuban government and partner Pernod Ricard over the rights to sell Havana Club in the US. The factory still operates but no tours are available.
Flagpole MonumentMONUMENT
( GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Av Céspedes & Calle 2)
No, not just any old flagpole. Follow Av Céspedes past Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción to its northern end and you will see this flagpole is attached to a monument and commemorates the first raising of the Cuban flag on May 19, 1850.
Catedral de la Inmaculada ConcepciónCHURCH
( GOOGLE MAP ; Av Céspedes, btwn Calle 8 & Calle 9)
Parque Colón is the city's other interesting square, five blocks north of Parque Echeverría. Here stands the main ecclesiastical building of Cárdenas. Built in 1846, it's noted for its stained glass and purportedly the oldest statue of Christopher Columbus in the western hemisphere.
Dating from 1862, Cristóbal Colón, as he's known in Cuba, stands rather authoritatively with his face fixed in a thoughtful frown and a globe resting at his feet. It's Cárdenas' best photo op.
4Sleeping
Down the road Varadero flaunts 60 hotels (and counting). Here in humble Cárdenas there are precisely zero. Fortunately, Cárdenas sports a couple of good (if notoriously hard-to-find) casas particulares.
Hostal IdaCASA PARTICULAR$
(
GOOGLE MAP
; %45-52-15-59; ida83@nauta.cu; Calle 13, btwn Av 13 & Av 15; r CUC$35; pa)
Don’t let the tatty street setting put you off here. Inside this plush apartment (with private entrance and garage) you’ll find a stunning living room/kitchenette, and a decadently furnished bedroom/bathroom that might have floated over from a decent Varadero hotel. Ample breakfasts (CUC$5).
Ricardo DomínguezCASA PARTICULAR$
(
GOOGLE MAP
; %52-89-44-31; yaniamaria82@nauta.cu; cnr Avs 31 & Calle 12; r CUC$35; pa)
Ricardo's place is 1.5km northwest of Parque Echeverría and worth tracking down. The spick-and-span white terracotta-roofed house is cocooned within a large, leafy garden and seemingly just plucked from one of Miami's more tasteful suburbs. Three rooms available.
5Eating
Half the chefs in Varadero probably come from Cárdenas, which adds irony to the city's dire restaurant scene. A couple of new paladares (privately owned restaurants) have raised the game slightly.
There are many convertible supermarkets and stores near the cast-iron 19th-century market hall Plaza Molocoff, where you can get cheap peso snacks.
oDon QkoCUBAN$
(
GOOGLE MAP
; %45-52-45-72; Av Céspedes No 1000, cnr Calle 21; mains CUC$3-8; hnoon-11pm Wed-Mon)
Don Qko is one of those well-executed but defiantly local private restaurants peculiar to Cuba's provincial towns (Cárdenas and Matanzas excel in them) which isn't specifically aimed at netting tourist money. As a result, the prices are reasonable, the food unashamedly home-style and the ambience 90% Cuban. Learn a bit of Spanish and pop by.
Studio 55CAFE$
(
GOOGLE MAP
; Calle 12, btwn Av 4 & Av 6; light mains CUC$3-5; hnoon-midnight Mon-Thu, to 2am Fri & Sat)
Soak up the industrial-chic vibe and order great burgers at this rather trendy spot on the main square, which is good for well-executed fast food ordered from menus designed like DVD cases. A great addition to Cárdenas' rather scant food scene.
Restaurant Don RamónINTERNATIONAL$
(
GOOGLE MAP
; Av 4, btwn Calle 12 & Calle 13; mains CUC$6-8; h11am-10pm; a)
Overlooking Parque Echeverría, the lovely Don Ramón woos you with its old-style colonial charm. For a varied sit-down meal, there's nowhere better in Cárdenas. Elect for the filet mignon and choose something off the specialized gin menu.
Plaza MolocoffMARKET$
( GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Av 3 Oeste & Calle 12)
Plaza Molocoff is a whimsical two-story cast-iron market hall with a glittery 16m-high silver dome built in 1859. It’s still the city vegetable market but is crying out for a face-lift.
3Entertainment
Casa de la CulturaCULTURAL CENTER
(
GOOGLE MAP
; Av Céspedes No 706, btwn Calle 15 & Calle 16; hhours vary)
Housed in a beautiful but faded colonial building with stained glass and an interior patio with rockers. Search the handwritten advertising posters for rap peñas (performances), theater and literature events.
8Information
Internet Access
Etecsa Telepunto (
GOOGLE MAP
; cnr Av Céspedes & Calle 12; per hour CUC$1.50; h8:30am-7:30pm) Telephone and internet access.
Parque Echeverría is also a wi-fi hotspot.
Medical Services
Centro Médico Sub Acuática (
GOOGLE MAP
; %45-52-21-14; Carretera a Varadero Km 2; per hour CUC$80; h8am-4pm Mon-Sat, doctors on-call 24hr) Two kilometers northwest on the road to Varadero at Hospital Julio M Aristegui; has a Soviet recompression chamber dating from 1981.
Pharmacy (
GOOGLE MAP
; Calle 12 No 60; h24hr)
Money
Banco de Crédito y Comercio ( GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Calle 9 & Av 3)
Cadeca ( GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Av 1 Oeste & Calle 12)
8Getting There & Away
It's simplest to go to Varadero to get onward bus connections because whilst the Varadero–Santiago de Cuba Víazul (www.viazul.com) bus does pass through, it doesn't officially stop here. Varadero also has many more daily bus services to places such as Trinidad and Havana.
Bus 236 to/from Varadero leaves hourly from the corner of Av 13 Oeste and Calle 13 (50 centavos, but tourists are usually charged CUC$1, 30 minutes). A taxi for the same journey costs CUC$15 to CUC$20 (15 minutes).
8Getting Around
'Coches' (horse-carriages) are how one gets around Cárdenas. The main route is northeast on Av Céspedes from the bus station ( GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Av Céspedes & Calle 22) and then northwest on Calle 13 to the hospital, passing the stop of bus 236 (to Varadero) on the way. Pay with your smallest CUC$ coin.
For self-drivers, the Servi-Cupet gas station ( GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Calle 13 & Av 31 Oeste) is opposite an old Spanish fort on the northwest side of town, on the road to Varadero.
When asking for directions, beware that Cárdenas residents often use the old street names rather than the new street-naming system (numbered calles and avenidas). Double-check if uncertain.
San Miguel de los Baños & Around
Nestled in the interior of Matanzas Province amid rolling hills punctuated by vivid splashes of bougainvillea, San Miguel de los Baños is an atmospheric old spa town that once rivaled Havana for elegant opulence. Once, that is. Flourishing briefly as a destination for wealthy folk seeking the soothing medicinal waters that were 'discovered' here in the early 20th century, San Miguel saw a smattering of lavish neoclassical villas shoot up; they still line the town's arterial Av de Abril today. But the boom times didn't last. Just prior to the Revolution, pollution from a local sugar mill infiltrated the water supply and the resort quickly faded from prominence. Now, it's a curious mix between an architectural time capsule from a bygone era and the boarded-up mansion in Charles Dickens' Great Expectations.
1Sights
oFinca CoincidenciaFARM
(
GOOGLE MAP
; %45-81-39-23; Carretera Central, btwn Coliseo & Jovellanos)
S
F
Enhance your taste for bucolic provincial life, away from the razzmatazz of Matanzas Province's north coast at this ecological farm 14km northeast of San Miguel de los Baños and 6km east of Colesio on the Carretera Central. Chill in the grounds replete with mango and guava trees, participate in ceramics classes and look around gardens where 83 types of plants are cultivated.
The owner, Héctor Correa is an ecological genius who grows practically everything he consumes. He also maintains a small ceramics workshop and has constructed a quirky sculpture garden amid the mango trees – pride of place goes to the life-sized Charlie Chaplin. For those seeking total rural immersion, accommodation and meals (around CUC$10) are also available.
oGran Hotel & BalnearioRUINS
( GOOGLE MAP )
A gorgeous ruin lying truly abandoned in the middle of small-town Cuba, that's heavy with atmosphere and still shines (despite the mildew) with a perceptible beauty. Between the 1920s and 1950s, this grand edifice functioned as an expensive bathhouse and hotel. These days it hosts birds nests, weeds and – who knows? – the ghosts of guests past.
There's no entry fee and barely any other visitors. Just slip inside and enjoy the magic on your own while you still can.
Loma de JacánHILL
( GOOGLE MAP )
Looming above San Miguel de los Baños are the steep slopes of Loma de Jacán, a glowering hill with 448 steps embellished by faded murals of the Stations of the Cross. When you reach the small chapel on top you can drink in the town's best views with the added satisfaction that you are standing at the highest point in the province. The views are tremendous.
4Sleeping
Finca CoincidenciaCASA PARTICULAR$
(
GOOGLE MAP
; %45-81-39-23; Carretera Central, btwn Coliseo & Jovellanos; r CUC$20-25; pa)S
Possibly the best rural hideout in Cuba. Three simple but lovely rooms on an ecological farm and ceramics workshop where pretty much everything (including your coffee, milk and coffee cup) are made in house. This is the life.
.
8Getting There & Away
To get to San Miguel de los Baños, follow Rte 101 from Cárdenas to Colesio where you cross the Carretera Central; the town is situated a further 8km to the southwest of Colesio. A taxi from Cárdenas (25 minutes) should cost CUC$20 to CUC$25 – bargain hard.
For cyclists, it makes for a pleasant day-ride from Cárdenas (42km out-and-back) or, if you're fit, Varadero town (80km out-and-back).
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
THE GRAN HOTEL – CUBA'S NOBLEST RUIN
Cuba has its fair share of abandoned ruins, but few are as noble as the erstwhile Gran Hotel and its elegant bathhouse in central Matanzas Province. Closeted in the soporific town of San Miguel de los Baños, a mere 50km south of Varadero, the hotel sits like a withered time capsule not yet brought to order by earnest restoration teams or officious security guards. As a result, kids still play football amid the parapets and patios, and curious travelers can stroll unhindered through overgrown grounds feeling a little like Pip in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations.
The 'Gran' was built as a hotel and spa in the 1920s by a rich Cuban lawyer named Manuel Abril Ochoa who was intent on attracting Cuba's wealthy to the region's thermal waters.
Ochoa prophetically assigned engineer Alfredo Colley to head the project. Fresh from working on Monte Carlo’s palatial casino in southern France, Colley designed the hotel as a close copy with four lavish towers and a central sweeping staircase. The adjoining bathhouses were rendered in terracotta brick and displayed a whimsical blend of Roman, Moorish and art nouveau influences.
Opened in 1929, the Gran and its balneario (spa) were popular in their early days – so much so that the small town quickly spawned three further hotels to accommodate the flood of guests. Yet, despite losing its opulence soon after the revolution and being totally abandoned in the 1970s, the hotel and its surroundings retain a quiet unexpected beauty enhanced by the almost total lack of visitors. Plans to restore the site are regularly touted, but, as yet, nobody has had the heart to tamper with the disintegrating yet magnificent ruins.
