Casa Granda, Santiago de Cuba

Advantages: Cuba!
Disadvantages: Cuban admin & organisation (lack of).

...truly Caribbean stretch (as opposed to the Atlantic). For swimming though, we settled for the sea-wash pool. ~ Before flying back to Havana we took a brief trip to La Caridad to visit the Black Virgin. For the home of the patron saint of the island, I found the picturesque church surprisingly unatmospheric. More museum than house of prayer. Perhaps the lethargy and disappointment of the last few days were taking effect. When I go back to Cuba, I’ll skip Santiago. ~ ~ ~ EL CASTILLO & LA CASA GRANDA A quick word on the hotels: In Baracoa: El Castillo is above the town and was a castle built in the late 1700s to keep out the British. It was later a prison. Now a three-star hotel, but with possibly the best restaurant we encountered. The laundry (as indicated) proved to be a little haphazard, and the air... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Varied destinations, great people
Disadvantages: Can be hard work at times

...have lost all faith in their leader; the concessions have given ordinary Cubans the chance to shape their own destinies and it is down to these concessions that Cuban tourism is starting the slow march to make up for lost time. WHERE TO GO Cuba offers travellers a wide range of destinations and activities - beautiful beaches, historic colonial cities, historic revolutionary monuments, an astonishing number of museums and large areas of wildlife reserves. No trip would be complete without a visit to Havana, Cuba's bustling capital city, the biggest and busiest city in the Caribbean. The old towns in both Havana and in Trinidad de Cuba on the south coast are UNESCO protected and offer the chance to explore some wonderful colonial architecture. Further east from Trinidad, Santiago de Cuba is the party capital of Cuba with unmissable... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Ron
Disadvantages: A bit of a dump.

...Santiago de Cuba is in truth a wonderfully positioned city and full of charm, even though I have called a bit of a dump at times. I don't know about the surrounding area really, but have been told its charming. Getting to Santiago from the rest of Cuba is almost impossible if you are Cuban or aren't travelling by Viazul. My girlfriend got by as a Cuban and dragged me along too on the trucks Cuban use for transportation. We felt we had acheived a lot to get there and stayed for 9 days in a very cheap Casa Particular even though the festival was in full swing. The city features some wonderful squares (dedicated to Jose Marti) and the oldest house in Cuba (now a museum). The festival was colourful and vibrant but not as interesting as Rio or Notting hill. Every thing is very cheap. Beer only 6pesos. Don't go to the zoo if you... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful