Santa Clara

Central Cuba's "City of the Revolution", home to Che Guevara's mausoleum and the Armoured Train memorial, with a causeway north to the island resorts of Cayo Santa María.

Santa Clara is the capital of Villa Clara Province in central Cuba, with a population of about 250,000. It lies some 270 km east of Havana, where the Carretera Central meets the main railway line. In late 1958, rebel forces led by Che Guevara defeated Batista's government troops here and derailed an armoured train, paving the way for the revolution's victory. The city is therefore known as "Che's City", and his mausoleum and memorial are here, making it an essential stop for Chinese visitors on Cuba circuits focused on revolutionary history.

The city itself is a quiet colonial town: the Teatro La Caridad, the Museum of Decorative Arts and the pedestrian street around Parque Vidal make for a pleasant half-day stroll, and Loma del Capiro offers views over the whole city. There's plenty to do nearby: about 45 km to the northeast, Remedios is one of Cuba's oldest colonial towns and famous for its Parrandas fireworks festival on Christmas Eve; further north, a 48-km causeway across the sea leads to Cayo Santa María, whose white-sand beaches and all-inclusive resorts are worth a night or two; to the south, in the Escambray Mountains, you can take a boat trip on Lake Hanabanilla and hike to waterfalls.

The climate is tropical. The November–April dry season is the most comfortable; June–November is the rainy and hurricane season, and summers are hot and humid. Getting there: Víazul long-distance buses from Havana take about 4–5 hours, or you can hire a car with driver; Abel Santamaría Airport in Santa Clara has a few international charter flights, mostly serving Cayo Santa María resort guests. The city's sights are close together and easily reached on foot, by horse-drawn carriage or by taxi. Plan to stay 1–2 days, plus 1–2 nights if you add the islands. Tips: Che Guevara's mausoleum is closed on Mondays and cameras are not allowed inside; Cuba's cash and exchange-rate policies change frequently, so check the latest information before you go and bring enough cash.

Top sights

• Che Guevara Mausoleum & Monument – A 7 m bronze statue of Guevara in Revolution Square, with a mausoleum below holding his remains and those of his Bolivian comrades. It is t…
• Monumento a la Toma del Tren Blindado – The site where Guevara led rebel forces in 1958 to overturn a government armored train with a bulldozer. Several carriages are now an open-…
• Parque Vidal – The central square of Santa Clara, surrounded by colonial buildings, a theater and a museum, where locals gather in the evening to stroll a…
• Teatro La Caridad – A neoclassical theater funded by Marta Abreu in 1885, with a lavish dome mural, still staging ballet and concerts today.
• Boulevard Independencia – A pedestrian shopping street one block north of Parque Leoncio Vidal, lined with shops, cafés, ice cream parlors and an old cinema, where l…
• Museo de Artes Decorativas – An 18th-century colonial mansion beside Parque Leoncio Vidal, displaying furniture, porcelain and decorative objects belonging to Cuba's up…
• Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen – An 18th-century church whose tamarind tree in the forecourt marks the site of Santa Clara's first Mass in 1689, when the city was founded.
• Constantino Pérez Carrodegua Cigar Factory – One of Cuba's leading hand-rolled cigar factories, where you can watch workers sort, roll and press the leaves, producing many famous brand…
• Loma del Capiro – A small hill east of the city and the rebel stronghold in the 1958 Battle of Santa Clara, with a memorial flagpole on top and a view over t…
• Remedios – One of Cuba's oldest colonial towns, its main square boasts two churches facing each other, and it is famous for the Parrandas fireworks ce…
• Cayo Santa María – A coral island linked to the mainland by a roughly 48 km sea causeway, lined with white sand beaches and all-inclusive resorts, and a popul…
• Hanabanilla Lake – A high mountain reservoir in the Escambray Mountains, ringed by hills, where you can take boat trips, hike to a waterfall and fish for bass.

Where to eat

• La Aldaba – A popular restaurant on the rooftop of a guesthouse beside Parque Vidal, where the signature dish is pineapple and hone…
• El Sol – A casual, popular downtown restaurant with generous portions and low prices, where shredded beef and seafood rice are t…
• Santa Rosalía Food and Culture Center – A state-run restaurant in a restored colonial mansion with refined surroundings, serving Cuban dishes such as black bea…

Itineraries

• Classic Western & Central Cuba – A loop from Havana covering the valley, Bay of Pigs, Cienfuegos, Trinidad, and Santa Clara.
• Havana, Central Colonial Towns & Varadero – Travel from Havana through three central towns, ending with the beaches of Varadero.