Santiago de Cuba Walking Tour (Parke Cespedes monument)

My ambition in the tours I am offering is to give an idea, a feeling of the very special Cuban mentality by the stories that the squares, the Catherdral, the streets of Santiago, the finest Cuban music are ready to tell if we just have our ears prepared to listen to them. During the tour you will meet different Cubans – musicians, artisans, dancers, shopkeepers, passers by etc, and have your own experience with Cuban people. In the itinerary there is nothing that is contradictory to the OFAC requirements. Itinerary – sights and related stories 1. Enramada (the Main Street of Santiago) – the hot land shaded by flowers (ramo means a bunch of flowers) 2. The Balcony of Velazquez – early history of Cuba. The stories of Diego Velazquez, de Soto and Bartolome de Las Casas. 3. The University San Basilio – the first University of Cuba. 4. The Cathedral. The story of Virgen de la Caridad, the patron saint of Cuba. Carlos Manuel de Cespedes 5. The Palace of Diego Velaquez 6. Casa Granda and Carlos III Club – the Santiago version of independent Cuba. 7. The House of the Mayor. Hernan Cortez – the first Mayor of Santiago. Declaring the victory of the Revolution on 9th of January 1959. 8. Calle Herredia – the Monmartr of Santiago. Depending on the date and hour we can catch a piece of the wonderful Cuban music either in Casa de la Trova, Museo Herredia, UNEAC, Arteks or at least at the corner behind Museo de los Carnavales. Calle Herredia is also famous for its artesans’ and souvenir shops. 9. Museo de los Carnavales. The Carnival of Santiago is considered the richest and hotest among the carnivales all over Cuba. At 4:00 p.m. in its patio starts a breath-taking show related to the African roots of the Cuban culture`. 10. Museo Bacardi. The story of Bacardi family – rum and revolution. 11. Calle Carniceria and Parke Serano.The slavery and time perception of Cubans. 12. Plaza Dolores. The Jesuits and the school education. The story of Eduardo Chivas – a really unique public figure. Fidel Castro. 13. The Bazar Street. The monuments of Cuban music – Miguel Matamoros, Sindo Garay, Esteban Salas. If you want to buy some more souvenirs, typical Cuban sweets etc. you can do it there. 14. Back to the port. Padre Pico. The duration of this short version of the tour is 2 hours (we don't enter the museums during the tour). The distance is something like one mile walking on paved or asphalted streets, There is a longer one – 3 hours, that insludes the “revolutionary” branch: Plaza de Marte (the revolutionary wars for Independence) and Cuartel Moncada where in a unbelievably strange manner started the revolution of Fidel Castro. It adds another half a mile to the distance but again uses asphalted streets. *** VERY IMPORTANT *** 1. This meeting point for this free walking tour is at Parke Cespedes right in front of the Cespedes monument . If you are arriving on a cruise ship please book the cruise schedule free orientation tour I listed on Guruwalk. For that tour we will meet in front of the passenger terminal after you disembark your ship. 2. Internet services is very poor in Cuba. We don't have constant access to the Internet. Sometimes it can be 24 to 48 hours or more before I can get on. Please make sure we exchange messages to confirm your reservation date and time. 3. Meeting time can be flexible if I am available. Please contact me to arrange and confirm meeting time.