6 Fascinating Facts About Santa Clara Cuba From A Local (2024)

One excursion in Cuba I recommend is traveling from Havana to Santa Clara. Among the facts about Santa Clara Cuba that might interest you is that Che Guevara is buried here in an impressive mausoleum.

When I visited Santa Clara in Cuba, I took the bus from Havana and explored the town for a few days before I traveled onwards to Cayo Santa Maria.

The most prominent feature of Santa Clara is that remnants and memorabilia of the revolution are absolutely everywhere—more than in other places in Cuba.

Santa Clara is also home to the second-largest university in Cuba.

Santa Clara Map

My Havana To Santa Clara Road Trip

Facts About Santa Clara Cuba

Santa Clara is a place of super-important historical significance in Cuba, and of course, the history in question is the revolution.

Situated around 280 kilometers to the east of Havana, it is a small town, although it is the fifth-largest city in Cuba with around 250 thousand inhabitants. 

If you like road-tripping, small-town vibes, and history nerds, Santa Clara is a Cuba destination you should check out. You can easily take the bus from Havana to Santa Clara or book a seat in a colectivo, a shared taxi.

1. Santa Clara Is A University City In Cuba

However, it is the second-largest university city in Cuba after Havana. Its university is beautifully located in a lush green area with stunning nature and views. 

Lots of foreign students come here to study while enjoying the Cuban culture in a more tranquil environment than that of the Havana metropole.  

2. The Cuban Keys Are 1,5 Hours From Santa Clara

The town of Santa Clara is situated about one hour from the northern Cuban coast.

It is also just one and a half hours from the paradisiacal white-beach Caribbean keys called Cayo Santa Maria, which is part of a larger archipelago off the northern shores of Cuba. 

You can easily go there for a beach day from Santa Clara or enjoy a few days in one of the all-inclusive resorts. 

3. Parque Vidal Is The Heart Of Santa Clara

The center of Santa Clara has expanded around Parque Leoncio Vidal, the town plaza, where the original city was started in the 17th Century. 

The park is now a large, tranquil space with trees, park benches, and a number of statues and monuments surrounded by hotels and little bars. 

It is also a place to connect to Wi-Fi. In Cuba, public parks are still the main places where people can connect to the internet through the provider Etecsa (you need to buy a scratch card to connect). 

4. Santa Clara Was Cruitial In The Revolution

The main feature defining Santa Clara is that it is an important revolutionary city. This is where the final and possibly definitive battle between Fidel Castro’s men and Batista forces took place in late December 1958. 

On the last days of December back then, Che Guevara conquered Santa Clara along with his brother-in-arms Camilo Cienfuegos in a chaotic and dramatic fight. 

In case you don`t know, this was after almost a decade of guerilla war and more or less successful attacks against Batista and his government. 

After the guerillas chased the soldiers of Batista off of the mountain and out of the city by, among other things, derailing a train full of soldiers, Batista fled Cuba only hours later. 

This was on New Year’s Eve 1958 and is considered the decisive battle of the revolution in Cuba, securing the victory, and the Cuban Revolution was a fact. 

5. Fidel Castro Visited Santa Clara On His Victory Road Trip

At the time, Fidel Castro was in Santiago de Cuba, 550 miles away from Havana, and there were other contestants for power in Cuba as well after Batista fled. 

So Fidel sent Che Guevara and Emilio Cienfuegos up to Havana while he himself set out on a victory journey through the country in an open jeep. 

He stopped at many places, including the important Santa Clara, holding charismatic speeches and gathering support, wanting to prove to the people that he was a good future leader for Cuba. 

You see remnants of this battle all over the city, with murals, statues, and scriptures referring to the incident and the revolutionary victory. The whole city is an important landmark in Cuba.

6. Santa Clara Cuba Things To Do

Many of the things to see and do for a visitor in Santa Clara are obviously connected to the historical happenings of the last days of the revolution in 1958. 

However, there is also vibrant nightlife and cultural attractions in this little city, such as the city theater and art galleries.

Here are 7 things you probably don’t want to miss in Santa Clara!

Visit Plaza De La Revolucion

On the outskirts of Santa Clara, there is a huge open square, which is the Plaza de la Revolucion. 

The plaza is enormous and decorated with tiles in patterns and colors, surrounded by posters and signs expressing love and gratitude to the heroes of the revolution with an intensity (almost) only Cubans can do.

As this battle of Santa Clara is considered possibly the defining battle of the Cuban revolution after a long period of guerilla warfare, Che Guevara is considered a grand hero of the revolution not only here in Santa Clara but all over Cuba. 

On the one end, there is a massive statue of Che Guevara, marking his mausoleum. 

See The Che Guevara Mausoleum

On the edge of the Plaza de la Revolucion is the mausoleum of Che Guevara, his last resting place where he is buried. 

It is a huge structure consisting of white marble blocks with and without text, words of memory, gratitude, and love. Only out flashed by an enormous statue of Che Guevara himself gazing out over the plaza. 

On the left side, the white, red, and blue Cuban flag is blowing in the wind, and it has a striking national romantic atmosphere.

This is a trait the Cubans really do well, displaying visual insignia of grandeur and revolutionary spirit.  

Climb Loma Del Capiro

Another place of great historical importance is the Loma del Capiro, loma meaning small mountain. 

This is a hill on the other side of the city from the mausoleum, where, according to history, Che Guevara set up a command post in the last important hours before he and his men (and the men of Camilo Cienfuegos) took Santa Clara from Batista’s forces. 

According to historical sources, Che and his men ousted Batistas’ soldiers from their position on the hill, which was a strong terrain.

From there, they entered a chaotic and intense battle for the city of Santa Clara, which they won in the last days of December 1958. 

Visit the Monument Of The Derailed Train

One of the possibly most important turning points in the guerrilla war leading up to the successful revolution in Cuba was the incident of the train derailing in Santa Clara! 

In December 1958, Batista decided to send an armored train from Havana to defeat the revolutionaries. The train carried 373 armed soldiers, ammunition, and provisions for two months.

Apparently, Batista was still very optimistic. 

When it reached Santa Clara, it stopped at the foot of the Loma del Capiro hill that you read about above. Three days later, eighteen guerrillas under the command of Che Guevara attacked. 

When the officers tried to move the train to a better position, Che and his men derailed the train by bulldozing 30 meters off the track! 

After hours of fierce combat, the guerrillas succeeded in capturing all the weapons and ammunition Batista tried to pour in, and later that evening, Batista’s officers surrendered. 

Many of the rebels even befriended the soldiers they had been fighting only hours before. The story says the soldiers were tired of fighting their own people. Who knows, it probably makes sense. 

Sculptor José Delarra is the artist who created the memorial monument, and he put it in the exact place where the train was derailed. You can see it today in a little park right there.

Statue Che Guevara And The Boy Child

On the way up to Loma del Capiro in front of the Cuban Communist Party Provincial Committee in Santa Clara, you will pass a famous statue called Che y el niño; Che and the boy child. 

I had heard of this statue before; it is supposed to show how much Che Guevara cares for the children. What surprised me, however, was its size—it is really small.

Almost 1:1, I would say. You have to know it is there to notice it on your way along Avenida Liberacion (of course). 

Teatro La Caridad Santa Clara

Teatro de La Caridad, which means Charity’s Theatre, was built in 1885 and is one of the eight grand theaters of the Cuban Colonial era. 

The theatre was financed entirely by Marta Abreu de Estevez, a wealthy female local philanthropist at the time who contributed a lot to the prosperity of the city towards the end of the 19th Century. 

The theater was a striking building at the time, with an auditorium for more than 500 people, a mini-concert room, a cafeteria, a restaurant, a barbershop, and a special dancing room.

The theater’s latest restoration was in 1964 when most of its original shine was recovered. You can enjoy a tour for around $1 and also see a play if you speak Cuban Spanish. 

Test The Santa Clara Nightlife

Unfortunately, when I visited, many places had still not completely opened after the pandemic slowly faded out in Cuba. 

There were a couple of bars open around the Parque Vidal, but apart from that, it was a rather sleepy night mode those days.

So, I had to get support from researching what travelers who have visited before the pandemic under normal circumstances say.

Here is what people say on Tripadvisor and Lonely Planet about the nightlife in Santa Clara.

Where To Stay In Santa Clara

When deciding where to stay in Santa Clara, there are several good options. There are several hotels in the city where you can book online, like the Hotel Santa Clara Libre.  

Another really good option is to book a Casa Particular, a room or entire apartment owned by a Cuban family that is rented out privately through online apps. 

Top Rated Casa Particulares Santa Clara

Here are two great options to stay in Santa Clara, Cuba, getting 10 out of 10 from other travelers!

Los Lirios

In the center of Santa Clara is the top-rated bed and breakfast Los Lirios!

The delicate B&B has premium bedding and pillow menus, air conditioning, WiFi (for a charge), a terrace, a garden, and a coffee shop on site.

There are also rainfall showers and memory foam beds. Order breakfast in-house for an extra small charge, and there is coffee and tea in the lobby.

Martirena’s Hostal

Martirena’s Hostal also gets 10 out of 10 from other travelers. It is situated centrally in Santa Clara, with beautiful rooms and a quiet patio where you can relax.

There is WiFi in public areas (for a charge), parking, and concierge services. Tour/ticket assistance if you need it, and breakfast in-house for 6€.

You will have access to a kitchenette, a private yard, and additional amenities, including a rainfall shower and a hair dryer!

How To Get From Havana To Santa Clara

If you like the road trip options on your travels, it is easy to get from Havana to Santa Clara with the Viazul bus.

It takes between four to five hours depending on traffic (one option is 7 hours with lots of stops) and is a convenient and comfortable journey. 

Booking your bus fare online on Viazul’s home pages is easy and safe, and you will be guaranteed a seat.

It is also a lot better online than standing in long lines dealing with the Cuban way of doing things, trying to buy a ticket at the bus station.

You can also opt for a taxi collectivo, a shared taxi that will take you directly from city to city. You will share this taxi with others, or you can split the bill if you are a group. 

Be aware that all taxi drivers will ask you to pay in Euros or dollars in cash and not in Cuban currency CUP. If you do not have euros (or other international currency), the drivers might actually be reluctant to take you!  

If you also normally like the road trip style of renting your own car, I understand, but I do not recommend that you do that in Cuba. 

There are several reasons why, but very briefly, if something goes wrong with your rental (or you), it is super hard to fix it, and it probably will become very expensive. 

With the vehicle and road standards in Cuba, the risk of something going wrong on the way is significantly higher than in most other places in the world.

But of course, it’s up to you!! 

Santa Clara Cuba Airport

If you want to fly directly, there are international flights to Santa Clara Cuba airport. The closest airport to Santa Clara is just 10 minutes away. 

Abel Santamaria International Airport is about 10 kilometers outside Santa Clara. It serves Santa Clara city and other destinations in the area, such as Cayo Santa Maria. 

Wrap-Up Facts About Santa Clara Cuba!

Apart from what happened in Santiago de Cuba, the last incidents and the battle of Santa Clara in 1958 are probably the single most important events leading up to the revolution in Cuba.

If you have a bit of interest in deep-diving into the whys and hows of history, Santa Clara is probably a city you will very much enjoy visiting for a day or two during your Cuba holiday.

And if not, it is only an oval hour away from the stunning beaches of Cayo Santa Maria and true Caribbean island life.

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