Santa Clara travel guide

History

The village of Santa Clara was founded on 15 July 1689, when 17 families from San Juan de los Remedios migrated from the coast to the interior. Land was parcelled out and a powerful landholding oligarchy was formed. The settlement grew and the economy prospered on the fortunes of stockbreeding, tobacco, sugar, other crops and the exploitation of the Malezas copper mines, while taking advantage of the favourable location on the main trading route through the island. In 1827 when the island was divided into three departments, Santa Clara was one of the sections of the central department. In 1867 the town became a city and in 1873 the railroad arrived, linking it with Havana. In 1895 when the island was further divided, this time into six provinces, Santa Clara became the capital of Las Villas, which included within its boundaries what is now Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spíritus and the Península de Zapata. The 1975 administrative reorganization sharply reduced the provincial territory, renaming it as Villa Clara, with Santa Clara as its capital and dividing it into 13 municipalities. Aside from Santa Clara, where most of the heavy industry is concentrated, other important urban centres are Caibarién, Camajuaní and Remedios to the northeast, Placetas to the east and Sagua La Grande to the north.

Santa Clara was the site of the last battle of the Revolution in December 1958 before Castro entered Havana. Batista was on the point of sending an armoured train with military supplies, including guns, ammunition and soldiers, to Santiago de Cuba to counter-attack the revolutionaries. However, when the train arrived in Santa Clara on 24 December it could go no further because the rebels had destroyed several bridges. Che Guevara had his command post in the university and his troops were hiding in the outskirts of Santa Clara. The train was parked near the Loma El Capiro and soldiers on board climbed up the hill to see Che’s troops advancing. They opened fire but were defeated and the rebels took the Loma. Che moved his command post to the building which is now the seat of the PCC Provincial and from there made plans to derail the train, which took place at dawn on 29 December. At around 1500 the same day, the train retreated but was ambushed by 23 men. Fighting for the train was over within an hour, but the battle for the city lasted until 1 January 1959 when news spread that Batista had fled the country. It is said that the capture of the train was the decisive factor in the triumph of the Revolution and it is now a major tourist attraction .

Getting around

It is easy enough to walk round the town centre but the main attraction, the Che Guevara mausoleum in Plaza de la Revolución, is some way out. Walking takes about 20 minutes. Car hire is available if you want to make excursions further afield, or there are guided tours for the cays from some of the travel agencies in town. If you are staying in a casa particular ask if anyone in the family offers their services as a driver and/or guide, which will be cheaper than an official taxi.

Getting there

There are no domestic flights to Santa Clara but international charters come from Canada and Italy. On the cays, an airstrip receives short-hop flights and air taxis (Gaviota). Santa Clara is on the main cross-island railway line. Train services join the city with Havana and Santiago de Cuba and with most of central Cuba’s towns. The railway station is quite near the middle of the town. If you are travelling by car, the arterial autopista running from Havana to Santiago de Cuba links the city with these two major urban centres and other provincial capitals. Lesser roads go north to the cayos and south to Trinidad. Daily bus services make Santa Clara easy to get to on any route through the island. The long-distance bus station is about 2.5 km from the centre (a taxi to the centre is CUC$2-3).

Accident and emergency

Ambulance: T104, for 24-hr emergencies. Police: the police station is on Colón entre Serafín García (Nazareno) y Morales (Síndico), near Parque Vidal, T116/106.

Banks

Banco Financiero Internacional, Cuba 6 entre Tristá y E Machado, just down from Parque Vidal, T42-207450, open Mon-Fri 0800-1500, but closes at 1200 on the last working day of the month, also Visa and MasterCard. Bandec, Vidal esq Cuba, Visa, MasterCard, Mon-Fri 0800-1500. The Cadeca office for changing currency and TCs is at Parque Vidal, Rafael Tristá esq Cuba, T42-205690, Mon-Sat 0830-1800, Sun 0800-1300; Western Union services carried out at 0830-1600 Mon-Sat, 0830-1200 Sun. Western Union branches also at La Riviera, opposite the bus station, Carretera Central, Bda Esperanza, T42- 218166, and at Tienda Praga, Independencia y Máximo Gómez, T42-209134, open Mon-Fri 1000-1200, 1300-1700, Sat 1000-1200.

Immigration

There is an immigration office for visa extensions on Sexta 9, entre Carretera Central y Av Sandino, T42-212523. English spoken, but patience required, Mon-Fri 0900-1630, Sat 0800-1200.

Internet

Salón Juvenil (Palmares), Marta Abreu 10 entre Máximo Gómez y Villuendas, T42- 200974, daily 0930-2100, CUC$0.10 per min, Dinos Pizza, cafeteria, drinks, cocktails. No printing service is offered anywhere.

Medical services

The best hospital for foreigners is the Arnaldo Milián Castro Hospital, referred to as Hospital Nuevo, at Circunvalación and Av 26 de Julio in the Reparto Escambray area to the southeast of the town, T42-272016, information T42-271234. Pharmacy: Farmacia Campa, Independencia y Luis Estévez, T42-206924, 24 hrs, 0800-2200 sales of medicine to the public, after 2200 only official prescriptions, charges in pesos. Farmacia Internacional, Colón 106 entre 9 de Abril y Maestra Nicolasa, T42-208069, Mon-Fri 0830-1630, Sat 0830-1230. Medicines, cosmetics and health products, charges in CUC$.

Post

Colón 10 entre Parque y E Machado, T42-203862, just off Parque Vidal, opposite Coppelia ice cream parlour, Mon-Sat 0800-2200. DHL and EMS, known as Cubapost, at Telecorreos, Cuba 7 entre Tristá y E Machado, T42-214069, for courier service, Mon-Fri 0800-1600, Sat 0800-1100.

Telephone

Etecsa, Marta Abreu esq Villuendas, T42-201010/T206000, daily 0830-1930, sale of phone cards in pesos cubanos and CUC$, telephones and accessories, domestic and international phone calls and fax service, internet access 0830-1930. Etecsa has a cabina on Cuba esq Machado (San Cristóbal), T/F42-217898, daily 1030-1800. For domestic, foreign calls, fax (42-204050). Cubacel, Callejón Barreros 4 entre M Gómez y Villuendas, T42-200000, Mon-Fri 0830-1600. Sells cell phones and services in CUC$.