Cárdenas travel guide

History

Cárdenas was founded in 1828. It was once one of the most important cities in Cuba with its wealth built on sugar. It had the first alcohol refinery, the first electricity plant and the first gynaecoIogical hospital in Cuba; and its Plaza de Mercado is unique in Latin America. Its main claim to fame is that the Cuban flag was first raised here in 1850 by the revolutionary General Narciso López, a Venezuelan who tried unsuccessfully to invade Cuba by landing at Cárdenas with an army of 600 men (only six of whom were Cuban), who had sailed from New Orleans. Cárdenas was also thrust onto the world stage in 1999-2000 after the Miami boat boy Elián González was finally returned to his home town after a geopolitical wrangle involving the USA, Cuba, the families and the law. His story is commemorated in a new museum.

Best time to visit

Like Varadero, hurricane season can be wet and stormy although there are plenty of fine, bright days. Between December and April is the driest time.

Getting around

Cárdenas is a slow city, with traffic moving at the pace of the horse. Transport is limited to coches, bicycles and pedestrians. The city is set out in very regular grid form, with Calles running parallel to the sea in consecutive numbers and Avenidas crossing them. The main street is Avenida Céspedes and Avenidas are numbered from here, with those running northwest starting from Avenida 1 oeste in odd numbers, and those running southeast starting from Avenida 2 este in even numbers. However, as in many places, people refer to old names rather than the numbers. Use the TV tower as a landmark. The tower is on Avenida Céspedes y Calle 11, called Coronel Verdugo. The three main museums are around Plaza Echeverría, just two blocks from Avenida Céspedes.

Getting there

Most long-distance transport is via Varadero where you will find the nearest airport. The railway is for local services only and there is not much in the way of long-distance bus transport, although there are Astro services from Havana, Matanzas and Varadero, and Víazul stops here on its way between Varadero and Trinidad.

Bicycles/coches

There is not much in the way of local transport; bicycles, or coches, are the only carriers. Cárdenas is an easy bike ride from Varadero and there are bike park areas where a guard will watch your bike for CUC$1.

Bus

The bus station is on Av Céspedes y 22, with services to Matanzas, Colón, Jagüey Grande, Havana and Santa Clara. To get to

Varadero catch a bus from the corner of Av 13 oeste y Calle 13, they should leave every hour, but as the principal demand is from hotel workers they are more likely to run according to shifts.

Víazul stops in Cárdenas on its Trinidad– Varadero route. Get there early, or buy a reserved ticket.

Taxi

Taxi from Varadero CUC$40 round trip with waiting time.