Matanzas travel guide

History

The town dates from 1693, when immigrants from the Canary Islands founded a settlement they called San Carlos y Severino de Matanzas, between the rivers San Juan and Yumurí. Before that, the area was known mainly for an attack on the Spanish fleet in 1628 in the Bahía de Matanzas, by the Dutch Admiral Piet Heyn. Spain and Holland were at war at the time and the fleet was considered war booty, with the four million ducats of gold and silver captured being used to finance further battles. The name Matanzas is thought to come from the mass slaughter of wild pigs to provision the fleets, but it could also refer to the killing of the Amerindians who lived here and called the bay Guanima. Around the time of the founding of the city, a fortress, the Castillo de San Severino, was built on the northern shore of the bay to keep out pirates and any other invaders.

The town became prosperous with the advent of sugar mills in the 1820s, followed by the railway in 1843. Most of the buildings date from this time and by the 1860s it was the second largest town in Cuba after Havana, with all the trappings of an important city, such as a theatre, newspaper and library. It even became known as the ‘Athens of Cuba’ because of all the musicians and writers living there. The Sala de Conciertos José White de Matanzas, on Contreras (79) on the plaza, was formerly the Lyceum Club and is famous for being the place where the danzón was danced for the first time in 1879 (there is a plaque outside but it is now closed) .

Getting around

Most of the places of interest are within walking distance, but if you get tired you can board a horse-drawn coche, hail a bicitaxi or you can hire a local driver to take you around for a day trip out of town. Some of the main sights can be reached using the hop-on hop-off MatanzasBusTour between Varadero and Matanzas which passes the city centre historic sights, the San Severino fort, Cuevas de Bellamar and Tropicana.

Getting there

The town lies 104 km east of Havana along the Vía Blanca, which links the capital with Varadero beach, 34 km further east. If you are travelling by car the drive is unattractive along the coast and can be smelly because of the many small oil wells producing low-grade crude en route, but once you get into the hills there are good views of the countryside. There is a spectacular lookout with a view of the Yumurí valley, called the Mirador de Bacunayagua, overlooking a viaduct spanning a gorge, the highest bridge in Cuba. Most buses make this a rest stop. Long-distance buses between Havana and Varadero all pass through Matanzas and you can request a stop here. You can also get here by train en route from Havana to Santiago. However, the 2½ to four-hour journey via the Hershey Railway, the only electric train in Cuba, which runs from Havana to Matanzas, is memorable and scenic if you are not in a hurry.

Bus

The bus station, T45-291473, open 24 hrs, is at Calle 131 y 272, Calzada Esteban esq Terry (Coppelia is opposite the terminal). There are taxis and coches at the bus station. However, if you arrive later in the day you might just be left with a taxi particular, in which case, if you have an address when you arrive at the house insist that you did so by your own means otherwise the taxi driver will get a CUC$5 commission for every day you stay in a casa.

Víazul, T45-916445, passes through on its Havana–Varadero route, 3 daily . There’s a hop-on hop-off MatanzasBusTour that leaves Matanzas’ Parque Libertad at 1115, 1445, 1545, and 1715. It passes the city centre historic sights and goes on to the San Severino fort, Cuevas de Bellamar and Tropicana arriving at Varadero at 1245, 1415, 1715 and 1845. It returns from Varadero at 0930, 1100, 1400 and 1530. CUC$10. Transtur operates the service and has confirmed that passengers wishing to return from Varadero later can take any Transtur bus heading to the city.

Car hire

Servi Cupet, T45-253594.

Taxi

There are no official taxis in Matanzas; they have to come from Varadero and will charge extra. Cubataxi, T45-611616, charges CUC$25 Matanzas–Varadero.

Train

There are 2 stations: the Hershey terminal and main terminal. There are 5 trains daily on the electric Hershey Railway to and from Casablanca in Havana. It uses a station north of the Río Yumurí in Versalles at 282 y 67. There are no facilities here and the ticket office, T45-244805, has erratic opening hours. Trains from Hershey leave at 0433 (getting in to Casablanca at 0720), 0830 (1102), 1243 (1532), 1633 (1918), 2034 (2318), returning from Casablanca at 0606, 0947, 1411, 1805, 2204. Tickets CUC$2.80, children half price, but you may never get charged. If there is no electricity it doesn’t run.

The newer, main station south of the town at Calle 181, Miret (open 24 hrs, T45-292409), receives trains from Havana en route to Santiago. Horse-drawn coche to market area, CUC$1.

Banks

Banco Nacional, at 83 (Milanés) y 282, diagonally opposite the cathedral. Bandec, esq 282 y 85, Mon-Fri 0800-1500. Visa and MasterCard. Banco Popular, Medio (Independencia) (85) opposite the church, Mon-Fri 0800-1530.

Medical services

Facilities for foreigners are available in Varadero, but there is a pharmacy here, open 24 hrs, at 85 y Matanzas (282).

Post

At 85 entre 290 y 288, daily, 24 hrs.

Telephone/internet

Etecsa, Milanés y 282, daily 0830-2130. Telephone service and internet, tarjetas available, CUC$6 per hr for internet.