Lovely, lovely people. Clean, comfortable rooms. Great food. Great hospitality and very moderately priced ($20).

House located in the vicinity of La Maison, a kind of nightclub with fashion shows in the evening.

Address: Anacaona 107
e/ Aguilera y Taino
Terrazas de Vista Alegre
Santiago de Cuba
Telephone: +53-22-641970
Website: www.geocities.com/hospedajesantiago/HS_en.html

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Cycling in Cuba is a great way to get fit, get around, see lots & have an adventure! People are very friendly & helpful. Brings snacks if you are cycling! Staying in casa particulares will almost guarantee you get a good feed if you have your meals at the casa but the motels & hotels serve up less satisfying meals.

West of Santiago, Cuba is a remote, beautiful stretch to cycle with hardly any traffic, no Casa Particulares and not much food! Bring energy bars, peanuts etc from home. It's worth bringing a water filter as well since we could not buy mineral water at the motel we stayed at. There were lots of mosquitoes at night all along the coast so bring your insect rep. Some parts of the road next to the sea had been washed away but you'll be fine on a mountain bike everywhere. We had racing bikes and had to take it slow to avoid punctures but it was only stretches of 100 meters, no more. Happy cycling!

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There is almost no shopping ... other then food and some basic household stuff. O.k. maybe the artisan market in Calle Heredia being the exception.

Artisan market, Calle Heredia

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Santiago de Cuba offers many private houses with rooms for rent (Casas Particulares), many are of good standard and again, I recommend this as a true experience for anybody who really wants to experience country and people.

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You can undertake excursions/daytrips and explore the Sierra Maestra, go to the beach or Parque Bacanao from Santiago.

I recommend a trip to 'El Cobre' a pilgrim's church just outside of town (by taxi), well worth seeing and for a Christian a very impressive experience.

As for beaches ... there are many around with different characteristics ... though none have white sand and/or a great deal of infrastructure. Try 'Siboney'- the beach most frequented by tourists. Expect some hussling, or 'Mar Verde' or 'El Frances' all about half an hour's taxi ride from town.

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The music played in Santiago is mainly traditional Cuban music (Son, rumba, trova). Listen to it in the Casa de la Trova, which is open during the day or in the evening head to Patio de dos Abuelos, Cafe Cantante, El Rincon del Feeling or Casa de las Tradiciones.

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You should be aware that personal space for a Cuban is very different from ours and you may perceive their close approach as threatening. A firm 'no' is usually sufficient to keep things at bay.

All women - note that Cuban men are very, very complimentary and open in their admiration and approach. This is not meant to be disrespectful and the power to take things further is entirely with the ladies! Don't get frightened, just enjoy !!

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Santiago is 'hilly' and to walk around in the heat is quite exhausting - take water and don't overdo it.

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Homestay is THE way to go if you want to really get close to the Cuban people and culture. And my Spanish has come on really well with my trips to Cuba because the people are interested in talking to you and have the time to do so.

There is lots of help available these days with regard to investigating and even pre-booking homestays. Websites like www.cuba-junky.com provide lists of homestays and first information on the houses. And companies like www.takeyourtimetravel.com offer holidays in Cuba with homestay, pre-booked from the UK.

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This venue hosts a show, live music (Son and salsa) and dancing to recorded music after. It is located in the basement of Teatro Heredia (weekends only).

Airconditioned and therefore a nice place to go to especially in the summer.

You need to get your tickets before 7.00 p.m. on the door and that way find out if the venue is open to the public that day.

Teatro Heredia, Plaza de la Revolucion, Santiago de Cuba

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Friendly family run casa colonial located very centrally in Santiago de Cuba.

Well equipped rooms with stereo, fridge, ensuite. Daysi cooks great food!

Lose A. Saco No. 513 e\ Mayia,
Santiago de Cuba,
Telephone: 53 22

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Ride up one of the steepest roads in the world on a flat bed Russian army truck! Then complete your walk up to the base camp where Che and Castro camped out during the Cuban Revolutionary War and the home of Radio Rebelde - no cameras allowed though.

Gran Parque National Sierra Maestra

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The Santiago Festival (end of July) is a great experience, but it doesn't get started until 10/11pm, and continues well into the early hours. It involves many lavish parades with dancing and costumes, and there is a great party atmosphere. The only problem is that you need to get there early ( 8pm) to get a good seat.

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