Santa Clara is a handsome city known for being the last resting place of Argentine guerrilla Che Guevara. But there’s more to this central Cuban city than Che. Find a thriving arty scene, a top-notch LBGTQ club, theatre and dance and a great line in Cuban casas particulares (B&Bs).
You’ll want to start with Che, of course. On the outskirts of town is his monumental mausoleum. The vast structure supports a bas-relief monument and a towering bronze sculpture of Che. It dominates Santa Clara’s huge Revolution Square on the edge of the city. Inside are Che’s remains in a niche in the wall. The Argentine doctor is buried here with those of his comrades who fell beside him on a failed campaign in Bolivia in 1967.
Che Guevara met exiled lawyer Fidel Castro in Mexico and joined him and other rebels on the boat Granma which landed in eastern Cuba in 1956. Their aim? To topple Cuba’s then dictator Fulgencio Batista. In their rebel camp hideout in the Sierra Maestra Che Guevara became a key commander for Castro. He was charged with capturing Santa Clara during a countrywide final push to seize control in December 1958. The taking of Santa Clara marked a fatal defeat for Batista; a few days later Castro declared victory. Che joined Castro in government but in 1966 he left for Bolivia to foment revolution. Che failed and was executed in southern Bolivia in 1967. It wasn’t until the 1990s that Che’s remains were discovered in a secret grave by an airport strip and repatriated to Cuba in 1997. Next door to the burial chamber in the mausoleum is a fascinating little museum featuring Che’s belongings – letters, photos, documents and a camera.
Next, you’ll want to visit the site of the key battle. Known as the Monument to the Armoured Train. It sits next to tracks, northeast of the main park. Che’s men derailed the armoured train stuffed full of Batista’s troops and arms. Today, inside a couple of upright carriages, museum exhibits tell the nail-biting story. The bulldozer, which upended the train, sits on its own plinth!
Just across the road is the Café-Museo Revolución. It’s a shrine to all things Che. The owner has collected an extraordinary amount of memorabilia which you’ll find all over the walls and can look at while drinking coffee or cocktails. Check its social media pages for cultural events.
Café-Museo Revolución
If you’re a Che devotee, don’t miss the life-size bronze statue of Che con el Niño. You can also climb the hill – Loma de Capiro – which Che’s men climbed to plan their ambush of the armoured train.
Back in the centre of this university city, cultural life revolves around the bandstand and leafy Vidal Square. At one corner is the austere Santa Clara Libre Hotel which still bears the bullet marks from the December 1958 battle. Check out what’s going on at the central Caridad Theatre, the Casa de la Cultura, and the Museum of Decorative Arts.
When you walk the streets of the city look out for the cartoons and murals of graphic designers who worked for a famous city newspaper, El Melaíto.
Boulevard shopping
The cultural highlight is El Mejunje (The Mixture), though. This wonderful, ruined yard bar-café has a bohemian vibe and plays host to all sorts of events from musicians to theatre, kids’ performances, and concerts. It’s famous for its cabaret and drag shows, too. Santa Clara is known worldwide as an LGBTQ+ friendly city.
Need more partying or want a beach? Head north to Remedios for its annual Christmas Eve parades and fireworks celebration, Las Parrandas, and then trip up to the northern cayes, Cayo Santa María, with their sparkling sand beaches and resort hotels facing beautiful turquoise sea. Love Cuba is the UK’s leading Cuba holiday specialist. Click here for more info on Cuba holidays, Multi Centre Cuba Holidays or Tailor Made Cuba Holidays please don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team of Cuba holiday specialists on 0207 071 3636 or email enquiries@lovecuba.com
