TRAVEL
TO CUBA
WITH
USA CUBA
TRAVEL
USA CUBA TRAVEL: Travel to Cuba!
Welcome
About us
Travel tips

SPECIALTIES
Your itinerary
Your group
Escorted tours
Cigar tour
Golf
Scuba diving
Fishing
Bird watching
Ballet

BUSINESS
TRAVEL
Fact-finding trip
Business Trip
Incentive
Trade Show
Conventions
Facilities
Media & Press
Presentation

PRODUCTS
Packages
Lodging
Int'l flights
Transportation
Private guide
Insurance

FEEDBACK
*WIN a Trip!*
Make money
Your Comments

ABOUT CUBA
Travel guide
Information kit
Cultural events
Sporting events
In the press
Music - Live

TRAVEL INDUSTRY
Travel Agent
Tour Operator
Providers

NOTICE
Terms and Conditions
Legal
Site info

FOR
BOOKING
AND
INFORMATION
Contact us!

Seven treasures of colonial architecture
Overview of Cuba - Travel Guide

After Spain decided to conquer and colonize the island of Cuba, adelantado (royal governor) Don Diego Velázquez was sent to the New World.  Between 1512 and 1519, he founded the first seven Cuban townships, namely Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion de Baracoa, San Salvador de Bayamo, Santiago de Cuba, Sanctisima Trinidad, Sancti Spiritus, Santa Maria del Puerto del Principe (now Camaguey), and San Cristóbal de La Habana.  Today, they still preserve a great deal of their charming and dignified past.  Havana and Trinidad are, without a doubt, the ones that have best maintained their historic cores, featuring the highest percentage of surviving antique buildings and public squares and bringing together architectural, historic, and cultural elements of great value.  Both have been designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Jewels. 

Nevertheless, the rest are not less noble in lineage and offer a vast array of architectural and historic monuments, public squares, fortresses, and palaces.  For instance, even though the inhabitants of Bayamo burned their city to the ground in the early days (1868) of the War of Independence so it would not fall in enemy hands.  Bayamo has nevertheless retained part of the original parochial church and countless extremely important historic sites, plus the local color of its traditions, typified by buggy rides along its venerable streets.  Contemporary Camaguey, once called Puerto Principe, with an old city as large as Havana's and many times larger than Trinidad's, will dazzle visitors with its peculiar small streets, its churches, squares, and mansions, as well as with its cosy courtyards watched over by the large jar-shaped clay tinajones used locally as rainwater collectors.

Baracoa and Santiago de Cuba are charmingly authentic.  Located by the sea and surrounded by mountains, these cities are famous for their distinctly Carribean flavor.  Santiago's San Pedro de la Roca del Morro castle and Adelantado Velázquez's house are definitely worth a visit. Baracoa, Cuba's oldest city and first capital, jealously guards the first Christian relic of the New World, the Holy Cross of Parra, kept at Nuestra Señora de la Asunción Catholic Church.
 
 

OVERVIEW OF CUBA - TRAVEL GUIDE
Cuba invites you!
General information
More than 300
natural beaches
Right off the palette
of the finest artist
Seven treasures of
colonial architecture
Marine cities
Interior cities
Just like the smile
of its people
REGIONS OF CUBA - TRAVEL GUIDE
City of Havana
Old City of Havana
La Havana (province)
Pinar del Rio - Viñales
Isla de la Juventud
Cayo Largo
Matanzas - Varadero
Villa Clara - Santa Clara
Cienfuegos
Sancti Spiritus - Trinidad
Ciego Avila - Cayo Coco
Camaguey - Santa Lucia
Las Tunas
Holguin - Guardalavaca
Granma
Santiago
Guantanamo
     

 
 
USA CUBA TRAVEL
Welcome
About us
Travel tips
SPECIALTIES
Your itinerary
Your group
Escorted tours
Cigar tour
Golf
Scuba diving
Fishing
Bird watching
Ballet
BUSINESS TRAVEL
Fact-finding missions
Business Trip
Incentive
Trade Show
Conventions
Facilities
Media & Press
Presentation & address
PRODUCTS
Packages
Lodging
International flights
Transportation
Private guide
Insurance
FEEDBACK
*WIN a Trip!*
Make money
Your Comments
ABOUT CUBA
Travel guide
Information kit
Cultural events
Sporting events
In the press
Music - Live
TRAVEL INDUSTRY
Travel Agent
Tour Operator
Providers
NOTICE
Terms and Conditions
Legal
Site info
FOR BOOKING AND INFORMATION 
Contact us!
Updated August 20, 2000
Copyright ©2000 USA CUBA TRAVEL