Dr. Armando Carballo Fernandez San Felix (Hartmann) #306 e/ Habana y Trinidad Centro de la Ciudad Santiago de Cuba Tel. ++53 (22) 65 31 44 and 62 49 61 (neighbour) Price: 20 CUC - 25 CUC Note: A doctor's familiy. You´ve got your privacy. You will have a bathroom for you own, with hot and cold shower. The room's air conditioned and clean.   Lourdes de la Caridad Gomez Felix Pena #454 e/ San Francisco y San Geronimo Santiago de Cuba Tel. ++53 (22) 65 44 68 Price: 15 CUC - 20 CUC Note: Very nice yard. The owners are very kindly. Good food. One of the room is very big.   Cubataxi Tel.: 65 10 38/ 65 10 39/ 62 43 28 Panataxi Tel. : 68 70 00 More useful phone numbers: Omnibus Astro Tel.: 62 30 58 Omnibus Viazul Tel.: 62 84 84 Railway station Tel.: 62 28 36 / 65 20 20

Santiago de Cuba with his extraordinary narrow streets is the capital of the "Oriente"- Cubans east. Very different from Havana. You'll feel that this is the most carribean city of Cuba. Its streets are always full of people and Cuban movement. At least you have to visit it.

Excursiones

• Castillo del Morro and Cayo Granma. Go by truck or by bus to Ciudamar. You can pay with Pesos. From Ciudamar to the Castillo it's a fifteen minute walk. Afterwards you can visit the small Island Cayo Granma. There's a ferry from ciudamar every hour.
  
• The Sierra Maestra is near the city, too. If you go by truck or by bus you need for this excursion at least two days. There are trucks from Santiago to Contra Maestre (from there you can go by taxi to the "Salton" Hotel) and Bayamo. In Bayamo you have to look for a taxidriver if you like to go to the Hotel Santo Domingo. From Santo Domingo you can go by foot to the Pico Turquino or to the comandanica la Plata (as I did).
  
• La Gran Piedra (= big stone). A mountain near the city. If you need some peace for more than a day, at the top you will find a hotel. I advise you this excursion with the aim of leaving the city almost the hole day. You can go there by taxi (oficial or maybe also unoficial) which can be found near Casa Grande Hotel. An oficial taxi will cost you about 35 CUC (retourn journey and the time he will wait for you). You can also rent a motorbike at the Casa Grande hotel (20 CUC a day + fuel). But remember, it's a montainous road. After being upstairs you have to climb a stair of about 450 steps to reach to the big stone which is the top of the mountain. It's worth a try because there you will find a very nice view of the surrounding area. Before ore after going to the big stone you can visit the Isabelita coffee plantation. It was a property founded three centurys ago by a French family. Now it's a museum (1 CUC entrence), a very amazing museum where you can see how slaves were treated, the instruments of working and among other things the principal house and the diferent types of shackles that slaves had to use in those times. In just two words: very amazing. This coffee plantation and the principal house can be seen from the big stone. The taxi drive you all the places. Near the big stone, 1km away, you can also find a nice botanical garden.

How to go to Santiago

• ASTRO. From all directions for exemple from Habana, Sta. Clara, Holguin, Baracoa, Bayamo, Guantánamo, Camaguey (and other cities) but not from Trinidad. For more information call Santiagos' ASTRO-terminal at: 62 30 58.
• VIA AZUL. Daily two buses from Habana and one from Trinidad and Baracoa. The buses stops in every province. For more information call Santiago's VIA AZUL station at: 62 84 84. Check also the timetable.
• CUBANA and AEROCARIBE. They have flights from Habana (every day 2-3), from Baracoa (Sunday) and other cities.
• AEROTAXI. Has irregular flights two cities around like Guantanamo but also to Baracoa. Call Santiagos' airport for further information.
• TREN (Train). There are daily up to two trains from Habana to Santiago. There's the regular (will stop in every province and also at some smaller towns - every second day), the especial "Locura Azul" (will stop in every province - there's one every second day) and there's the Tren Frances (stops only in Santa Clara and Camaguey - every second day - the most punctual train in Cuba)
  There are also trains from Holguin, Guantánamo and Bayamo but this service is rather insecure, it's better to go by bus, collectiv taxi or by truck. For more information call the Trainstation of Santiago: 62 28 36/ 65 20 20, check also the timetable.
• Camiones (Trucks). The transport by truck to cities like Holguin, Bayamo und Guantanamo (dificult for foreigners) is not so bad. There are also some trucks to Siboney, La Uvera, El Cobre etc. Most of them are leaving opposite ASTROs' Busterminal.
• Collectivos (collectiv taxis). There's a good service to near cities. Be aware that they are not all leaving at the same place. Most of them leaves near the Terminal de Omnibus Intermunicipales en la Avenida de los Libertadores but for example to Guantánamo they're leaving opposite the old train station.