Cuba's Soul City — the birthplace of son cubano, the July Carnival, Castillo del Morro on the harbor, and the city that produced more Cuban music than anywhere except Havana
Santiago de Cuba is Cuba's second city and cultural soul — the birthplace of son cubano, the Afro-Cuban musical form that evolved into salsa, and a city with a deeper African cultural heritage than any other in Cuba. The Sierra Maestra mountains rise directly behind the city, where Fidel Castro launched the Cuban Revolution from the Moncada Barracks in 1953; the Cuartel Moncada is now a school and museum. The harbor is guarded by the 16th-century Castillo del Morro, one of the most beautifully sited fortresses in the Americas, perched on a dramatic promontory with panoramic views. The Casa de…
Santiago de Cuba was founded by the conquistador Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar in 1515 — one of the original seven Cuban villas — and served as the island's first capital before Havana eclipsed it. It was Cuba's most important port for most of the 16th and 17th centuries, and the Morro fortress was built between 1638 and 1700 to defend against pirate raids and foreign navies. The late 18th and early 19th centuries brought massive immigration from Haiti by French Creole planters and their enslaved workers fleeing the Haitian Revolution, profoundly shaping the city's culture. The Battle of Santiag…