MATANZAS

It was the first and most important building of the city finished in 1745: a typical Renaissance military construction, which is an assimilation of the defensive system extended by the French and Italians in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In 1978, it was declared National Monument because of its historical and architectural values.

It is currently home to the Slave

Route Museum inaugurated on June 16, 2009, which illustrates the history of slavery in the region as well as elements of the Afro-cuban religion.

CUEVAS DE BELLAMAR (CAVES)

Carretera de las Cuevas, Tel 045 25 3190

It is a group of caves with more than 23 km of galleries, discovered accidentally in 1861 when a slave lost his jimmy while opening a hole in the ground to remove a limestone rock. It was originally named "Cuevas de Parga," in honor of Don Manuel Santos Parga, the owner of the farm where the discovery took place.

At the entrance is a 32-centuryold stalactite, called the "Manto de Colón," the largest and oldest rock formation with 12 m of height and of a rare beauty due to its resplendent structure covered by a crystalline layer of great beauty. The Cuevas de Bellamar have great scientific importance because they have been the scene of diverse discoveries.

MUSEO EL MORRILLO (MUSEUM)

Located at the entrance of the Bay of Matanzas, a few meters from the mouth of the Canímar River, it was part of the defensive system built by the Spaniards around Matanzas bay, with the purpose of defending the city from the attacks of privateers and pirates. Built in 1720, it initially had a horseshoeshaped battery, a turret, and a loopholed fort. Today, it is a museum dedicated to display on the life of revolutionary leader Antonio Guiteras Holmes and Carlos Aponte who were assassinated in the fortress in 1935.

ERMITA DE MONSERRAT 7 (CHAPEL)

Alturas de Simpson, Valle del Yumurí

Built with the collaboration of Catalans living in the city, its origins date back to the second half of the 19th century. In 1930, it was visited by the Spanish poet Federico García Lorca, who was photographed there with local children.

VARADERO

A town founded in 1887, today it has become a special territory, belonging to the municipality of Cárdenas. Recognized as one of the best spas in the world, it has 22 km of beaches of fine white sand. Known as a spa town, it has other added bonuses and natural attractions such as escarpments, caves, virgin cays and incredible landscapes on its western side. Among its rich features, the Peninsula of Hicacos has aboriginal pictographs located in the Cueva de Ambrosio and in the ruins of Salina La

Calavera (saltworks), considered like the first one exploited by the Spaniards in America.

As a tourist destination for business, Varadero hosts congresses and fairs at the Centro de Convenciones Plaza América. It offers excellent conditions for the practice of nautical sports of all kinds and deep-sea fishing. Its rich seabed is ideal for diving and has numerous diving sites with more than 40 different types of coral, a great diversity of fish, crustaceans, turtles and mollusks. Among other sports in Varadero, skydiving in individual and tandem mode is practiced in Varadero.

1 Parque Retiro Josone

Ave. 1ra between 54th and 59th streets, Tel 045 66 7228

It is a magnificent garden designed by José Iturrioz and Onelia Méndez in 1942, who lived