Introduction
It's the capital of the province Las Villas. There's not so much to do. Museums and statues are almost all dedicated to Ché Guevara who brought Batista to his fall. Interesting enough for a one day visit. Nothing more, nothing less.
Getting there and away
Viazulbus service : see general info 1
By car : good connection to Havana by the Autopista nacional.
By train : the railway Havana-Santiago de Cuba passes through.
Accommodation
Orlando Garcia Rodriguez, Rolando Pardo N°7 entre parque y Maceo. Tel : (53-422)26761. Two rooms (10 to 15 US$ each) with AC and private bathroom. Good food (ask for the shrimps) : dinner (6 US$),breakfast (3US$). Quiet place, they speak English, nice roof-terrazzo. (1/2000)
Consuelo Ramos Rodriguez, independencia #265 Apto 1 entre Union y San Isidro, Santa Clara. The room is large and has it's own private bathroom, cold/hot water and is air conditioned. US$10 a night for the room, US$3 for breakfast and US$6 for dinner. (7/99)
Casa Diana :Dr. Diana Lourdes Romero Campos, Calle Colon No. 236, Santa Clara, Tel. 203815. 2 rooms with bathrooms. ($15 ea.) A/C. Very clean and comfortable, open courtyard, 4 short blocks to city center. Excellent food. Breakfast $2, Dinner $6 US. Diana, a Dentist by profession, speaks perfect English and her husband Fernando is learning and communication is not difficult. Fernando has a car and can provide transportation, and as well he is a fishing and hunting guide. Great Largemouth Bass fishing in nearby Lake Hannabanilla (Feb. 2001)
Casa Mercy ( Ing. Omelio Moreno Lorenzo), San Cristobal No. 4 e Cuba y Colón Santa Clara, Villa Clara. Tel. (053-42)-216941. The people are very friendly. The AC-rooms are nice and clean and so is the bathroom. The price was US$15 per room. There is cold and
hot water during 24 hrs. Meals are ca. US$7. (May 2001)
Fernando de la Coba Castro y Yarelis Santos Perez, Carretera Central # 88, Banda Placetas e/t Ceiba y Bonachea, Santa Clara Tél.(53 )42 271117 It's a very large and beautiful house situated in large grounds in a residential district that is 2 km from the citycenter. Two large bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms are to rent. The bedrooms are equipped with air conditionning and the bathrooms are supplied with hot water. The meals are excellent on a point of view of quality, quantity, variety, and price.(The owner is an excellent cook). The proprietor has a list of places that you can visit in Santa-Clara and also places of interest within a 250 km area around Santa-Clara. Price of a double bed :15 $ /night.,Breakfast : 3 $ / person, Meal :7$ / person. (8/2001)
Restaurants/paladares
All 3 places were recommended by a traveller :
La Concha restaurant : ? , 2$ for taxi
Café / snack bar Park View : at the main square
Los Caneyes hotel (restaurant) : at the edge of the town, 4$ for taxi
What to do
Plaza de la Revolucion with the statue of Che Guevara: There is a museum about the life of ché and the battle of Santa Clara.
Monumento al Tren Blindado : Small museum in a few wagons of the armored train captured by Ché and his man during the Baptista-period.
Parque Vidal : with teatro de la caridad, museo de artes decorativas
For questions on
Cuba send an e-mail to
Steven Buvens.
