A Caribbean city with people of mixed race, of sea and mountains; characterized by its joyful and hospitable residents. Nothing is alien to Santiago from the island. It has been the capital, cradle, inspiration and presence of the country’s history. Adapted to relief, Santiago’s streets, undulating, go up and down in any direction, and that rhythm ends up by being transmitted to everything. Perhaps that’s the reason why this is the land of music, rum and carnival. Céspedes Park and its surroundings in the historical central area, the San Pedro de la Roca del Morro Castle, a World Cultural Heritage Site; Baconao Grand Natural Park, a World Biosphere Reserve, are just the beginning. The golden rule in Santiago de Cuba is to follow the crowd, to get lost in its streets, to melt into its warm and cheerful people.
Together with the Colombian city of Cartagena de Indias, this is the only city in Latin America that has the Golden Apple, an award granted by the International Federation of Tourism Journalists and Writers (FIJET). This prize is given to tourist destinations, towns and cities that have excelled the most over the last few decades in terms of quality and respect toward the environment, the artistic and cultural patrimony, traditions, and the most exquisite practice of services on the part of tourism professionals.