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on slicing the country divisively in two. Pirates were a perennial headache in the early years, with the province’s first town, Remedios, being moved twice and then abandoned altogether in the late 1600s by a group of families who escaped inland to what is now Santa Clara. Later the population was diluted further by emigrant Canary Islanders who brought their agricultural know-how and distinctive lilting Spanish accents to the tobacco fields of the picturesque Vuelta Arriba region. In December 1958 Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara – aided by a motley crew of scruffy barbudas (bearded ones) – masterfully orchestrated the fall of the city of Santa Clara, by derailing an armored train carrying more than 350 government troops and weaponry to the east. The victory rang the death knell for Fulgencio Batista’s grisly dictatorship and the triumph of Cuba’s nationalistic Revolution.

Parks & Reserves

Villa Clara’s northern keys – part of the Sabana-Camagüey Archipelago – are heavily protected in a patchwork of flora and fauna reserves. Much of the marine area to the east falls inside the Buenavista Unesco Biosphere Reserve.

Getting There & Around

Located in the center of the island, Santa Clara has excellent transport connections heading east or west. Daily Víazul buses pass through to and from Trinidad, Varadero, Havana and Santiago via Camagüey and Bayamo. The fast Tren Francés stops in Santa Clara, as do numerous slower trains. Both Remedios and Caibarién are accessible via local bus or train. The Cayerías del Norte and Lago Hanabanilla are hard to reach without your own wheels or a taxi.

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SANTA CLARA

pop 210,680

Che city has long been hallowed turf for hero-worshiping, beret-wearing Guevara buffs, but away from the bombastic monuments lies a less evident Cuban essence. Santa Clara isn’t pretty like Trinidad or particularly cosmopolitan like Matanzas, but it does boast Cuba’s second most prestigious university, a feature that lends it academic airs and a brash, youthful vitality. Upbeat and full of life, this is a city that gradually crawls under your skin the longer you stay.

History

Christopher Columbus believed that Cubanacán (or Cubana Khan; an Indian name that meant ‘the middle of Cuba’), an Indian village once located near Santa Clara, was the seat of the khans of Mongolia; hence, his misguided notion that he was exploring the Asian coast. Santa Clara proper was founded in 1689 by 13 families from Remedios who were tired of the unwanted attention of passing pirates. The town grew quickly after a fire emptied Remedios in 1692, and in 1867 it became the capital of Las Villas province. A notable industrial center, Santa Clara was famous for its prerevolutionary Coca-Cola factory and its pivotal role in Cuba’s island-wide communications network. Today it continues to support a textile mill, a marble quarry and the Constantino Pérez Carrodegua tobacco factory. Santa Clara was the first major city to be liberated from Batista’s army in December 1958.

Orientation

Monuments relating to the 1958 battle for Santa Clara are on the east and west sides of the city. The train station is seven blocks north of Parque Vidal; the two bus stations are less conveniently located on the Carretera Central west of town.

In common with many Cuban cities, Santa Clara has a dual street-naming system: Click here if you’re confused.

Information

BOOKSTORES

Librería Viet Nam (Independencia Este btwn Plácido & Luis Estévez) Sells books in Convertibles and pesos.

INTERNET ACCESS & TELEPHONE

Dinos Pizza (Marta Abreu No 10 btwn Villuendas & Cuba; internet access per hr CUC$5) Three terminals.

Etecsa Telepunto (Marta Abreu No 55 btwn Máximo Gómez & Villuendas; internet access per hr CUC$6)

LIBRARIES

Biblioteca José Martí (Colón on Parque Vidal) Inside the stunning Palacio Provincial.

MEDIA

Radio CMHW broadcasts on 840AM and 93.5FM. The Vanguardia Santa Clara newspaper is published Saturday.

MEDICAL SERVICES

Farmacia Internacional (Parque Vidal No 6; 9am-6pm) In the Hotel Santa Clara Libre.

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