Cuba - Lonely Planet [342]
Cine Capitolio (Map; 62-71-64; Av Victoriano Garzón No 256) Videos are also the usual fare here.
Cine Cuba (Map; cnr Saco & General Lacret) Recipient of a recent refurbishment, this place is the best in town with an inviting lobby, decent array of movies and plenty of crowds.
SPORT
Estadio de Béisbol Guillermón Moncada (Map; 64-26-40; Av de las Américas) This stadium is on the northeastern side of town within walking distance of the main hotels. During the baseball season, from October to April, there are games at 7:30pm Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, and 1:30pm Sunday (one peso). The Avispas (Wasps) have had the edge on Havana’s Industriales of late with National Series victories in 2005, 2007 and 2008.
Gimnasio Cultura Física (Map; Pio Rosado No 455 btwn Saco & Hechavarría; 6am-6:45pm Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm Sat, 8am-noon Sun) No manicures here! For a wicked workout drop into this gym with its well-pummeled punching bags, rusty old weights and cold showers.
Shopping
Discoteca Egrem (Map; Saco No 309; 9am-6pm Mon-Sat, 9am-2pm Sun) The definitive Cuban specialist music store; this retail outlet of Egrem Studios has a good selection of local musicians.
ARTex (General Lacret Map; General Lacret btwn Aguilera & Heredia; Heredia Map; Heredia No 304; 11am-11pm; Patio ARTex Map; Heredia No 208; 11am-7pm Tue-Sun) From mouse pads to Che trinkets, the branch of ARTex below Hotel Casa Granda collects any type of Cuban souvenir imaginable. The other branches – in the Casa de la Trova and at Patio ARTex one block further up Calle Heredia – focus more on music, with a respectable selection of CDs and cassettes.
La Maison (Map; 64-11-17; Av Manduley No 52; 10am-6pm Mon-Sat) The Santiago version of the famous Havana fashion house located in an appropriately grand Vista Alegre maison (house).
ART GALLERIES
Innovative creativity is inscribed into the louvers in colonial Santiago, and a brief sortie around the casco histórico will reveal exciting snippets of eye-catching art. The following places in Parque Céspedes are just the tip of the iceberg.
Galería de Arte de Oriente (Map; General Lacret No 656) Probably the best gallery in Santiago de Cuba, the art here is consistently good.
Galería Santiago (Map; Heredia) This gallery, below the cathedral on the southern side of Parque Céspedes, is another one with quality art and there are several more galleries along Heredia east of here.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Photo Service Av Garzón (Map; 65-19-91; cnr Av Garzón & Calle 4); General Lacret (Map; 62-35-90; General Lacret No 728)
Getting There & Away
AIR
Antonio Maceo International Airport (Map; airport code SCU; 69-10-14) is 7km south of Santiago de Cuba, off the Carretera del Morro. International flights arrive from Paris-Orly, Madrid, Toronto and Montreal on Cubana (Map; 65-15-77; cnr Saco & General Lacret). Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa are also served by Sunwing (www.sunwing.ca) and Skyservice (www.skyserviceairlines.com). AeroCaribbean ( 68-72-55; General Lacret btwn Bartolomé Masó & Heredia) flies weekly between here and Port Au Prince, Haiti and twice weekly to Santo Domingo.
Internally, Cubana flies nonstop from Havana to Santiago de Cuba two or three times a day (CUC$114 one-way, 1½ hours). There are also services to Varadero and Holguín and charters to Miami.
BUS
The National Bus Station (Map; cnr Av de los Libertadores & Calle 9), opposite the Heredia Monument, is 3km northeast of Parque Céspedes. Víazul ( 62-84-84) buses leave from the same station.
The Havana bus stops at Bayamo (CUC$7, two hours), Holguín (CUC$11, four hours 20 minutes), Las Tunas (CUC$11, five hours 35 minutes), Camagüey (CUC$18, seven hours 35 minutes), Ciego de Ávila (CUC$24, 9½ hours), Sancti Spíritus (CUC$28, 11 hours 35 minutes) and Santa Clara (CUC$33, 13 hours). The Trinidad bus can drop you at Bayamo, Las Tunas, Camagüey, Ciego de Ávila and Sancti Spíritus.
TRAIN
The modern French-style train station (Map; 62-28-36; Av Jesús Menéndez) is situated