Sancti Spíritus

Introducing Sancti Spíritus

For first-time visitors, unassuming Sancti Spíritus often seems like a larger and slightly less frenetic version of Trinidad. Antique Buicks limp asthmatically down cobbled city streets; bevies of enthusiastic school children practice stickball in languid Parque Serafín Sánchez; a plaintive and lilting bolero (a romantic love song) briefly interrupts the sleepy tranquility of Av Jesús Menéndez.

Founded in 1514 as one of Diego Velázquez' seven original 'villas', Sancti Spíritus was moved to its present site on the Río Yayabo in 1522. But the relocation didn't stop audacious corsairs, who continued to loot the town until well into the 1660s.

Lacking the historical importance of Trinidad or the pulsating cultural buzz of Santa Clara, Sancti Spíritus has developed into something of a transit town for travelers heading west or east. But a day or two's layover needn't be wasted. As well as possessing a thoroughly charming city center, Sancti Spíritus is also famous for the dapper guayabera shirt and the guayaba (guava) fruit, a crop that is still grown along the banks of the Río Yayabo, from which it derives its name.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009