Below the Tivolí quarter, this narrow park embellishes a dockside promenade opened in 1840 and redesigned in 1893. Refurbishment for the 2015 quincentennial has made it the center of the Malecón (boardwalk) in the style of Havana's, also featuring a playground, palm trees and public wi-fi. The north end features the old clock tower, aduana (customs house) and cigar factory. With smart architecture, sea air and a dash of port-side sketchiness, it's good for a stroll.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca del Morro
4.24 MILES
A Unesco World Heritage site since 1997, the San Pedro fort sits impregnably atop a 60m-high promontory at the entrance to Santiago harbor, 10km southwest…
Cementerio Santa Ifigenia
1.07 MILES
Nestled peacefully on the city's western extremity, the Cementerio Santa Ifigenia is second only to Havana's Necrópolis Cristóbal Colón in its importance…
Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción
0.4 MILES
Santiago's most important church is stunning both inside and out. There has been a cathedral on this site since the city's inception in the 1520s, though…
Nearby Santiago de Cuba attractions
1. Clock Tower
0.06 MILES
At the north end of Parque Alameda you'll see the old clock tower, aduana (customs house) and cigar factory. A curious mix of smart architecture and port…
2. Fidel Castro House
0.21 MILES
Across the street from the Museo de la Lucha Clandestina is the house where Fidel Castro lived from 1931 to 1933 while a student in Santiago de Cuba…
3. Tivolí
0.22 MILES
Santiago's old French quarter was first settled by colonists from Haiti in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Set on a south-facing hillside…
4. Museo de la Lucha Clandestina
0.23 MILES
This gorgeous yellow colonial-style building houses a museum detailing the underground struggle against Batista in the 1950s. It's a fascinating, if…
5. Padre Pico Steps
0.26 MILES
The picturesque Padre Pico steps are almost 100 years old and still hosting rousing games of dominoes; the steps lead to the Tivolí neighborhood.
6. Calle José A Saco
0.27 MILES
A pedestrian-only street stretching from Plaza de Marte to the Paseo Alameda on the waterfront. Heaps of locals browse the shops and restaurants. For…
7. Balcón de Velázquez
0.32 MILES
The alfresco Balcón de Velázquez is the site of an old Spanish fort. It offers ethereal views over the terracotta-tiled roofs of the Tivolí neighborhood…
8. Maqueta de la Ciudad
0.33 MILES
Cuba is obsessed with scale city models, and Santiago, with this incredibly detailed maqueta, is no exception. Interesting historical and architectural…