Convento de Santo Domingo

Regla, Guanabacoa & the Forts


Convento de Santo Domingo is a sadly ruined convent with a handsome but mildewed baroque facade that's usually closed (there are no official hours, but try ringing the bell). It dates from the 1740s, when it was built by immigrant Canary Islanders who named the affiliated church after their patron saint, the Virgin of Candelaría. The ornate altarpiece features a carving of the Virgin. In 1762 the invading British army briefly turned the church into a barracks.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Regla, Guanabacoa & the Forts attractions

1. Iglesia de Guanabacoa

0.19 MILES

This church, in Parque Martí in the center of Guanabacoa, is also known as the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción. It was designed by Lorenzo…

2. Museo Municipal de Guanabacoa

0.29 MILES

Guanabacoa's main museum, like Regla's, is an important shrine to Santería, though you'll need to see past the run-down facilities and impassive 'guides'…

3. Museo de Mártires

0.5 MILES

Effectively an arm of Guanabacoa’s municipal museum, this tiny place on the road to Regla displays a scruffy selection of material relevant to the…

4. Ermita de Potosí

0.82 MILES

Inexplicably, barely anyone visits this, the oldest church in Cuba, still standing in its original perch. The structure dates from around 1675 and is a…

5. Colina Lenin

1.51 MILES

From Regla's boat dock, head straight (south) on Martí past Parque Guaicanamar, then turn left on Albuquerque and right on 24 de Febrero, the road to…

6. Galería César Leal

2.03 MILES

Humble Regla has a small gallery and an art school overseen by noted Cuban artist César Leal (b 1948). It holds regular expositions by the students or –…

7. Museo Municipal de Regla

2.04 MILES

If you've come to see Regla's church you should also check out this important museum. Don't be put off by its superficial dinginess – there are some…

8. Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Regla

2.13 MILES

As important as it is diminutive, Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Regla, which sits close to the dock in Regla, has a long and colorful history. Inside on…