Matanzas City: Venice of Cuba

Matanzas City, a prosperous, culturally rich city is located towards the Northern part of the Cuba, on the bay of Matanzas and is the capital of the Matanzas province. It has a great mix of Afro-Cuban folklore and is a city with 17 bridges. Sometimes also called the ‘City of Bridges’, this is a major industrial city of Cuba. The three major Cuban rivers San Juan, Canimar, and Rio Yumuri traverse the city due to which it gets the distinction of being the "Venice of Cuba”. To the southeast of the city is a hill called Pan de Matanzas, and presence of the Yumuri Valley, which divides the landscape from Atlantic coast by a coastal ridge. The bay of Matanzas, near this city is famous in Cuba due to its size and location.

The city is also famous for its poets and is referred to as "La Atenas de Cuba", meaning the Athens of Cuba. Blessed with traditionally intense and thriving cultural life, this city is the birthplace of the famous Cuban dance called ‘The Danzon’. This extremely popular dance is just the opposite of the Rumba dance, which is also an important part of the dancing culture of this city. The city is filled with numerous intellectuals and artists that make it a very culturally rich place and a great tourist attraction.

Interesting architectural diversity explains the characterization of the city. Some of the major attractions that the city has to offer to tourists are Museo Historico Provincial de Matanzas, Museo Farmacéutico, Sauto Theatre, Casino Español, Catedral San Carlos De Borromeo, Plaza de la Libertad, The San Severino Castle (built in 1694), The Plaza de la Vigía, nearby Bellamar caves (Cuevas de Bellamar), and boating on the Canimar River. The Sauto Theatre is a great place to watch opera, ballet, plays, and concerts. It is one of the recognized National monuments of Cuba.

Tourists will find it exciting to visit Cuevas de Bellamar, one amongst the largest caves in Cuba, which has been recognized as a National Monument of Cuba. The caves have a lot of history associated with them and are extremely beautiful to look at while exploring. The Plaza de la Libertad or Park of Freedom is a very important colonial plaza that dates back to 1800. It is near Sala White, the historic theatre constructed to provide tribute to the famous violinist Jose White. Tourists should also visit Ermita de Monserrate, a historic monument and a symbol of enormous economic power accomplished by the Catolinian community that inhabited this city.

The Plaza de la Vigía is famous as the city’s first arms square and is surrounded by buildings that hold the key to Matanzas's historical values. Some of the historic buildings at this place are Palace of Junco, former Customs office, and the historical fire station. The city is also home to the Palmar de Junco Stadium, which was host to the first official baseball game in Cuba. Bacunayagua Bridge, located near this city is one of the seven wonders of civil engineering in Cuba. Tourists can enjoy a scenic glimpse of the Yumuri valley from this bridge.

Accommodation is easy to find with lot of comfortable hotels and resorts catering to a well-to-do tourism industry. The hotels and resorts are located in some of the most beautiful locations, to provide a great vacation in the city. The nightlife is equally exciting with lot of places to hang out and enjoy the great Cuban culture of music and dance. The third version of the Tropicana nightclub, one of the most modern nightclubs in Cuba, provides a great atmosphere to the tourists to enjoy their night out in the city.