céspedes park

Nice to hear bands playing. Not too many hucksters. Surrounded by beautiful buildings (except the Bank of Cuba).

Too many pan handlers and gypsy taxis.Once they go away it is a wonderful pace to pause and enjoy the architecture around the plaza.

this is THE spot to meet all sorts of cuban peoples...the musicians, the poets, the rastafarians..the producers making documentaries, the students..the beggars b/c they're hoping for CUC's or make-up or whatever you can give up...the souvenir shops..the national bank of cuba...and lots of seating and relaxation time..i took a video of it all - magic! :)

A few doors down from the big white hotel on the square, is a yellowish building, with a sign outside about Radio Cuba, I think the first place in Cuba where there was a radio transmission. The building is being renovated, but you should walk inside, and someone will probably appear, and take a look inside, and especially go to the second floor for a look at a breathtaking ballroom under renovation. It's interested because it was neglected for so many decades, but is under a very slow repair. It's spectacular inside, and you can imagine the events that took place there, probably from about 1900 to about 1957. Would suggest a small tip to the person that lets you inside. Views from the second floor of the square/park outside are quite nice.

This is the place where everything happens! A place to relax with can of coke, orientate yourself, meet a friend or two, take the weight off your feet, and watch live performances. It is a square in the middle of the City, flanked by the Casa Granda Hotel, the internet cafe, the tourists' information, banks, etc. A short walk to everywhere, Casa de la Trova is just a step away again with live performances by local musicians throughout the day where you can hone your salsa dancing skills.

a very nice park located in the center of the city..this is a high point of the city,t.every parks are very nice and clean

Cespedes Park is the central point of Santiago de Cuba. There are various museums around the park and usually there are always some musicians around playing music.However, as the central touristic point there are also a lot of people trying to guide you around for a tip, or trying to get you to their taxi or restaurant, which is rather annoying.

The place itself is pretty, there are musicians, museums and restaurants around. On the other hand, as a tourist, you will have to talk to various jineteros that want to sell you (otherwise free) maps, old newspapers, taxi rides... So in the end it's not so easy to breathe in the atmosphere (ehm, filled with all the relic cars' fumes), which is sad.

This square contains most of the main tourist attractions in Santiago. Unfortunately the cathedral was undergoing renovations at the time of our visit. However, there were still enough attractions around the park to make our visit worthwhile.

Small square in the historical centre surrounded by well preserved colonial mansions , hotels and the Cathedral.Opposite the Cathedral is the house from where Fidel made his first speech after the success of the revolution.A favourite spot for local people to hang out and socialize as they say! The big trees were destroyed by the hurricane Sandy as well as the cathedral which is renovated just now.

With some impressive buildings around it .This is the main square so it's worth a walk around to see Cuban life .

Actually nothing special, no need to stay there more than 10 minutes. So nothing more to say about it. Have a look at the houses around, that's why we came there

The heart of the city of Santiago. The Parque Cespedes is surrounded by buildings that have been beautifully done up. Especially the ayuntamiento looks lovely in it's bright white with blue woodwork finishings. When in Santiago you will no doubt visit this centre of the town.

We had a great time exploring the city and enjoyed visiting this main square. Lots of historical buildings to see and the streets lead down to the water where you can explore the market areas and buy some of the nice Cuban woodworking items. At the end of our tour we visited a nice old hotel in the square and sat and had a mojito in the bar which overlooked the square. There were musicians playing guitar and a wonderful place just to people watch. When we were heading back to the hotel we got a taxi back which turned out to be a 1952 Chevy Belaire. All 6 of us got into the car and had a fun ride back to the hotel for 2 pesos each. Riding in one of these cars is a must for when you are in Cuba!

The square is the heart of historic Santiago.The area is very lively and a good area to talk to the santiagueros and santiagueras.They may expect a contribution.