Matanzas is unlikely to be on most travelers’ Cuba itinerary, which I think is a shame as this small city is quite beautiful and has an incredible art scene. Interestingly the city has several nicknames, like the “Athens of Cuba”, “Creole Venice”, and “Cradle of Danzón”, as each one of these are indicative of the historical and artistic influence found here.
The name “Athens of Cuba” is reflective of its role as a cultural hub in the 19th century when the city attracted poets, writers, musicians and artists renowned for their contributions and achievements both artistically and intellectually, similar to Athens. It was given the nickname “Creole Venice” because of the city’s many bridges and rivers, and the name “Cradle of Danzón” was given as the city was credited with the creation of danzón, the national dance and music of Cuba.
All of the above was part of the reason we chose to spend one day here with an overnight stay, that and to break up the long drive from Trinidad back to Havana. The city is about a 4-hour drive from Trinidad, about 1.5 hours from Havana, and a short 45 mins from the famous beach town of Varadero. With 24 hours in Matanzas we set out to make the most of it!
Where we stayed
As with all our stays throughout our time in Cuba, we chose to stay in a Casa and found this one through Airbnb. Casa D’Mancha had everything you could need, which for us was WiFi, air conditioner, and washing facilities. The bonus here was the incredible roof top that we could make use of! Had a lovely view of the city, and the perfect place to enjoy some cervezas at the end of the day.
We packed light for Cuba with only carry-on luggage so being able to do a load of laundry was so helpful! Our hostess was so accommodating and friendly – arranging a taxi for a short-day trip as well as the shared taxi back to Havana. The location of the Casa was convenient with only a short 10 block walk to the city center. Highly recommended!
La Botica Francesa – Pharmaceutical Museum
I am not normally one for museums, but I have to say this Pharmacy Museum was really incredible. Previously a pharmacy opened in 1882, it is one of the most complete collections of 19th and early 20th century pharmaceutical tools and products. Everything was in pristine condition with hundreds of amazing French porcelain jars that were used to store medicines and ingredients, original prescription logs, marble countertops, interesting laboratory equipment, and even the old cash register that looks brand new. On top of all this, we had the privilege of being the only tourists on the day we visited.
We had the most lovely Cuban museum tour guide walking us around and explaining things, in very slow and hand gestured Spanish, which was so helpful considering our Spanish is low level basic as best. I was really in awe of everything and could have spent so long just checking out the old bottles, equipment and decor. It’s recognized as one of the most complete and authentic pharmaceutical museums in the world and has been declared a National Monument of Cuba.
Entrance is 200CUP (cash only) and the museum is located across the street from the Parque de la Libertad next door to the Hotel E Louvre. Whether you are a museum goer or not I highly recommend visiting here while in Matanzas.
Castillo de San Severino
This former Spanish colonial fort is located about 5 km from the city center, roughly a 10 min taxi ride. It’s right off Matanzas Bay and is the oldest surviving building in the city. It was built in 1735 to protect the bay and the city from pirate attacks. It also played a significant role during the transatlantic slave trade, as Matanzas was one of the major ports for the arrival of African slaves brought to Cuba to work in the sugar plantations.
For 200 CUP (cash) you can walk around the forts interior and visit the Museum of the Slave Route which gives a somber insight into its slavery past, while also honoring the cultural heritage of the African descendants. There was even a small exhibition about the Orishas, which are deities within the Santeria Afro-Cuban religion.
The views of the bay from the ramparts of the fort are also quite beautiful. It’s worth a visit if you have the time (allow a couple of hours including taxi).
Paseo de Narváez
Along the San Juan River is the only promenade in the country. The buildings along here were old warehouses where sugar was stored when Cuba was one of the biggest players in the sugar trade industry.
After the decline of this trade in the country as well as all the other changes that took place in Cuba, these buildings were left empty and some even in ruins. In an effort to restore and transform the city as part of its 325th anniversary, the once abandoned spaces are being transformed and Paseo de Narváez has become a lively artistic area with outdoor art galleries, modern art sculptures, restaurants and bars. We were graciously invited to pop in to an art gallery where the resident artist was in full flow painting away.
This the place to be to soak in the cultural revival of this city and experience why the city was and is known as the Athens of Cuba.
Plaza de la Vigía
Plaze de la Vigia is the heart of the city and the location the city was founded in the 16th century. The plaza is surrounded by some beautiful historical buildings like the Teatro Sauto, the Matanzas Cathedral, Palacio de Junco and the Casa de la Cultura. The lively colorful square makes the perfect place to enjoy a coffee and soak in the vibe of the city.
Hershey Train
American chocolate company Hersheys used to have a sugar mill in Central Hershey, which was near Matanzas. They built their own railway to transport sugar from Matanzas to Havana, and it was one of the first electric railways in Cuba. The Hershey Train Station located in Matanzas is where these historical trains pulled into.
We saw this as a tourist attraction in some of our research and thought that would be pretty cool to check out. Note – do not try to visit here. I’ve done the legwork for you and can confirm this does not exist anymore and the train station is in ruins. Granted our walk here did allow us to see the very rural and local residential area of Matanzas, but I felt bad even walking through this area as most houses were very dilapidated and residents seemed to look at us like we were lost. Let’s move on!
Food and Drink
The short list below is some of the coffee shops, bars and restaurants we visited:
Por Amor al Arte – this small coffee shop along the Narvaez was in high demand. There are only a handful of tables inside, which led to a small queue of caffeine thirsty patrons patiently waiting out front. We visited the morning of our departure and enjoyed the best coffee we had in all of Cuba. Definitely worth the wait!
Puerta de Louvre – next door to the Hotel E Louvre, is this associated coffee shop and pastry shop. Really good friendly service and some tasty cakes!
Mily Mar – lovely bar and restaurant along the Narvaez. We didn’t have any food here, but noted they had some good reviews, and it’s a great location.
Bar Tiempo – this restaurant was recommended by our hostess, so we thought we would try it. Not much I can say other than the service was quick and really friendly, and the food was satisfactory and edible. I don’t mean that it was bad, but nothing I would rave about. And to be honest we found with several restaurants in Cuba, that so long as the food is edible, alright and stays down, then that is a win 🙂 .
Le Fettuccine which is the number one restaurant on TripAdvisor unfortunately had the address of their old location, so when we walked by it to see about dinner, we found it had been closed so we were disappointed. Our hostess informed us it had actually moved, but this was sadly discovered a day too late. I would say check locally before you try and go. I’m still unsure where it actually is!
My takeaways
After a short 24 hours in Mantanzas, my main takeaway was how quiet it was in terms of tourists. We actually felt like the only tourists there. While not necessarily a bad thing for me, we were literally the only people at both the pharmaceutical museum and at Castillo de San Severino when we visited.
The area along the Narvaez, as well as the two parallel streets behind it is the area with the most bars, restaurants and activity. I would advise to spend most of your time here if you’re looking for food or a drink with some nice views. In hindsight I realize we should have stayed here for dinner.
Unfortunately, the entire country is experiencing power outages but Mantanzas had the longest one we endured, well over 10 hours and only places that had backup generators were able to stay open. I don’t want to sway anyone from not visiting Mantanzas, as I really enjoyed our time here and the city, but just something to be mindful as you plan.
If you are interested in learning more about the transformation of Matanzas – this is a great article – Matanzas: The rebirth of Cuba’s abandoned cultural hub – BBC Travel