One of the oldest towns in Cuba, Santiago de Cuba is protected by the mountains of the Sierra Maestra on one side and formidable fortified sea walls on the other. It is a bustling town with an assorted variety of architectural styles from colonial to art deco.

It literally bursts with life and most notably music, for Santiago is the spiritual home of 'son', a distinctly Afro-Cuban music style tied closely to the creation of Cuban cultural and national identity. Music oozes from its seams as rhythms resonate throughout the streets at all times of day.

Carnival in July is just one example of the many musical events hosted by this city. Just outside Santiago is a pre-historic park, a museum dedicated to the Haitian slave revolt, a shrine devoted to Cuba's patron saint and the headquarters of numerous revolutionaries.