The port of Santiago de Cuba is located in the southeast of the island of Cuba. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city in the country with 1.2 million inhabitants. When you arrive (or depart) you can observe the fortress of Castillo del Morro at the mouth of the bay and understand why this well-protected city was one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean.
The city was founded by Diego Velasquez in 1515. It was in Santiago de Cuba that Fidel Castro began an attack on Batista’s troops on July 26, 1953. Although it was a terrible failure, this event was a key element of Castro’s mobilization and rise in his revolutionary struggle.
In July, Santiago is the scene of an important carnival.