January 31st 2011
Cuba City Guide – Santi Spiritus, the Village of the Holy Spirit
Santi Spiritus City, approximately 640 miles east of Havana City, was founded in June, 1514 by Diego Velazquez, but in 1522 it was transferred to its current location on the banks of the Yayabo River while searching for economic improvements. With its church finished in 1680 after 60 years of construction, its bridge over the river finished by 1825, and its great increase in population the town was granted the title of Spanish City.
Among its many attractions, the visitor can go to the old historical part of the village, where more than 2 thousand buildings with architectural value stand high and where different construction styles coincide: reminiscences of Spanish and regional Baroque and the Neoclassical style. Many of them were constructed between the 17th century and the 19th century.
The visitor can see the Teatro Principal (Main Theatre built in 1839) and the Parochial Church, finished in 1680 after 60 years of construction. Its narrow and stone-paved streets always wakes the curiosity in the visitors, like Llano St which ends in the banks of the Yayabo River and has humble houses on both sides built with the colonial style; houses that have resisted the passing of time and that have wide patios where the light, the colourful stained-glass windows, and the age halo give them a distinctive touch.
However, there are beautiful and opulent houses as well, located on Manuelico Díaz and Céspedes, which were built during the times of great economic growth of the sugar mill owners. No more than 500 meters from the Old Quarters, the Bridge of the Yayabo River stands, awarded with the title of National Monument due to it being the only bridge that still stands from colonial times. This engineering masterpiece was built in 1825. It is a solid structure of lime, sand, and bricks containing five archs. On October 10, 1978, the Old Quarters of Santi Spiritus (Holy Spirit) was declared National Monument.
One of the options that tourists visit in the former village of Santi Spiritus is the mountain range, especially the Escambray Mountains located in the south part of the city in the Guamuhaya Range, considered one of the most important mountain ranges in the country due to its rich fauna, and vast forests. There, the visitor can find the Pico de Potrerillo National Park, rising 931 meters above sea level, a well protected area devoted to the maintenance of the local flora and fauna. Another interesting option is the excursion to San Juan Peak, 1140 meters high. The whole area is bathed by the waters of diverse rivers that flow into the Caribbean Sea, such as the Yayabo River, Zaza River, Agabama River, and Jatibonico River.
From the Rancho Hatuey Hotel, Encanto Del Rijo Hotel, The Zaza Hotel (on the outskirts of the city), Los Laureles Hotel, The Plaza Hotel, The Hostal, and The San José del Lago Hotel, the tourists have the chance of participating in tours to the mountain ranges of Santi Spiritus and to its monumental buildings; especially the tours to the Evangelical Convention Los Pinos Nuevos, the Parochial Church, The Holy Spirit Church, the former jail, Bartolomé Maso Street, and the small village surrounding the former sugar mill Narcisa, among many other sites.
A stay in the village of the Yayabo River is very comfortable and a great option if you are preparing to continue your journey to the eastern provinces after the long journey from Havana City.