Getting from Cayo Santa Maria to Santa Clara
Question: Hi, my husband and I are travelling to Cayo Santa Maria in the near future.
We will be landing in Santa Clara and then taking the assigned bus to a resort. We would like to travel back into Santa Clara to visit the resting site of Che Guevara. Is it safe for us to travel there? Can you recommend any other places to visit in Santa Clara and eating establishments. Thank you.
Answer: Yes it is very safe to travel from Cayo Santa Maria to Santa Clara. You will want to coordinate a Taxi which the Hotel Concierge can do for you. Should cost around 100 CUC (115 USD) for the return trip as Santa Maria is about 50 miles from Santa Clara. Obviously it would be worth it to see if the hotel offers group excursions to the Che monument, which is quite likely.
Also visit the central sqaure of Santa Clara. It might also be of interest to stop in Caibarien and Remedios, two historic and sleepy towns in between Cayo Santa Maria and Santa Clara.
Tienen listas de casas particulares en Habana vieja o esta?
While in Santa Clara you should also visit the Tren Blindado (within walking distance of the central plaza) to see the troop train carriages that Che derailed and the bulldozer used in the operation. There are several paladares (private restaurants) now in Santa Clara. If you are there in the evening, try Florida Center, on Candelaria 56 between Colon and Maceo, a lovely colonial house with a tropical garden in the courtyard, good food, romantic setting and the owner speaks some English.