Santiago
de Cuba is of the utmost importance to Cuban history. Its
founder Diego
Velázquez Cuellar's body lies in the
city's cathedral. During the first half of the 16th century
it was the capital of the island, and at the time, had a
population
of 1,000 Spaniards, as well as the indigenous population--a
figure quite remarkable for the time.
Its bishopric first, and later its archbishopric, made Santiago
a centre of great religious importance. The Villa de Santiago
de Cuba, founded towards the end of 1514, was a strategic
centre of the island during the first years of the 'Conquista'.
From
the waters of its bay, among the most beautiful and unspoiled
in the world, many expeditions departed: Grijalva, Narváez,
De Soto and Hernán Cortés, who would become
the city's first mayor. Hostels in Santiago de Cuba |
ROOMS CUBA
