On our second day in Santiago we had an included city tour and this time going beyond just the city center.

We first made it to the Plaza de la Revolucion with a statue of the city’s hero Antonio Maceo. From here we continued to the Cuartel Moncanda (Moncanda barracks) – attacked in 1953 by Fidel and his men and (despite its failure) the first big shot of the revolutionaries.

From the barracks we continued to Cementerio Santa Ifgenia – burrial place of many liberation war and revolution heroes – plus the home of the mausoleum of José Martí, Cuba’s national hero.

Last stop of the tour was the – a bit out of town – Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca del Morro – a fort, planned in the 17th, finished in the early 18th century; originally built to defend the bay against pirates, it was ultimately converted to a prison in the 19th century – today a museum and Unesco world heritage.

After the tour there was further opportunity to explore town; in the evening most of us ended up in the local Casa de la Trova for another night of mojitos (or Cristal for a change) and salsa music.