Tivolí

Santiago de Cuba


Santiago's old French quarter was first settled by colonists from Haiti in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Set on a south-facing hillside overlooking the shimmering harbor, its red-tiled roofs and hidden patios are a tranquil haven these days, with old men pushing around dominoes and ebullient kids playing stickball amid pink splashes of bougainvillea.

The century-old Padre Pico steps, cut into the steepest part of Calle Padre Pico, stand at the neighborhood's gateway.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Santiago de Cuba attractions

1. Fidel Castro House

0.16 MILES

Across the street from the Museo de la Lucha Clandestina is the house where Fidel Castro lived from 1931 to 1933 while a student in Santiago de Cuba…

2. Museo de la Lucha Clandestina

0.18 MILES

This gorgeous yellow colonial-style building houses a museum detailing the underground struggle against Batista in the 1950s. It's a fascinating, if…

3. Parque Alameda

0.22 MILES

Below the Tivolí quarter, this narrow park embellishes a dockside promenade opened in 1840 and redesigned in 1893. Refurbishment for the 2015…

4. Padre Pico Steps

0.24 MILES

The picturesque Padre Pico steps are almost 100 years old and still hosting rousing games of dominoes; the steps lead to the Tivolí neighborhood.

5. Clock Tower

0.27 MILES

At the north end of Parque Alameda you'll see the old clock tower, aduana (customs house) and cigar factory. A curious mix of smart architecture and port…

6. Maqueta de la Ciudad

0.33 MILES

Cuba is obsessed with scale city models, and Santiago, with this incredibly detailed maqueta, is no exception. Interesting historical and architectural…

7. Balcón de Velázquez

0.34 MILES

The alfresco Balcón de Velázquez is the site of an old Spanish fort. It offers ethereal views over the terracotta-tiled roofs of the Tivolí neighborhood…

8. Calle José A Saco

0.38 MILES

A pedestrian-only street stretching from Plaza de Marte to the Paseo Alameda on the waterfront. Heaps of locals browse the shops and restaurants. For…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "cuba/eastern-cuba/santiago-de-cuba/attractions/tivoli/a/poi-sig/1334814/358013",
      "destination": "Santiago-de-Cuba",
      "continent": "Caribbean",
      "country": "Cuba",
      "city": "Santiago-de-Cuba",
      "position": "superzone"
    }