| Cuba's second city is hot, hilly and exhausting but at the same time seductively languid. Built on a sequence of hills overlooking a large bay with the Sierra Maestra in the background, it is certainly one of Cuba's most picturesque cities. Its colourful streets sweep up and down steep hills, making walking through the city, although pleasant, a little tiring if done in long stretches.
Yet Santiago has a singular vibrancy, its predominantly mulatto people, a mix of Spanish, French from Haiti and huge numbers of African slaves, are persistently friendly.
It has plenty to offer for sightseers, blessed as it is with a host of interesting museums, buildings and places (Moncada Barracks, Emilio Bacardi Museum, The Cathedral, Morro Castle, La Maison, Calle Heredia...)
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