Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Cobre, El Cobre

Get to know the impressive Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Cobre in Santiago de Cuba, the most important temple in Cuba.

Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Cobre, El Cobre
© Sol de Cuba

The Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre, the patron saint of Cuba, is located on the Maboa hill, in El Cobre, a town in the province of Santiago de Cuba, and is the most famous and busiest church in the country with around 500 daily visits.

The temple, truly beautiful, is eclectic in style and of great majesty provided by three naves of which the central one is crowned by a large red brick dome. The two lateral naves culminate in two towers also with smaller red domes that, in contrast to the white tones of the construction, make up the beautiful image of the church inserted in the green background of the Sierra Maestra.

Inside is the greatest jewel of the basilica, the Virgin of Charity that millions of faithful have come to venerate, including the last three popes: John Paul II who crowned her and offered a costume embroidered in gold and decorated with precious stones, Benedict XVI who gave her a golden rose and Francisco I who gave her a vase with silver flowers. The Virgin is astonishingly spectacular and she dazzles even the least religious. During the mass, the Virgin of Charity presides over the ceremony and at other times she is in a display case always accompanied by a large number of flowers and candles that are lit by Cuban visitors and from all over the world.

In the Chapel of Miracles, believers offer all kinds of belongings to the Virgin to obtain a wish in exchange. In it we can find a multitude of jewels, precious stones, trophies and Olympic medals. Although, perhaps what attracts the most attention is Ernest Hemingway's Nobel Prize, in love with this island to whom he dedicated his best-known work The Old Man and the Sea.

For Cubans, the Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre and her temple is a symbol of union of the people, leaving aside cultural, ideological, and social differences. everyone venerates her above any superfluous question, which truly makes the Cuban nation.

Interactive map:

Santiago de Cuba

What to see:

Museums:

Siboney

Parque Baconao (Baconao Park)

El Cobre

Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Cobre

Pico Turquino

Museo de la Plata (Silver Museum)

Other nearby destinations:

Why "Cuban Travel Agency"?

"Cuban Travel Agency" is part of the Visitar Cuba project, an organization of Cuban agencies whose objectives are:

✓ Disseminate Cuba, its culture and its heritage.
✓ Promote sustainable tourism.
✓ Support the local economy, prioritizing direct contact with Cuban agencies.
✓ Offer budgets without commitment and without cost, from the hand of Cuban experts.

Ask for your estimate

Travel agencies and Tour Operators

If you are an agency or tour operator and you are looking for help to create trips to Cuba, trust our expert hands, we offer special prices.

Special prices for Travel Agencies and Tour Operators