Cárdenas, Cuba

Visit Cárdenas and go back in time to discover the historical events of this Cuban town

Cárdenas, Cuba
© Studio MDF

Cárdenas is a town and municipality in the province of Matanzas, Cuba, known as La Ciudad Bandera (The Flag City) and La Ciudad de las Primicias (The City of the First Fruits). In the streets of this city, after the sound of the hoofs of the horses that pull the carts, echoes of the past resound. The War of Independence, the Cuban Revolution, the American conflicts... in all of them the people of Cardenas played a relevant role and, although today the peace of the environment does not remind us of it, its museums and institutions do it proud of the commitment of its citizens.

Cárdenas
© Fredy Thuerig

Cárdenas has always been a very important place in Cuba, both for its role in the country's military conflicts and for the promotion of art and culture that has taken place in the city. Great figures of the area made great efforts to offer the people of Cardenas spaces for cultural recreation, such as the Museo Oscar María de Rojas (Oscar María de Rojas Museum), and so today it is a place where the valuable cultural heritage has been created and valued. In addition, other great figures have chosen to take advantage of the vast plantations in the area, especially sugar cane. Such is the case of Mr Arechabala, the first producer of the world-famous Havana Club rum, who has once again put the city's name on the map.

City of Cárdenas
© Fredy Thuerig

The locals have always participated actively in the political, social and economic development of the country, and this has led to very important events on the island. In places such as the Museo a la Batalla de Ideas (Museum of the Battle of Ideas), the Museo Casa Natal de José Antonio Echeverría (José Antonio Echeverría's Birthplace Museum) or the Monumento al Mástil (Mast Monument) you can learn about all the historical events that marked the development of the town and also of the country, and discover why the town was given its name.

But the important events in Cárdenas are not only recent but also date back to long ago. Before the arrival of the colonists, Cárdenas already had an extensive aboriginal population, as confirmed by the numerous human remains and other sites dating back to a much earlier time. Once the Spaniards arrived on the island, although it did not take long for them to tour the territory and set up farms, it was not until the nineteenth century, in 1819, that they officially founded the City of Cárdenas.

Catedral de Cárdenas
© Gilles Rivest

After the foundation, little time would go by until the first fruits were seen. Many important figures in Cárdenas conspired from the beginning against the metropolis and fought for years for independence. This led to Narciso López waving the Cuban flag for the first time on Cuban soil in the streets of this city in 1850. During the revolutionary struggles, the Cardenenses also had active participation and played a crucial role in the fight against Fulgencio Batista's regime. Likewise, this city would be the scene of some of the most tense episodes with the United States.

All these milestones together with the special interest in culture that has always characterized the locals, have made Cárdenas a city with a great cultural life and many places where you can learn about Cuban history as well as being a great place to meet your kind neighbours and the true spirit of Cuba.

Interactive map:

Varadero

What to see:

Beaches:

Museums :

Museo Municipal de Varadero

Cardenas

What to See:

Catedral de la Purísima Concepción de Cárdenas

Museums:

Península de Zapata

What to See:

Beaches:

Museums :

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.

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