The Best Way to Experience Matanzas

Matanzas is a gritty city, steeped in culture but just far enough off the beaten path that it can seem completely devoid of tourists much of the time, especially outside of the downtown.

I spend a lot of time there when I’m in Cuba and I know the area reasonably well. It was the first place I landed for my initial solo trip, and Matanceros were the first group of locals that I interacted with -- I suppose that makes it the most memorable by default. But with a few years and loads of experiences now under my belt, I know there’s much more to it than that.

Las Cuevas de Bellamar

Which begs the question – why do I scratch my head whenever someone asks me to recommend a list of things to do and see there? The truth is, the most interesting and moving experiences happen when and where we least expect them to.

According to Trip Advisor and Airbnb Experiences, there are a lot of boxes to check on the list of interesting tourist sites in Matanzas. Some of those include Las Cuevas de Bellamar, one of the best examples of Cuba’s massive cave system complete with some very impressive stalactites and stalagmites, and Museo Farmacéutico, the beautifully preserved 19th century French Pharmacy in the centre of the city. Another interesting site is Castillo de San Severino, a fort built in 1735 on the Bay of Matanzas which also serves as a museum for both the history of slavery and Santeria (a personal favorite of mine which is usually deserted).

Those are certainly some of the worthwhile highlights of the city, especially for people with limited time and an agenda to keep. But if you’re fortunate enough to be able to linger for a while – a few days or maybe longer – and you want my honest opinion on the best way to experience Matanzas, I would simply tell you this:

Keep it simple. Meander through the streets and talk to people. Look, listen and engage.

Because what’s really special about Matanzas isn’t something you’ll find on a menu of points of interest promoted by a tour company, or written about in a review on a booking website.

Rehearsal - AfroCuba de Matanzas

There’s a special vibe there. It’s everywhere – in the streets, in people’s homes, in the markets and cantinas – and if you’re moving too fast because you’re focused on completing all of the items in your itinerary, you’ll miss it.

You’ll miss the inherent AfroCuban elements -- not those on display at the museum, but those happening all around you in the neighborhoods you’ll pass through on your way there. For example, at Rumba Park in La Marina, a little triangle-shaped, tree-covered patch of concrete at the junction of Calles Manzano, Matanzas and 278, it’s common to see street performances by local rumba groups such as Los Muñequitos de Matanzas or Grupo AfroCuba de Matanzas. And travelers can also miss the fact that if they listen carefully, they can often hear conga or batá drums beating somewhere in the distance, signifying either a toque (a Cuban version of a jam session) or perhaps even a Santeria ceremony taking place in the vicinity. If you happen to encounter one of these while you’re exploring the city, don’t be afraid to stop and observe.

Street market, Versalles

There’s also a vibrant street market scene -- almost every neighborhood has one early on Saturday and Sunday mornings, with extra-large markets located next to Estadio Victoria de Giron baseball stadium (meat, cheese and fresh produce vendors) and Playa Tenis (same items, but on a smaller scale). These are all great places to people-watch and engage with everyday life in Cuba.

For me, the most indelible memories have been forged during very casual and unplanned events, such as the rumba practice session at a private casa which I discovered while taking street photos (they saw me standing at the doorway with camera-in-hand and invited me to sit in). On another occasion, while exploring the area around the Hershey Station, my friend and I were invited to step into a unique little stone fabricating shop owned by a local named Armando, a business which has been in his family for generations. There have also been numerous times when I’ve been invited to indulge in whatever a local family might be cooking for dinner over an open fire in the street, such as a bowl of steamy caldoza (stew), or my favorite – chicharrones (delicious little chunks of deep-fried pork belly).

Armando, working in his shop

Those are the types of experiences that sear themselves into your psyche — the ones that connect you with local people living their everyday lives, and ultimately connecting you to the real soul of a place. You won’t find locations, dates and times for those adventures in any guidebook.

So, to anyone inquiring about the best way to spend time in Matanzas, my answer is this:

If you have an agenda, use it loosely as a guideline and be flexible, allowing yourself to get side-tracked by the sounds and aromas and conversations happening around you.

If you don’t have an agenda and you prefer to let things unfold organically, you and I are on the same page, and you probably don’t need any advice.

Either way, as long as you take your time and have an open mind, following your instincts and your senses, you should have no trouble tapping into the special heart and soul of the city of Matanzas.