The Top 5 Places for People-Watching (and Other Things) in Matanzas
It seems to be a universally enjoyed pastime. Whether you only have five minutes to spare while waiting to meet a friend for coffee, or a two-hour wait at the airport gate before your flight takes off, there’s something about standing back and observing people going about their daily business that’s somehow soothing, therapeutic even.
It’s like watching a bonfire.
It’s no different when we’re travelling, except for the uniqueness factor. Passing time on a curb/bench/stair, with our eyes peeled to the street life before us while being immersed in a culture very different from our own is like levelling-up in that respect.
Every city has its areas where people-watching is particularly interesting on certain days and times of the week. For those of you spending time in Matanzas and looking for those hot spots, I’ve put together the following list of the five best places to check out:
#5 - Calle Narváez
This area of the city has undergone huge changes in the last few years. Once just a decaying road along the river with a break wall to match, and nothing to see except for a single art gallery near the end of Calle Jovellanos, this is now a beautiful walkway along Rio San Juan. You can find art galleries, outdoor sculptures, bars, an ice cream shop and a gallery-café along here, and the prettiest night view of Puente de Tirry (also known as Calixto García Bridge). The section close to the bridge is often used as an outdoor music and dance venue during festivals, and on most evenings all of the benches and the reconstructed break wall are covered with locals sitting and enjoying the evening with friends. Friday and Saturday nights see a younger crowd because of the bar scene here so if you fancy a few cocktails with your people-watching, that would be the time to go. But this is a lovely spot with lots of places to sit regardless of which day and time you’re there.
#4 - Las Cuevas de Bellamar
It’s a fact, albeit not well-known, that Cuba has a massive underground cave system. But even more interesting is that the caves at Bellamar, on the city’s southeast edge, are considered the island’s oldest active tourist attraction. The caves were discovered in 1861, and today this site is popular with tourists and locals alike, especially on Sundays when the park is packed mostly with Matanceros and their children. There is a restaurant and a snack bar, some small rides for the kids, a batting cage, horse rides and a tiny stage used for a variety of performances. This is where I was first exposed to Cubans’ love of karaoke (yup, it’s a thing here). Las Cuevas de Bellamar is my pick for the family version of people-watching.
#3 - Plaza de la Vigía
A couple of years ago, before the revitalization, I wouldn’t have recommended this plaza for anything other than a visit to the fire station and museum, and the outdoor music and dance performances that would happen on occasion. Teatro Sauto didn’t re-open until late this year, the traffic zooming through here made it absolutely perilous to cross the road, and the El Vigía bar was a popular hangout for a seedier element of the local populace. But all of that has changed. Teatro Sauto is finally open and grander than ever, with performances in full swing. The ice cream shop and Cafe Atenas Restaurant have been renovated, there is an art/photography gallery and a sweet little coffee shop attached to the theatre with tiny tables sitting outside on the cobblestones in the square. The entire area has been blocked to motorized traffic save for a few lanes necessary for vehicles to get from one side of downtown to the other. Plaza Vigía is now a giant outdoor performance venue where the community comes together regularly to celebrate the outstanding musicians, dancers and other artists that make Matanzas so special.
#2 - La Feria
Referred to as “The Fair’ by the locals, this is the big Sunday market that takes place in a large empty space next to Victoria de Girón baseball stadium. It’s within easy walking distance from downtown along the San Juan River, and it’s where many of the locals come to shop for their meat, cheese and fresh produce for the week. I sometimes skip breakfast at my casa and opt for a fresh ham or roasted pork sandwich here instead, enjoying the salty smokey goodness while meandering around all of the lineups, the longest of which always forms in front of the meat and the cheese vendors. The best time to go is early in the morning around 7:30, if you want to have some time to enjoy before the blazing sun and heat make it a challenge for you to move around. And as with so many other events in Cuba, be prepared to do your people-watching with some background noise in the form of reggaeton music blaring from the speakers at the little bandshell. That shouldn’t detract from the experience though, it’s merely a reminder that music is an inherent part of the culture here.
#1 - Calle Medio (#85)
This is the main shopping district in Matanzas and there are several blocks which are now closed off to motorized traffic, making it easier and safer for pedestrians to mill about. Some sections of the street are still under construction, evidence of the ongoing revitalization project happening around the city. But much of it has been completed and this street is chock-full of little shops, a large department store (Variedades), banks, cafés, bars, restaurants, street vendors and LOADS of people. Saturday is typically the busiest day, but weekday mornings are equally bustling and frenetic. This is the place in the city where, if you’re a local or a frequent visitor, you will run into somebody that you know. Calle Medio is absolutely the best place in Matanzas for people-watching.
There are a lot of other great spots in the city where you can park yourself and just watch life happen for a few hours, like in the lobby of Hotel Velasco, or on one of the benches in Parque de la Libertad right across the street from it. The list I’ve provided here is of places where I believe there is the highest concentration of locals at a given time, for optimum people-watching purposes.
My hope is that you don’t just watch, but that you engage with them as well, levelling-up yet again on your travel experience in general.
