Matanzas is the capital of Matanzas province, about 90 kilometres east of Havana and 30 minutes from Varadero. The city sits on a deep bay where three rivers meet and was once a prosperous sugar port; its 19th-century wealth is still visible in the Teatro Sauto, one of the finest small opera houses in the Americas, and in the Palacio de Junco that now houses the provincial history museum.
Matanzas is also the cradle of several Afro-Cuban musical forms — danzón, rumba, and the conga de comparsa all have strong roots here. Anna Pavlova and Enrico Caruso both performed at the Teatro Sauto when Matanzas was wealthy enough to attract international artists. The city has an active cultural life and rewards a longer stay than most visitors give it — typically just a half-day on the way to or from Varadero. The Río Yumurí gorge north of the city is beautiful and largely unvisited. The Museo Farmacéutico on Calle Milanés is the best-preserved 19th-century pharmacy in Latin America, and the Cuevas de Bellamar south of the city are the oldest tourist site in Cuba.