The central square of Santiago and the social heart of the old city. Parque Céspedes is enclosed on its four sides by the Cathedral, the Ayuntamiento (where Castro made his victory speech in 1959), the Casa de Diego Velázquez, and the Hotel Casa Granda. The square itself is shaded by trees and animated throughout the day and well into the night — locals and tourists sharing the same benches, the same ice cream vendors, the same view.
The terrace bar of the Hotel Casa Granda on the square's east side is the best place in Santiago to sit with a mojito and watch the city. It is expensive by Cuban standards and staffed with equal parts efficiency and indifference, but the view from the upper terrace is irreplaceable. The Cathedral opposite opens in the mornings; the modest interior is worth a look.