Sep 265 min read

Discover Cardenas

Cardenas is a small town not far from Varadero. Its full name is San Juan de Díos de Cárdenas. Many of the staff of Varadero hotels reside there.

Cardenas, a port city built along the marshy shore of the vast Bay of Cardenas, is sheltered by the Hicacos Peninsula. Nestled between the sea and the hills, it is nicknamed La Ciudad del Cangrejos, in reference to its rich crab population.

The municipality is made up of seven distinct neighborhoods: Cantel, Fundición, Guásimas, Marina, Méndez Capote, Pueblo Nuevo, and Versalles. Its narrow streets converge on various squares, including the Plaza de Colón, where a bronze statue of Christopher Columbus, donated by Queen Isabella II in 1862, stands. Commercial and public buildings, including the ornate parish church designed by architect Rafael Carrerá, add to its charm.

Cardenas, steeped in deep tradition, contrasts with the modernity of Varadero, offering an authentic atmosphere tinged with glamour.

Its history dates back to its founding on March 8, 1828, with the support of aristocratic families from Matanzas. Equipped with early electrical services, public transportation, telegraph and telephone thanks to the completion of the railroad in 1841, the city adopted an urban plan inspired by the North American grid, influenced by the city of Charleston.

Cardenas played a significant role during the Spanish-American War of 1898, and was a major sugar export center at the turn of the 20th century. It hosted a large community of European immigrants, contributing to its cultural diversity.

Today, Cardenas preserves its legacy through emblematic sites such as the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, the Museum and Birthplace of Jose Antonio Echeverria, and the Oscar de Maria Rojas Museum, which house historical, artistic and cultural treasures.

Explore this picturesque city by visiting iconic sites like Parque Colon, where the Cuban national flag was first raised, or Plaza Molocoff, home to a lively local market. Also, don’t miss the Arrechabala Rum Factory, a testament to the importance of the rum industry in the region.

Cardenas, both preserved in its history and looking to the future, offers an authentic Cuban experience, steeped in its rich heritage and vibrant culture.

The history of Cárdenas dates back to March 8, 1828, when the city was founded with the support of several old Spanish-Cuban aristocratic families from Matanzas. In 1861, it already had 12,910 inhabitants. The completion of the railway in 1841 boosted its development, making Cárdenas one of the first cities in Cuba to benefit from electricity, trams, telegraph and telephone services.

Contrary to Spanish tradition, the city was planned on a North American grid, modeled after Charleston, South Carolina, with the help of Confederate American landscape engineers. A notable South Carolina connection was Ambrosio José Gonzales, a native of Cárdenas, who married Harriet Elliot, daughter of a prominent planter and South Carolina state senator. Gonzales had an ambiguous role during the events of 1850, when Venezuelan General Narciso López attempted a filibustering expedition for Cuban independence.

During the Spanish-American War of 1898, Cardenas was the scene of three major battles, although the Spanish victories were mainly attributed to local Cuban forces, led by General Carlos M. de Rojas. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the city was one of Cuba's major sugar export centers, attracting large numbers of European immigrants.

By 1907, its population had reached 24,280. The Cuba-Brownsville Hurricane of 1933 severely damaged the city, but José Arechabala S.A. financed the dredging of the harbor and coastal reform, including the construction of the Monumento a la Bandera. The surrounding area is noted for its agricultural fertility.

Heritage

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
Museum and birthplace of Jose Antonio Echeverria: student leader assassinated on the 13th March 1957 by the Batista regime. The house is of architectural interest.
Oscar de Maria Rojas Museum: interesting collections in the fields of history, art, natural sciences, archaeology, numismatics and weapons from the colonial era.

[Information taken from Wikipedia]

Learn a little more

Here is a translation of excerpts from the site "Junky Cuba"

"The narrow streets full of horse-drawn carriages, are not what they were in previous years. Famous town of Elian Gonzalez 20 km south of Varadero next to the oil platforms "Bahia de Cardenas". A town of about 75,000 inhabitants. If you take a close look at the map of Cardenas, you will discover that this town is well structured. Many foreigners live in this town. Cardenas is known as the town of the flag. On May 19, 1850,

It is also the site of the first statue built in honor of Christopher Columbus in the Americas, in 1826. Cardenas' pioneer status also extends to electric street lighting, as it was the first to use this utility in Cuba, in 1889. Cardenas has a long railway tradition, and is also known for its deep-rooted love of horse-drawn coaches and bicycles. The city's long, straight, orderly streets are lined with buildings of several architectural styles, including some of the early 19th-century military fortresses that once formed the city's defensive ring.

TO DO CARDENAS

COLON PARK

Av de Cespedes e / Calle 8 y 9, Cardenas, Cuba

The site where the official founding of the city took place. Since 1962, it has housed the monument to Christopher Columbus, modeled by the Spanish sculptor Jose Piquer and cast in bronze in Marseille, France. Near it is the building where the Cuban national flag was first raised.

PLAZA MOLOCOFF

Av 3 Oeste y Calle 12, Cardenas, Cuba

An interesting place to visit is the "Plaza Molocoff" A daily local vegetable market.

ARRECHABALA RUM FACTORY

Fábrica Arrechabala: Northwest of Cárdenas, Matanzas is this rum factory where Varadero and Bucanero rums are distilled. The Havana Club rum company was founded here in 1878.

CATEDRAL DE LA INMACULADA CONCEPCION

If you are lucky, it will be open. The Parroquial (parish) church It is considered the first neoclassical building in Cardenas and dates from 1846, when it opened under the defense of the Most Holy Virgin of the Conception.

CASA NATAL MUSEUM OF JOSE ANTONIO ECHEVERRIA

Av 4 Este #560, Cardenas, Cuba

Home of Cuban student leader Jose Antonio Echevarria, assassinated on March 13, 1957 by the repressive dictator Fulgencio Batista. Built in 1873, the house also stands out for its state of conservation and its architectural values.

OSCAR DE MARIA ROJAS MUSEUM

The "Museo de Oscar de Maria Rojas", historical of nature, Calzada de Vives Parque Echeverria at Av 4 Este y Calle 12 - An old institution that houses several very complete and valuable collections in the fields of history, arts, natural sciences, archaeology, numismatics, and colonial weaponry."