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We offer holidays to the four corners of the globe. If you want specialist advise please phone our travel team and we will be happy to help.
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- Destinations
- Caribbean
- Cuba
- Santiago de Cuba
- Moncada Barracks
Moncada Barracks
The bullet-ridden Moncada Barracks and adjacent Parque Historico
Abel Santamaria were part of important events in Cuba's history. In
1953, a group led by Fidel Castro attacked the barracks in an
attempt to steal weapons and launch the revolution, but the plan
failed and 61 of them were killed. The rest were captured and many
tortured to death by Batista's army. Fidel was later tried in the
Escuela de Enfermeras for leading the attack, and is where he made
his famous 'History Will Absolve Me' speech.
Information & Facts
Address
Admission
CUC$2 for admission, an extra CUC$1 to take photos. Free
guided tours are available once inside
Language
The official language is Spanish, but English is spoken
in the main tourist spots.
Money
The official currency is the Cuban Peso (CUP), divided into 100
centavos, but the 'tourist' currency is the Peso Convertible (CUC),
which replaces the US Dollar as currency in tourist related
establishments like hotels, restaurants and so called 'dollar
shops'. US Dollars are no longer accepted as payment, and a 10%
commission or more is charged to exchange them, therefore the best
currency to bring along is Euros, the British Pound or Canadian
Dollars. The CUC is almost equal in value to the US Dollar. Some
places only accept Cuban pesos and others only Pesos Convertible
(usually tourist related establishments). Money should only be
changed at official exchange bureaux or banks to avoid scams
confusing the two currencies. Visa and MasterCard are generally
accepted only in major cities and hotels as long as they haven't
been issued by a US bank; Diners Club has limited acceptance, and
American Express is not accepted anywhere on the island. Travellers
cheques are less readily accepted than credit cards, but all major
currencies are acceptable, except for US bank issued cheques. No
US-issued credit or debit cards will work in ATMs, but those
holding other cards issued in other countries should be able to get
pesos at most major tourist destinations. Euro or Sterling
travellers cheques are accepted at Cuban banks and Bureaux de
Change.
Opening Times
Open daily, from 9am to 5pm (until 1pm on
Sundays)
Time
Local time is GMT -5 (GMT-4 from the second Sunday in March
to the last Sunday in October).