Welcome to Matanzas!
Matanzas is in Western Cuba. It is the closest town to Varadero resort. It is a nice small town and there are amazingly few tourists considering that it is basically next to Varadero. If you get bored between Varadero hotels then visit this little town to see the real Cuba. Matanzas is known as the 'City of Bridges' (Ciudad de los Puentes) for its many bridges on the city's three rivers.
Matanzas is the capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas. Known for its poets, culture, and Afro-Cuban folklore, it is located on the northern shore of the island of Cuba, on the Bay of Matanzas (Spanish Bahia de Matanzas), 90 kilometers (56 mi) east of the capital Havana and 32 kilometers (20 mi) west of the resort town of Varadero.
Matanzas is called the City of Bridges, for the seventeen bridges that cross the three rivers that traverse the city (Rio Yumuri, San Juan, and Canimar). For this reason, it was referred to as the "Venice of Cuba." It was also called "La Atenas de Cuba" ("The Athens of Cuba") for its poets.
Matanzas is known as the birthplace of the music and dance traditions danzón and rumba.