Brief Profile of the City of Cárdenas Cuba
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Horse-drawn carriages dominate Cárdenas streets.
Located 18km (11 miles) southeast of Varadero, Cárdenas is a small, quiet city with beautiful colonial-era architecture and a timeless quality. Horse-drawn carriages and bicycles far outnumber cars on its straight and narrow streets. Cárdenas is known as Cuba's "Ciudad Bandera" (Flag City), as it was here, on 19 May 1850, Narciso López and 600 Kentucky and Louisiana mercenaries invaded the island with a plan to seize it from Spain and annex it for the U.S. to add to the slave states. But their goal was thwarted and the national flag was first raised atop the building of the La Dominica Hotel.

First statue of Christopher Columbus in the Americas.
The city center is quite compact, and one can easily see most of the sights in a couple of hours strolling around. There are several small squares and parks in Cárdenas. The diminutive Parque Colón features the first statue of Christopher Columbus in the Americas dating from 1826. Across from it is the beautiful Catedral de la Concepción Imaculada, which is famous for its stained glass. In another main park, Parque Echeverría, sits the Museo Casa Natal José Antonio Echeverría. This beautiful old home features tributes to various independence fighters and revolutionary heroes, including the museum's namesake, a murdered revolutionary student hero who was born here in 1932.

Plaza Molokoff public market.
The town's main market, Plaza Molokoff is housed in an interesting two-story L-shaped iron building, topped with a large and high ornate dome. Out by the water's edge is the Arrechabala Rum Factory, where the brand Havana Club was born and where present-day Varadero and Buccanero rums are made. Tours of the factory are given daily.

Old fire house is now museum documenting Elián González's saga.
Cárdenas is the birthplace and home of Elián González. While you're unlikely to see Elián, the small Museo a la Batalla de Ideas (Museum of the Battle of Ideas) features exhibits honoring the tragic child celebrity, alongside numerous other displays documenting Cuba's propaganda battles. The centerpiece here is a statue of a Cuban boy, dressed in the uniform of the Young Pioneers, tossing away a Superman doll. The museum is housed in a beautifully restored old firehouse.

The blue crab is a city symbol.
The city, founded on 8 March 1828, is also known as "El Ciudad del Cangrejos" (city of the crabs) and a giant statue of one sits in its center. Cárdenas' pioneering condition also extends to electric public light, as the city was the first to use this utility in Cuba, in 1889.

Building where famed Havana Club Rum started.

Remains of 19th century Spanish colonial fortress.

Small street market typical in the city.

Old mansion reflects one of many architectural styles.