Santa Clara, Cuba

A buzzing provincial town, with a pleasant Parque Central, Santa Clara is most famous for its connection with Che Guevara, whose attack on a Batista troop train in the city in December 1958 helped persuade the dictator that his days were numbered.

This provincial capital is well worth visiting, beyond the suburbs you'll find a buzzing place with streets lively with people going about their daily lives, and the city benefits from having a large student population. The centre seems well looked after and relatively litter-free. A startling sight to anyone arriving from Havana.

There are some interesting museums worth taking in and the small brick red-tiled houses lend themselves to an atmosphere of calm and discretion. For most people the area Parque Vidal is the most eventful place in the city, as well as being the geographical heart of the city, it is also its social centre and there is usually some sort of entertainment going on at weekends. A monument marks the spot where revolutionary hero Leoncio Vidal was killed, and benches line the promenades that cross and circle the park.