Santiago nightlife is all about the music, and the town´s music scene is what draws many visitors to its numerous live music venues. Here are some suggestions for your visit to Santiago de Cuba.

A great place to start is Bar La Fontana , open until 2 am. Located in the historic district in Calle General Lacret, around the crossing with José A Saco. A friendly, lively lounge bar that mainly serves Cuban beer and rum.

In that same street, Calle General Lacret, at no. 651 you find the Casa de las Tradiciones. Less touristy than the more famous Casa de la Trova, this is probably the place-to-be when you´re looking to hear some live music. The line-ups here are apparently incredible, with performances ranging from boleros to poetry recitals. The venue is authentic, and with the right band playing the dancefloor here easily turns wild.

Open daily until 4 am is the Club 300 in La Calle Aguilera, no. 302 just around the corner from Céspedes Park. Cuba´s greatest jazz groups perform here.

Packed in the weekends, Club El Iris is probably one of the hottest discos in town. This place is extremely popular with young Cubans, and the DJ mainly puts on disco, salsa, and merengue music, with the occasional Latin rock record put on the table. You´ll find it in La Calle Aguilera no. 617.