One of Cuba's leafiest squares, Bayamo's central meeting point is surrounded by pedestrian-only streets, making it a rare and peaceful spot. In addition to its friendly airs and role as the city's best outdoor music venue (orchestras regularly play here), the square is loaded with historical significance.
In 1868 Céspedes proclaimed Cuba's independence for the first time in front of the columned Ayuntamiento. The square is surrounded by grand monuments and big trees loaded with birdlife at dusk. Facing each other in the center are a bronze statue of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, hero of the First War of Independence, and a marble bust of Perucho Figueredo, with the lyrics of the Cuban national anthem (which he wrote), carved upon it.
