Matanzas, the provincial captial of Matanzas Province, is known as the "Athens of Cuba," because of the large number of philosophers, writers, musicians, and artists who were born and educated here. The city is a thriving cultural center with an outstanding professional choir and at least one Grammy Award-winning pop-music group.

Once a sugar and slave trading center of Cuba, the province is home to Varadero, Cuba's largest beach town and a magnet for tourists from all over the world. The rich soil in the central part of the province is a center for citrus production, which made this area an economic giant in the 19th century. In 1961, Matanzas Province became famous for the Bay of Pigs Invasion that took place at Playa Girón, a spot now famous for scuba diving.

The city of Matanzas is 62 miles from Habana.