The Parque de los Sueños, the main recreational area of Santiago de Cuba, is ending the summer season with many of its attractions shut down, nearly all the zoo enclosures empty, and restaurants, ice cream shops, and kiosks closed.
After a tour of the complex, which includes the 26 de Julio amusement park, the zoo, and the San Juan park across approximately 36 hectares, a report from Cubanet revealed a widespread deterioration that is also acknowledged by the workers at the site.
"This has been the worst year," declared one of the employees to the reporting team.
The lack of visitors is particularly evident. Another worker confirmed that August went by practically the same throughout the entire month and pointed out that a day with just a dozen people could be considered one of the busiest.
The deterioration also extends to the zoo. The space, which once housed birds, monkeys, hippos, ducks, and lions, had almost all its cages empty during the visit. Only an ox and an old ostrich remained visible. The lion's den was deserted, although a foul smell lingered. "There's not even a guide," exclaimed one of the attendees at the absence of staff to accompany the visitors.
In the area of electrical attractions, the situation was no different. The glory ride remained halted, and the main entrance was locked. Only three rides were operational in the last section of the complex, while restaurants, ice cream shops, and kiosks remained closed, with no announced reopening date.
Entry remains relatively affordable for low-income families, with a price of five pesos for children and ten for adults.
However, consuming inside the venue entails a much higher expense. A cone of sweet potato fritters cost 180 pesos, and at the time of the visit, that was the first sale of the day for the clerk.
Two visitors attributed part of the low attendance to the prolonged blackouts affecting the province. Many of the park's attractions rely on electricity to operate, which has become quite challenging in the current energy crisis in the country.
One of the workers also pointed out the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa, which devastated the eastern region in October 2025 and impacted the infrastructure of the complex. Official figures recorded over 95,000 affected homes in Santiago de Cuba following the cyclone's passage.
However, the workers themselves acknowledge that the problems did not begin with Melissa. Neglect and lack of maintenance are part of a structural decline that was already affecting the complex before the hurricane.
The closest private recreational alternative, Ocio Club Casablanca, located on Victoriano Garzón Avenue, has significantly higher prices. Admission costs 500 pesos for children and 1,000 pesos for adults, a difference that further restricts entertainment options for families with lower incomes.
The deterioration of Parque de los Sueños is not an isolated case in Santiago. The fair in the José Martí district, known as La feria del J and considered the second amusement park in the city, was documented this month as completely dismantled, with no attractions, fences, or operational cafes.
The same pattern is repeated in parks across Havana, Camagüey, Holguín, and Matanzas, evidence of a widespread crisis in public recreational services in Cuba.
In Santiago, the deterioration of public heritage has also manifested in the theft of newly installed solar lights on main avenues and in the crumbling state of the old Hotel Venus, now turned into a dumpsite.
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