The most beautiful religious buildings Caraïbes

Built in the 16th century, the church was destroyed several times. The present structure dates from the beginning of the 19th century. The building houses a famous cross, the Santa Cruz de la Parra. It is said to be the only surviving cross of the 29 crosses that Christopher Columbus carried on his journey to the Americas. This cross is so popular that visitors had the annoying habit of taking a small piece of it... A metallic envelope protects it now.

It is THE visit not to be missed in Santiago de Cuba! After long restoration works, the cathedral reopened during 2015 for the 500 years of the city and the result is superb! Dominating the square, the seat of the archdiocese of Santiago de Cuba was rebuilt four times on the foundations of the first cathedral (completed in 1528, then destroyed). The current church dates from the 19th century. The facade and aisles were decorated in 1922 in an eclectic style. Note the five naves and the large number of secondary altars. Several bishops and Diego Velázquez are buried here.

Don't miss the chance to climb to the top of the tower to enjoy a sublime panoramic view of Santiago de Cuba. To reach the top, you have to climb a total of 93 steps, and, to tell the truth, the last ones are quite sporty with a very steep wooden staircase. Avoid tap shoes if you can and wear sneakers instead... In any case, you should know that your efforts will be rewarded because the view you will have is well worth it.

Important: to visit the church, you should cover your shoulders and wear pants or a skirt that covers at least your knees. If you are not sufficiently dressed, you will not be allowed to enter for indecent exposure.

Mass.If you wish to attend a mass in the cathedral, here are the times: Tuesday to Friday at 6:30 pm, Saturday at 5 pm, Sunday at 9 am and 6:30 pm.

At the bend in the road to Balata, in the heart of a tropical environment, stands this building, which is a replica of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre on a scale of 1/5, the work of the English architect Charles Albert Wulfleff (1929). At the base of the dome is the following inscription: “Au Sacré-Coeur, la Martinique reconnaissante (To the Sacré-Coeur, Martinique is Grateful)”. In addition to its remarkable stained-glass windows and mosaics, the site offers a splendid view of Fort-de-France and its bay.

Straight out of a medieval postcard, the Iglesia San Estanislao, in the heart of Altos de Chavón and overlooking the river Chavón, was consecrated in 1979 by Pope John Paul II and is one of the most beautiful churches in the Dominican Republic. Its attractive portico houses a wooden statue of Stanislas, patron saint of Poland, carved in Krakow. An urn containing the saint's ashes was donated by Pope John Paul II to celebrate its inauguration. Church services are held here on Saturdays and Sundays at 5pm.

It is one of the most beautiful and oldest in Martinique. Built at the end of the 18^th century, with its bell tower standing in the center of the village, the structure dedicated to Saint Étienne, patron saint of the town, follows the Jesuit aesthetic codes and shows two orders of superimposed Tuscan columns. The vault in the shape of an inverted ship's hull reminds us that the building was built by sailor carpenters. The remarkable high altar would have been originally intended for the cathedral of Lima, Peru. The shipwreck of the vessel carrying it stopped its journey in Le Marin.

Of the first hospital in America, built between 1503 and 1508 by Nicolás de Ovando, in honor of Saint Nicholas of Bari, the patron saint of priests, only ruins remain today. But what ruins! The establishment, which functioned until it was demolished for security reasons at the beginning of the last century, housed the first chapel dedicated to the Virgin of Altagracia, patroness of the Dominicans. Nearby is the church of Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia (19th century).

The village has for glory to have seen the birth of Peter Tosh, the musician companion of the first hours of Bob Marley, murdered. It is thus in Belmont that his mausoleum is located, maintained by his son Dave and some friends. The place, a small green, yellow, red building, does not have the official character of the Jamaican sites dedicated to Bob Marley. The atmosphere is more family and therefore more intimate, but there is not much to see for the price of admission. We will have the possibility to buy some unreleased CDs of the artist, T-shirts or posters.

This beautiful baroque building, inaugurated in 1829 and classified as a historical monument, is particularly striking because of its location: immaculately white, the church faces the sea and Le Diamant with its breaking waves that slap against the beach. The church has been renovated many times and destroyed by natural disasters, but it has a splendid frame, rebuilt in 1983 by the Compagnons de France, in the manner of an overturned ship's hull. Made in France, it was dismantled and reassembled on the church in 1983.

It is one of the jewels of Fort-de-France. Several times destroyed (notably by the terrible fire of 1890), the old straw and pitchfork chapel was replaced in 1891 by the current cathedral. Its framework is entirely metallic in order to resist earthquakes, but also in reference to the techniques used in France by Gustave Eiffel. It houses the tombs of several governors of the island, whose exact location is kept scrupulously secret. It was classified as a historical monument in 1989.

Built in 1713, the Iglesia de la Santísima Trinidad was destroyed several times. It was rebuilt in the 19th century, with the final inauguration in 1892, and is a mixture of neoclassical and Greek styles. If the exterior of the church is remarkable, linger inside as well: the precious wooden Christ, which was originally destined for the city of Vera Cruz in Mexico, is impressive. Note also the beautiful ornate altar.

Also called Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Port, the cathedral of Saint-Pierre, listed as a historical monument, with its two steeples, dominates the harbor. Built in the 18^th century and remodeled in the middle of the 19^th century, it did not survive the eruption of 1902 and was destroyed. Thanks to the financial support of Victor Depaz, the façade was rebuilt. The stained-glass windows made by the Martinican artist Victor Anicet date from 2006. Renovation work is currently underway.

It gives unity to the village, and extends its steeple beyond its forecourt, to a charming pontoon plunging into the water. Every year, on September 19, 5,000 pilgrims come to La Salette to make the pilgrimage. On February 13, 1870, a cross was raised to the top of the hill behind the church. On Good Friday of the same year, a Christ was placed there. It was then that the idea of a calvary was born. The chapel has been damaged by cyclones and fires. It was restored in 1994 by the municipality.

A visit to the tiny center of Morne-Vert would not be complete without admiring the carved marble tabernacle of the late ^19th-century Saint-Martin church and its breathtaking view of tropical "Little Switzerland". Note the plaque paying tribute to the abbot whose generous donations made it possible to commission the altar (without whom the church would not be completely finished!). On the left, the view of the surrounding area is superb. Take a look inside the presbytery. An unpretentious but charming church.

This basilica, built in 1927 in the heart of a valley surrounded by copper mines(cobre), is in a way the counterpart of our national Lourdes in Cuba. The crowd of street vendors selling statuettes and rosaries with the image of the Virgin underlines the importance of the phenomenon. Pilgrims flock to honor the Virgin, according to the Christian rite, or the goddess of love Oshún, for the followers of the santería. A simple glance at the ex-voto room is enough to give the measure of the fervor that surrounds the patron saint of Cuba. On September 8, the day of the fiesta of the Caridad del Cobre, pilgrims from Santiago and the surrounding area leave on foot, early in the morning, to reach the place. Some climb the steps on their knees. The believers put their vows to the Virgin in transparent urns at the altar and they are usually filled to the brim. Newlyweds and their families also regularly come to the Basilica to place a bouquet of flowers in the good graces of Our Lady.

Ernest Hemingway, who lived in Havana for twenty years, even offered his Nobel Prize to the Virgin of Santiago and this official declaration can be seen under glass on a wall, not far from the altar. Pope John Paul II visited in 1998. More recently, Pope Francis came to celebrate a mass in this basilica during his official visit in September 2015.

Begun in 1833, on the site of the first church founded in 1819, the Catedral de la Purísima Concepción was not completed until 1869. Characteristic of the neoclassical style of the time and notable for its stained glass windows imported from France - considered the most beautiful on the island - the cathedral, rather sober, is perfectly integrated with the other national monuments of the José Marti square. Note that the colored stained glass windows represent the twelve apostles.