Abel Santamaria International Airport — Santa Clara, Cuba

Abel Santamaria International Airport, coded SNU, serves Santa Clara in central Cuba, a city whose modern identity was forged in December 1958 when Che Guevara's rebel column captured it in a battle widely regarded as the decisive turning point of the Cuban Revolution. The airport's namesake, Abel Santamaria, was a close collaborator of Fidel Castro killed after the failed 1953 assault on the Moncada Barracks, an early uprising commemorated throughout Cuba. Santa Clara today draws visitors chiefly to the Che Guevara Mausoleum and accompanying monument complex, a pilgrimage site for admirers of the revolutionary leader from around the world. SNU functions as a secondary gateway for travelers heading to the resort beaches near Cayo Santa Maria on Cuba's northern coast, supplementing the more heavily used airport at Varadero further west. Charter and scheduled flights from Canada and Europe support this beach-focused tourism alongside the city's own historical draw.