by Sandra Alexander
Slowing the wall’s are coming down for American’s to be able to visit Cuba. The city that most interliners will want to visit first will be Havana. A beautiful and fascinating city, it’s just a short ride from the airport and you ready to start your Havana adventure. So where to go, what to do, here is an overview to exploring Havana.
It is hard to appreciate what Havana has to offer as she has so much to offer. Havana, the capital city of Cuba is like a big open-air museum, but with swinging nightlife, hardly any commercialization and extremely friendly people. Admirable architecture of old Havana makes Cuba’s capital the most preserved colonial city in the Americas. There is no wonder why so many interliners have Havana as top destination on their wish list.
But even if you’re a worldly traveler, expect to be left in awe. The culture shock of colonial, ice-cream colored buildings in the background and Al Capone era cruisers in the foreground delivers amazement you have not known before.
The City of Havana
There is simply no other place like Havana. Its brilliant Spanish colonial buildings with the ruins of ancient beautiful architecture are just one part of it. But if buildings and architecture don’t fascinate you, sheer exuberance and liveliness of the local people dancing to their unique flavour of music will. If you love music, you’ll love Havana. If you love old buildings, you’ll love Havana, if you love old cars, you will absolutely love Havana. But even if none of the above particularly interests you, you’ll still love Havana. The people, the way of life, the weather – everything about that city is so inviting it truly is a dream destination.
Comparing Havana to Other Cities
In my time I travelled all over the world and visited dozens of large cities, few I’ve ever been can live up to Havana.
Safe: Havana is an incredibly safe city. Young women can roam the streets at night in total safety. It’s actually the safest capital city I have ever visited. Common sense states that you should always be aware of your surroundings, but Havana really does set the standard. No other city in the world compares.
The City that doesn’t sleep: it’s a bit of a cliché but the city of Havana really doesn’t sleep. The character of Havana hasn’t changed in many years.
Beautiful beaches: the beaches of Havana really are something to behold. Playa del Este is easily right up there as the most beautiful tropical paradise on the planet.
Photography: no matter where you visit or where you turn there is always something fantastic to take photographs of. Whether it’s an old lady uncharacteristically smoking an enormous Cuban cigar, the wild locals partying hard, you really should take double the memory sticks you usually take abroad. You will definitely run out before the vacation ends.
The rich cultural life: you’ll be blown away by the amazingly diverse range of attractions. These range from galleries, theatres, cinemas, ballets and museums.
Amazingly rich history: Havana is widely recognized as one of the planets richest and most visually breathtaking cities.
Cuba’s identity owes a great deal to the fact that it is surrounded by sea as well as to its geographical position. It is sometimes called the “key to the gulf” because of its strategic location between North and South America at the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico, and the island has been a crossroads since the beginning of the Colonial period. As a result, the island’s early population consisted of European settlers, a few native Indians who had survived struggles against invaders.
In general, Cubans are outgoing, talkative and sociable. The doors to theirs houses are always open, a glass of rum or a cup of coffee is there for anyone who passes by to say hello and chat.
An aerial view would show the island stretching out in the Caribbean Sea and indeed covered with vegetation and patterned with rivers. Small coral reefs lie just offshore in the sparkling blue sea. In the interior, the landscape is very varied, from plains of red earth to mogotes outcrops of Viñales, from desert cactus to tropical forest. Protected reserves make up 22 percent of the national territory. There are numerous species found only in Cuba, but no poisonous creatures..
Havana is a lively, colorful capital city, full of bustle and entertainment, with some spectacular architectural gems from the Colonial period and beyond, and numerous other sights. The city alone is worth the trip to Cuba.
Many attractions are concentrated in three quarters: Habana vieja (Old Havana), Centro Habana and Vedado. In Old Havana you are going to find some of the most wonderful architectural pieces of the 19Th century. The historic Heart of Havana, which was declared part of the “cultural heritage of humanity” by UNESCO in 1982, is the largest Colonial center in Latin America. After two centuries of neglect, restoration work is reviving the former splendor of the district. Havana Vieja is characterized by Hispanic-Andalusian architecture, vitalized by the tropical sun and lush vegetation.
Time seems to stand still there but nonetheless the zone does not give the impression of being a museum.
Things to see in Old Havana:
Plaza de la cathedral
Plaza de armas
Palacio de los capitanes Generales
Plaza de San Francisco
Plaza vieja
Colonial art museum
Jose Marti museum
Hotel Dos Mundos (Ernest Hemingway First’s residence)
Centro Havana and Prado:
Centro Habana has the air of impoverished aristocrat – a noble creature whose threadbare clothes belie a splendid past full of treasures. this varied quarter developed beyond the city walls (which ran parallel to present-day Avenida Belgica and Avenida de las Misiones) during 1800s and was initially built to provide houses and greenery for the citizens. Most construction took place after 1863, when the walls began to be demolished to make more land available. the work was finally completed in the 1920s and 30s when French architect Forestier landscaped the area of the Paseo del Prado, the Parque Central, the Capitol gardens and Parque de la Fraternidad.
Things to see in Centro Havana:
The Capitol
Paseo del Prado
Hotel Inglaterra
The National fine arts museum
National music museum
Vedado and Plaza:
The unusual grid plan of Vedado was the design of the engineer Luis Yboleón Bosque in 1859. it calles for pavements 2 m (6ft) wide, houses with a garden, and broad straight avenues. The name Vedado (“prohibited”) arose because in the 1500s, in order to have full view of any pirates approaching, it was forbidden to built houses and street there. In the late 19Th and early 20Th century the quarter was enlarged, becoming a prestigious residential area for many of the city’s leading family. Vedado has two different roles. It is Havana’s modern political and cultural center, with the city’s main hotels, restaurants, shops, theaters, cinemas, offices and ministries; and it is also an historic quarter with a wealth of gardens and old house with grand colonial entrances. plaza de la revolution, the venue for major celebrations, is the political center of Havana and the whole of Cuba as well as a highly symbolic place.
Things to see in Vedado:
Jose Marti Memorial
Necropolis Colon Cemetery
Casa de las Americas
Plaza de la revolucion
El malecon (starts at Vedado and ends at Old Havana)
The Hotel Nacional
Some other places to see are the Morro fortress, San Carlos de la Cabaña Fortress and plenty more.
Where to stay? Check out Airbnb. No interline discounts but great rates and you get to stay with and get to know a family in Havana. This is a great way to get an inside view and insights on the city and the locals in Havana.