Havana

Havana is a vibrant, modern and cosmopolitan city where past and present mingle at the cultural, political, economic and social heart of Cuba.

Originally established in 1514 on Cuba's southern coast, by November 1519 San Cristóbal de la Habana had been moved to and rechristened in its present-day location on the island's north coast, at the mouth of a deep and spacious harbor with a narrow and protected harbor channel. Before long, Havana had become the most important port in the Spanish colonial empire, a natural final gathering place for the resupply and embarkation of the Spanish fleet before returning to the Old Country laden with bounty. By 1607 Havana had been declared the capital of colonial Cuba, and by the early 1700s it was the third-largest city in the Spanish empire, behind Mexico City, Mexico and Lima, Peru.

Subsequent centuries saw Havana grow steadily in wealth, size, and prominence. Havana was luckily spared the bulk of the violence and fighting that occurred in Cuba's Wars of Independence, and later revolutionary war. Following the mysterious sinking of the USS 'Maine' in Havana harbor in 1898, a long period of direct U.S. control and indirect U.S. influence followed.

This period saw the first indications of suburban sprawl and the growing importance of the western neighborhoods of Vedado and Miramar. This era was also marked by a strong presence of mob activity, with the likes of Al Capone, Meyer Lanksy, and Lucky Luciano setting up shop in Havana.

Havana has been largely frozen in time in the wake of the 1959 Revolution. Decades of economic crisis and shortages have left much of Havana in severe decay and decomposition. The great exception to this rule is Habana Vieja, which has been meticulously restored to much of its colonial glory.

Habana Vieja or Old Havana has been declared part of the heritage of mankind by UNESCO, and the beauty of its paved streets, colonial balconies, baroque and gothic buildings makes this accolade well deserved. Smiling faces greet you at every turn. Then there is the fabled Malecón, where tourists and locals alike come to watch the sunset and enjoy the soft sea breeze.

At night, this lovely Caribbean city becomes a magical Carnival of shows, night-clubs and discotheques inviting you in to join the fun.

There are 4 main areas of interest. First there is Old Havana, a treasure trove of Cuban history and culture. The Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral and the Parque Central are fine examples of Colonial architecture. A walk through these old lanes is a real delight. Everywhere, cafés, restaurants and bars offer the perfect excuse to escape the tropical sun for a Cuban cocktail or traditional meal.

The historic quarter is also home to several important museums, such as the Museo de Autos Antiguos (if you like antique cars), La Casa del Arabe, La Casa de Africa, La Casa de Asia, Museo de la Ciudad, and the fortresses El Morro and La Real Fuerza, where you will see an emblem of Havana, the weather vane on La Giraldilla tower. This is the chief tourist area of the city.

Walking up La Rampa from the Malecón, you will reach the Vedado, one of the most charming areas of the city, with its 19th century houses and mansions, many of them now housing embassies, ministries and cultural organizations. On the corner of La Rampa and L Street is the ice-cream parlour Coppelia, famous for its excellent tropical fruit ice-creams. Not far from here you’ll find the Plaza Ignacio Agromonte and Havana University, a set of impressive neo-classical buildings. There are also 2 museums: the Montané Anthropology Museum and the Felipe Poey Natural History Museum. Continuing in this direction, you will eventually come out onto the Plaza de la Revolución, where President Fidel Castro makes his Mayday speech to the masses every year. At the center of this vast, star-shaped space stands a huge monument to national hero José Martí. The view from the top is sensational. Opposite the statue, on the other side of a broad avenue is a fresco of revolutionary hero Ché Guevara.

Recommended is also to pay a visit to Miramar, one of the most exclusive areas of Havana, full of beautiful colonial houses, now home to embassies, cultural centers and foreign companies. The ponds of the Emiliano Zapata Park (Avenida 5- Malecón) are worth a visit. The little boats on the River Almendares are also a pretty sight. Palm trees line the avenues and there is a good number of cafés, bars and restaurants around the Marina Hemingway.

Today, Havana with some 2.5 million inhabitants is the largest city in the Caribbean and the heart of the nation’s busy political, scientific and cultural life. Museums, theatres and concert halls, art galleries and cultural institutions are popular venues, while some—such as the National Ballet of Cuba, House of the Américas, Foundation of New Latin American Film and National Folkloric Dance Group—have won international acclaim. Both day and night, Havana continues to thrill visitors anew.

Havana is probably the most exciting city in Latin America managing to be both seedy and stylish. The province owes its growth and prosperity to the almost natural perfection of its harbour. The Spanish, in the course of their conquest of Central and Latin America, earmarked the city as the ideal stopping-off point for their ships. In order to protect their vessels from English, French and Dutch attack, the Spanish built a wall around the city and constructed huge fortresses at the entrance to the harbour.

As Cuba's political and economic center, it has become a museum to a broken communist dream, yet it is much more than just that: it is the focus of Cuba's youth culture; the place where you'll find the most magnificent hotels and the liveliest discotheques, where the Revolution seems to have come full circle and, uncannily, recreated the absurdly decadent world of Graham Greene's Our Man in Havana.

Havana is an exhilarating place, but it can also be exhausting. There is a neurotic, anxious edge to life here, quite unlike anything you’ll find in the rest of Cuba.