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Basics - Getting There - Getting Around - Places To Stay
Where To Get Drunk - What
To See And Do
Right, the first thing to remember about Havana is that it is big (the largest city in the Caribbean). You are not going to see all of it in a weekend, and you probably wouldn't see all of it in two weeks. The second thing to remember is that, being so big, I haven't seen all of it. There are whole areas of the city that I've only seen from the back of a taxi, so I'll concentrate only on the things that I have seen.
Starting off, for no particular reason, in Centro Habana. Pretty much at the heart of the city is the Capitolio Nacional, which bears more than a passing resemblence to the US Capitol building in Washington DC, only bigger. It was stared in the 1920s, when Cuba was a US colony in all but name, and under the orders of the dictator Gerardo Machado who sucked-up to Uncle Sam in a way that would make even a British Conservative politician blush, so perhaps the resemblance isn't surprising. It was originally built as the home of Cuban Congress, which found itself obsolete after Castro's Revolution, which means that it is now open to the public (and is home the National Library of Science and Technology- the Cuban one, obviously). You can have a look through the door (at the top of a rather fancy looking and statue-studded staircase) for nothing but if y ou want to go in you're going to have to pay. The first thing you'll see is a huge (nearly 20 metre tall) bronze statue of Jupiter (the Goddess, not the planet), standing under the Dome. Although some rooms in the Capitolio are roped-off you can still see into most of them, and if you have a word (and preferably share a dollar) with some the attendants they'll let you in as well. You're free to wonder pretty much anywhere in the building; take the time to admire the over-the-top decoration. Almost bizarrely, there are several soft drink stalls dotted throughout the corridors.
The Capitolio lies on Paseo de Marti, which is still known to most by its pre-Revolutionary name, the Prado. Next to it are two small parks which is where the people of Havana come to hang out, the Parque de la Fraternidad and the Parque Central, which has a statue of Jose Marti, Cuba's National Hero. The Prado runs all the way to the Malencon and the sea front, and is another popular hangout. It is a dual carriage way with a wide pedestrian boulevard running down the middle, which is lined by statues of lions, trees, and plenty of benches. You'll often see school classes taking their lessons out here when the weather is fine, which it usually is. Just North of the Capitolio is the Gran Teatro de Habana, home of Cuba's national ballet and opera companies. The early 20th century building is impressive in its own right, as is the Hotel Inglaterra next door.
Keep heading up the Prado until you reach the Malecon; here you'll find a large traffic island with a statue of Maximo Gomez (another hero of the Cuban struggle for independence; there are hundreds of the buggers) on horseback, surrounded by fountains. Why can't our roundabouts look so impressive? It certainly beats the hell out of the shrivelled-up, litter-strewn flowerbeds that we get. Right on the coast itself is another of Havana's many Spanish colonial fortresses, this one the 16th century Castillo de San Salvador de la Punta. In olden times they used to stretch a chain from this castle, across the mouth of the harbour to the Morro Castle on the other side. Nowadays the state of the water in Havana harbour would no doubt rebuff all but the most foolhardy pirate.
Move a couple of blocks to the East along Avienda de los Estudiantes (passing the impressive Spanish embassy) and you'll come to another tree-lined park (paved, no grass, plenty of benches), this one the Plaza 13 de Marzo, which nicely frames the ornate, dome-topped building that is now the Museo de la Revolucion. It was originally built in the early 20th century as the Presidential Palace, and seeing how much was spent on such opulence while the majority of Cubans were living in poverty makes you wonder why the Revolution didn't come sooner. Outside the building are a tower and small stretch of wall from Havana's old city walls, and, even better, the Soviet tank used by Castro during the Bay of Pigs invasion. Inside (all interior decoration was provided by Tiffany's) there is a complete history of the Cuban struggle for independence, starting with the Spanish, going through various US-backed dictators, culminating in the Revolution. All of the exhibits are in Spanish, but you get the general idea ("tortura testicular" being reasonably understandable in just about any language). Some of the exhibits are a bit strange; life-sized wax models of bearded Castro and Che Guevara bursting out of the jungle, stuffed horses, but it's interesting stuff and you could easily spend the afternoon in here. Around the back of the Palace is another section of the Museum, the Pavillon Granma, a huge glass case enclosing the Granma, the small boat that carried Castro and 82 fellow revolutionaries (including Che Guevara) from Mexico to Cuba, to kick-off the Revolution. It looks like it would be more at home in St Tropez harbour, but it makes you wander how in the hell 83 blokes (and all their guns) managed to fit on board. It's also probably the only glorified fishing boat to have a national newspaper, public holiday and entire province of the country named after it (I stand to be corrected on this). Around the Granma are some relics of the ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion; a Sea Fury plane (British-built, hip hip hooray) used in the defence of Cuba (it was obsolete even at the time), and the wreckage of a US plane (booo! hiss!) that was shot down.
Roughly East of Centro Habana is la Habana Vieja, Old Havana. This a UNESCO World Heritage site, and is home to most of Havana's colonial mansions, some of which have been refurbished, some of which are crumbling away, some of which are fallen down, and most of which are still lived in. Picturesque as they are, they are hardly ideal homes, being extremely over-crowded, and most without running water.
One part of Old Havana that has been thoroughly refurbished is Cathedral Square (Plaza de la Catedral) where, surprisingly enough, you'll find Havana Cathedral (or, to give it it's correct title Catedral de San Cristobal de La Habana). Work was started on this building in the mid-18th century, and it took nearly 40 years to finish. The Baroque exterior is very attractive, in spite of the strange pair of unmatched towers spoiling its otherwise perfect symmetry. The inside is somewhat austere and isn't all that interesting, which is kind of academic as it's very rarely open to the public.
On the opposite side of the square to the Cathedral is the Casa del Conde de Casa Bayona (Palace of the Count of Casa Bayona), an early 18th century noble family's town house that now houses the Museum of Colonial Art, an excellent museum that gives an idea of how the colonial upper-classes used to live. The palace has been furnished with authentic antiques to look exactly as it would have in the 19th century, and there are also examples of colonial-era art and handicrafts such as clothing and porcelain.
The buildings on all sides of Cathedral Square have been thoroughly restored in the last 30 years or so, and as a result this is probably where you're going to get the best idea of what the posh end of colonial Havana looked like in its heyday. Don't miss what was once the Casa del Marques de Aguas Claras, another beautiful late-18th century mansion, which is now the El Patio Restaurant. I can't comment on the quality of their food, but when the square is lit up at night it must have the finest setting of any bar in Havana, and the toilets are magnificent!
From the Plaza de la Catedral head east for a couple of blocks and you'll reach another lovingly restored square, this one the Plaza de Armas. This used to be the city's parade ground (and the site of public executions), but in it's centre now is a small park with a statue of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes (yet another 19th century hero of the struggle for Cuban independence). Sit on one of the tree-shaded benches for a while and take in the atmosphere, unless you're here on market day when the square is full of stalls selling second-hand books and general tourist tat. I got an excellent pair of maracas here.
On the west side of the Plaza is perhaps Havana's most graceful building, the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, built in the 18th century as the home of the Spanish Military Governors of Cuba, subsequently becoming the President's Palace, the city hall, and now the Museo de la Ciudad (Museum of the City. Havana, obviously....). This another excellent museum, giving a good idea of the history and development of Havana. All of the displays are in Spanish, but some of the staff speak a little English and will try to help you. Among the exhibits are statues, graves from the original city graveyard (now built-over), weapons and armour, and some amazingly opulent furniture (several of the rooms on the upper levels have been furnished as if the Spanish Governor was still is residence. Needless to say he didn't do his shopping at Ikea). Aside from the exhibits it's worth paying to get in just to have a look around the building. The first thing you'll notice is the court-yard, complete with what looks like a mini tropical rain forest, a colony of peacocks, and a white marble statue of Columbus. The whole buidling exudes a feeling of restrained good taste. Apart from when I was in it, obviously.
North of the Plaza de Armas is the Castillo Real de la Fuerza. This rather small-looking, moated castle is the oldest of Havana's fortresses; its construction beginning in the mid-16th century, justifying its claim to be the oldest (still existing) castle in the Americas. Before the construction of the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales this was the home of the Spanish Governors. Well, given the choice of a drafty old castle or a nice new palace which one would you choose? The castle houses a display of modern Cuban pottery which is about as interesting as it sounds, but is worth going in to have a look around the building, and for the views from the roof. The weather-vane on top (a replica of the 17th century original, now in the Museo de la Ciudad) is not only the symbol of Havana but also appears on the label of Havana Club rum. Another attraction is that the castle has its own bar. The castle sits on the sea-front, with views across the harbour mouth to the rather more visually imposing fortresses on the other side.
Other specific places worth picking out in Habana Vieja include the Iglesia del Espiritu Santo (on Calle Cuba, at it's junction with Acosta); this mid-17th century Church is the oldest survivng in Havana, although it has been much altered since construction began in 1638. Also on the same street you'll find the Convento y Iglesia de Santa Clara, sadly bereft of nuns since the 1920s but which is now the nerve-centre of the restoration of Havana Vieja. There is some information about the renovation project, and it is also possible to take a guided tour of the rest of the convent. Finally on Calle Cuba you'll find yet another church, The 18th century Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de la Merced, which is worth having a look inside for its murals. If you can squeeze in one more church have a look at the 17th century Iglesia y Monasterio de San Francisco de Asis (on Oficios, opposite its junction with Teniente Rey). Actually this doesn't count as it'sno longer used as a church (or monastery, come to that, although who needs habit-lifting monks when Gary Glitter is a regular visitor to the island?); it has recently been restored and pressed into service as a concert hall, but it has the tallest (former) church tower in Havana.
Finally, two more places to visit in Habana Vieja; the Casa Natal de Jose Marti (birth-place of Jose Marti) at Leonor Perez 314 just sneaks into the old town. Jose Marti is very much the Cuban national hero (Havana's airport is named after him, always a good sign) (having any airport named after you, not necessarily just Havana's) a 19th century poet and leader of the movement for Cuban independence, still admired on all sides of the political arena, and best of all the guy who wrote the words to the song "Guantanamera". It details (in Spanish) the story of Marti's life, and includes the usual photos, personal effects and letters. Just over the road (Avienda de Belgica) you can't miss the railway station (or Estacion Central de Ferrocarriles; I'll stick to "railway station") outside which stands the oldest steam train in Latin America, La Junta (like most of Havana's other ancient technology, it was built in America, in the 1840s); it'd probably be more reliable than some of the trains presently in use on Cuba's railways. A little bit further north up Belgica is one of the few remaining stretches of Havana's original city walls, the rest of which was torn down in the 19th century as the city expanded. Oops, that was three more places...
Of course, there's far more to Habana Vieja than just the few sites that I've mentioned. The renovation of the hundreds of old palaces and houses is proceeding at pain-staking, building-by-building rate. The results are astonishing, but I can't help but wonder how many buildings are going to collapse while they wait their turn, or think that by the time they've finally restored the last building it'll be time to start over again. In the meantime the best way to experience Havana Vieja is to wander round aimlessly for an afternoon or two, taking in the mansions and churches, amnd the sites, sounds and (dare I say it) the smells of the city. And remember that while to you they make look like wondefully preserved (or gracefully decaying) colonial relics, to somebody else they're home.
To the west of Central and Old Havana lies the district of Vedado. Most of the development here dates from the last 100 years, and Vedado's boom period was during the 1950s when American money (much of it coming from organised crime) was pumped into the area. The easiest way to get to Vedado is to follow Havana's sea-front promenade, the Malecon, which runs west from the end of the Prado and follows the coast along the Straits of Florida. It's a hell of a walk from here to Vedado, but there's plenty to see along the way, and if the breeze coming in off the sea doesn't revive you there are bars along the way. Alternatively you can do what we did and take a taxi....
About a mile along the Malecon from the Statue of Maximo Gomez you'll come to a small park, the Parque Maceo, a monument to yet another General of the War of Independence. Also in the park is an 18th century Spanish watch-tower, the Torreon de San Lazaro.
About half a mile further along the coast you'll come to another monument, this one being the Monument to the Victims of the Maine (Monumento a las Victimas del Maine). The Maine was a US battleship that sailed into Havana harbour in 1898, when relations between Spain and the US were, to put it mildly, somewhat tense. The Maine mysteriously blew up and sank with the loss of 266 sailors; hysteria was whipped up by the US tabloid press (sound familiar?) and a one-sided war between Spain and the US was the result, which ended up with Cuban independence on American terms. What actually happened to the Maine is still subject of considerable dispute. The US theory at the time was that it was blown up by either a Spanish mine or Spanish saboteurs (as the sinking of the ship would inevitably result in war, and as Spain had no chance winning such a war, this theory seems unlikely). The current Cuban theory (alluded to in the inscription on the monument) is that the Maine was destroyed by the Americans to give them an excuse to declare war on Spain and prevent Cuba winning her own independence (conspiracy theorists might like to note that none of the ships senior officers were on board at the time; you've seen the X Files, you know what these people are capable of!). A more credible explanation is that Cuban's fighting for independence from Spain blew the Maine up, hoping to provoke the US to declare war on Spain. The likeliest, and most boring explanation though it was that it was an accident; a fire or explosion in the Maine's coal store spread to the ship's arsenal and the whole thing went off. Anyway, whatever happened this is the monument to those who lost their lives when the ship went down. The former US Embassy (and current "US Interests Section") is nearby.
Just before you reach the Maine monument if you head inland along Calle 21 after a few minutes you'll come to the Hotel Nacional. As well as the facilities that even non-guests can use (like a bureau de change, shops and a travel agency) it's worth paying a visit to the hotel to have look around the luxurious building itself (with photos of former guests, including Winston Churchill and Frank Sinatra), and the attractive gardens, which overlook the sea.
Another half mile or so along the Malecon is yet another monument to yet another hero of the War of Independence, this one to General Calixto Garcia. There's a statue of the general on horseback, and a series of plaques telling the story of the Cuban struggle for independence.
If you go a further mile or so along the Malecon you'll come to the mouth of the Rio Almendares. There's another colonial fort at the mouth of the river, the mid-17th century Castillo de Santa Dorotea de La Luna de La Chorrera. If you carry on along the coast you'll end up in the Miramar district, one of Havana's plushest suburbs, once home to Havana's rich escaping from the squalor of central Havana and now home to high ranking Cuban officials and several foreign embassies.
As well as wandering along the waterfront there a couple of things in Vedado worth heading inland to see.
Firstly there's the Plaza de la Revolucion (from the Malecon head south down Infanta, west along Avenida Salvador Allende, then south again down Avenida de la Independencia). In the centre of the square is the spectacularly ugly Memorial Jose Marti, a 140 metre high concrete tower in the shape of a 5-pointed star. There's a large statue of Marti in front of the memorial, and to complete the hatrick there's a museum to him at the bottom of it. For $10 you can take a lift up to the top of the memorial for impressive, if expensive views. The Plaza de la Revolution is surrounded on most sides by Government buildings and Ministries (the one with the portrait of Che Guevara is the Ministry of the Interior), and is the scene of occasional mass rallies.
About 500 metres west of the Plaza de la Revolution is the Necropolis Cristobal Colon, Havana's most impressive cemetery. Quite why the cemetery is named after Columbus I don't know, especially as it only opened for business in the 19th century, several hundred years after the misguided explorer's death (although he was buried in Havana Cathedral for a while). While there's nobody really famous (at least to non-Cubans) in here it's worth a look round to see some of the impressive ornamental graves and tombs. Rumour has it that at night the cemetery is sometimes the venue for santeria rituals (santeria is the Cuban equivalent of voodoo, only not as unpleasant).
Right then, that's central and west Havana pretty much covered, so time to head east. Probably Havana's most distinctive and visible landmarks are the two castles on the eastern side of the entrance to Havana bay. To get to them you can either take the ferry across the harbour, or go through the tunnel that goes under the harbour; there is a bus you can take to do this but it's probably easier to take a taxi.
The first castle you'll come to is the Castillo de los Tres Santos Reyes Magnos del Morro (El Morro, for short). Construction started towards the end of the 16th century and took around 40 years. This did not stop the British from capturing the castle in 1762; when it was returned to the Spanish they improved the defences. You're free to pretty much wander around the castle and explore it at your leisure. The views across the bay to Havana are amazing, and castle itself is a most impressive building, but apart from a small Maritime Museum and a few defunct cannons dotted around the place there's not really that much to see. The lighthouse overlooking the entrance to the harbour dates from the 1840s; you have to pay extra to climb up it but the views are probably worth it.
Further along the coast is the much bigger Fortaleza de San San Carlos de La Cabana (or La Cabana). In 1762 the British success in capturing El Morro was partly because they set up a line of cannon along a ridge overlooking it. When Cuba was returned to the Spanish to stop the same thing happening again they built another castle along that ridge, and La Cabana is the result. Although not as old as El Morro, La Cabana's history is perhaps more interesting; both Machado and Batista used it as a prison; after the Revolution Che Guevera took control of La Cabana, made his headquarters here, and started executing senior Batista supporters. La Cabana ceased to be a prison in 1988, and now houses a military academy and is open as a museum. As with El Morro the views over Havana are spectacular. There's a large collection of antique cannon (one of which is fired out over the city every night at 9pm by soldiers dressed up in 18th century uniforms; I assume they fire a blank), as well as a few distinctly 20th century decommissioned missiles, pointing in the direction of Miami.
If you head a bit further east along the entrance to Havana Bay you'll come to Casablanca, notable for its towering white marble Statue of Christ looking out over the city (Estatua de Cristo, not as impressive as Rio's, but then what is?). Again, the views out over the harbour and of Havana are spectacular.
The great American writer Ernest Hemingway lived and worked in Cuba on and off for the best part of 30 years. Today the Cuban authorities are keen to push any associations Hemingway had with the island. Although Hemingway was certainly no admirer of Batista, he seems to have been pretty ambivalent about the Revolution; he left Cuba within a year of the Revolution and never returned (mind you, that was partly because he died in 1961). Today it's possible to follow a pretty well defined "Hemingway Trail" of places associated with the writer; this includes the Hotel Ambos Mundos (covered in the Places To Stay section) and La Bodeguita del Medio and El Floridita, both in central Havana, two of Hemingway's regular boozers.
Six miles to the east of Havana at the mouth of the small Rio Cojimar is the small fishing village of Cojimar, the setting of Hemingway's Nobel Prize winning story The Old Man and the Sea (well, most of it was set at sea, but the bits that were set on land were set in Cojimar). The Restaurante La Terraza de Cojimar is basically a tourist trap that plays on its connections with Hemingway (he used to keep his fishing boat harboured in Cojimar, and he was a regular visitor to La Terraza). The authentic antique wooden fittings behind the bar are pretty cool, but the restaurant can get swamped by the regular coach-loads of visitors who are disgorged here. Worth having a look at if you're in Cojimar anyway is the old colonial watch tower, the Torreon de Cojimar, which overlooks the harbour.
In 1940 Hemingway bought a house in the village of San Francisco de Paula, 7 miles or so south east of central Havana. When Hemingway left Cuba for the final time in 1960 the house, called Finca la Vigia was taken over by the Cuban Government, who have turned it into the Museo Hemingway and preserved it exactly as it was when Hemingway left. And when I say exactly, I mean exactly. Hardly anything has been moved, Hemingway's books and magazines are strewn about as if he's just popped out to buy a lottery ticket and was expected back at any minute. To keep everything preserved you're not allowed inside the house, but you are allowed to peer in through the windows (they're usually kept open, unless it's been raining), from where you can see pretty much everything there is to see. You're also free to wonder through the extensive and well maintained gardens and grounds. Among other things you'll find Hemingway's swimming pool (now empty of water, so basically a big hole in the ground), and the graves of some of his dogs (he called one of them "Black Dog"; you'd have thought a Nobel Prize winning novelist could have come up with something a little more imaginative than that). Best of all though is the Pilar, Hemingway's old fishing boat, hauled up from Cojimar and now marooned in a kind of dry-dock. During World War 2 Hemingway had the Pilar armed and set out to hunt Nazi submarines in the waters round Cuba, an experience he fictionalised in his novel Islands in the Stream. Looking at the size of the Pilar I doubt it would have given Nazi submariners any nightmares, but you've got to admire the man for his spirit. You're not allowed on the Pilar itself, but there are viewing platforms all around.
Basics - Getting There - Getting Around - Places To Stay
Where To Get Drunk - What
To See And Do
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