A true myth, Havana is a must for anyone visiting Cuba. In November 2019, the city celebrates its 500th anniversary, a great opportunity to discover the sublime Cuban capital! Both rooted in the past, but always ready to renew itself, Havana is truly a fascinating city. We descend to theIberostar Grand Packard Hotel closely linked to the history of Packard cars in Cuba. Opened in September 2018, as part of the city's 500 th anniversary celebrations, it is an upscale hotel with 321 luxurious rooms. It is right next to the Paseo del Prado and offers, from the 6th floor, a spectacular view of the bay and the Malecon. A great place to explore the city!
A historic center listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
With its rich history, the old city, or Habana Vieja in its entirety, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982. It contains countless monuments and buildings from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. A considerable effort has been undertaken to restore the entire neighborhood and it continues unabated. It will be a pleasure to walk through the streets of La Habana Vieja, to discover its beautiful monuments and to visit its museums. You'll never stop admiring the beauty of its buildings and your smartphone will be in demand from the very first hours of your visit, because you'll want to take pictures of everything! One of the highlights of Habana Vieja is the cathedral. It occupies the whole side of Empedrado Street that leads to the square, between San Ignacio and Mercaderes. It is really one of the most emblematic churches in Cuba and it is also one of the emblematic monuments of Havana, which appears on many postcards. It is difficult not to fall under the spell of this pretty cobbled square and of this beautiful cathedral, the whole having been magnificently restored.
The old Havana has several historical squares nicely restored. Among the most symbolic squares, the Plaza de Armas is surrounded by splendid colonial buildings, such as the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, the Templete, the Palacio del Segundo Cabo and the Castillo de la Real Fuerza... But you should also visit the Plaza Vieja, built in 1559 after the Plaza de Armas, which presents a set of buildings that are at the same time heterogeneous and harmonious with various architectural styles: neoclassic, baroque and Art Nouveau.
Centro Habana, the most popular district
But Havana is not only La Habana Vieja, it is also other neighborhoods, all very different, and this is what makes the charm of the Cuban capital. Centro Habana is undoubtedly the most typical district with its superb colonial buildings, most of the time dilapidated, which welcome the less well-off families. It is really the most popular district of Havana, and probably the most authentic too. The major event that took place in this neighborhood recently is none other than the reopening of the Capitol in March 2018! It is a monument that is part of the unmissable in Havana and even in Cuba as a whole. Almost no one believed in its reopening anymore, as it had been 10 years since the Capitolio Nacional was under construction... But what a beautiful restoration and what an enriching visit you will be able to make there, it was really worth the wait! The upper part of the Capitol, and thus the dome, is still under restoration, but the work should be completed in the fall of 2019, just in time for the celebration of the 500 years of the foundation of Havana in November. A 10-minute walk away, the Museum of the Revolution is also a must-see, it really helps you understand Cuba's exciting and complex history. To regain your strength, we recommend you have lunch in a mythical restaurant: the Paladar San Cristobal. This establishment with its magnificent colonial setting is the one where Barack Obama came for lunch during his historic visit to Cuba in 2016. Finally, we advise you to finish your day of visit with a walk on the mythical Malecón, the seafront that runs along the north of the city for 8 km. It's the ideal way to breathe the fresh air of the sea and get some fresh air when it's cooler. You will be able to take beautiful photos at sunset from the Malecón, so be sure to charge your smartphone!
Vedado, the most animated neighborhood
A neighborhood of Havana's wealthy families at the beginning of the revolution, the Vedado is today a modern district of Havana. The urban plan of Vedado, designed in a checkerboard pattern and articulated around vast orthogonal arteries, is directly inspired by the North American model. Thanks to its opening on the ocean and the Malecón, which borders its northern edge for several kilometers, Vedado gains in perspective and airiness. It is an essentially residential neighborhood. It is therefore not surprising to find a large number of casas particulares (guest houses) and hotels, which explains the presence of many tourists in this part of the city without distorting it, because Cubans are still the majority.
But Vedado is also one of the liveliest neighborhoods in Havana, because it has many bars, restaurants... Most of these establishments are privately owned and the services are generally of high quality; many addresses have even become must-seein a short time. Don't miss Casa Fragnol, a restaurant that offers Cuban and French specialties since it belongs to Chantal, a French woman who has been living in Cuba for many years. Another interesting address for lovers of good food is Café Laurent, which offers Cuban cuisine in a contemporary style with a nice offer of tapas and good cocktails. To party, we recommend going to Fabrica de Arte Cubano. This unique space, installed in an old factory, gathers on several floors bars, contemporary art galleries, concert halls, in a festive and trendy atmosphere where Havanese as well as tourists mix. For more choices, head to Calle 23, also called La Rampa, one of the liveliest avenues in Vedado: restaurants, bars, cabarets and nightclubs abound. Las Rampas Avenue divides Vedado in two, from the sea to the Miramar neighborhood, which is primarily a neighborhood of embassies and wealthy homes. In recent years, however, Miramar has become home to more and more privately owned restaurants and bars, and is becoming more and more like Vedado.
Old American cars in every neighborhood
It's hard not to notice them! They are everywhere... And they are finally the link between all the neighborhoods of Havana in a way. The old American cars, from the 1950s to the 1960s, are omnipresent in the Cuban capital and in every neighborhood. They contribute to the feeling that time has stopped in Cuba. Car collectors or car enthusiasts will be delighted. They will be able to take a trouble-free tour of Havana in an old convertible from the 1950s and take beautiful pictures. In the streets of Havana, you will be able to see, for example, models of mythical cars such as the 1955 Chevrolet BelAir, the Buick Eight, the 1958 Ford Fairlane Skyliner, the Pontiac Chieftain, the Oldsmobile Super 88, or the Packard 200..
Discover also our must-see cars of Havana!
