HAVANA, cuban capital

For a successful trip on the island of Cuba, a visit by the popular city of Havana, of course, inevitable. The wonderful capital attracted all visitors, both for its endless beaches than for its cosmopolitan and its cultural richness. Founded in 1519, considered at the time as the key to golf, Havana attracts thousands of visitors per year. The capital of Cuba is less than 200 km of Varadero to the east, about 900 kilometers from Santiago de Cuba, near the famous seaside resort of Guardalavaca. Havana is divided into three portions, known as the Old Havana Habana Vieja, declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982, Modern Havana, and hotels are helping to increase the modern extension to the west of the Cuban capital and the beaches, located 20 minutes from downtown.

Habana Vieja

Old Havana is brimming with interesting places to visit, including the Plaza de Armas (Arms Square) castle near the Castillo de la Real Fuerza (Castle of the Royal Fortress) and the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales (Palace of the Captains General) .

La Habana Vieja lengthens the port to the city official from the famous Plaza de Armas (Arms Square), for a little less than five square kilometers. While this course recalls with nostalgia at Cadiz and Tenerife, Spain, for travelers who have visited the south of Europe. Throughout the course in the neighborhood of Cuba, there are over a thousand buildings such as ancient monuments, forts, monasteries and churches, palaces, alleys, arcades, etc.. Bringing the oldest buildings in Latin America, some of which date back to the sixteenth century, makes the area one of the greatest wealth of colonial Latin America.

The Cuban State is making great efforts to conserve and restore Old Havana, through the Office of the Historian of the City, Eusebio Leal led by the Lord.

To optimize your experience at Havana, reserve not less than three days in La Habana Vieja. For Havana in general, it is strongly recommended to spend a stay of at least one week in the Cuban capital.

Plaza de Armas

The origin of its name is obviously military, because since the end of the sixteenth century it was necessary all the ceremonies and military events of the territory. The Plaza de Armas is the pioneer of all the places in Havana, is the oldest in the entire city. At the time, The Plaza de Armas, however, was small and during its expansion in 1586, a group of houses was shot, despite the protests of a sudden drum of inhabitants, as disturbing to the defense of the city .

The present appearance of the place is almost exactly the same as in 1589 due to renovations at the time. Ie, the square is still surrounded by the same noble government buildings, and the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales (Palace of the Captains General), which today houses the Museo de la Ciudad (City Museum ). The second course of the palace houses the units of the Ministry of Culture and the Conde de Santovenia, where they have now installed one of the first hotels in the city.

Castillo de la Real Fuerza

Upon closing of the Plaza de Armas, became the oldest fort in America. The castle called Castillo de la Real Fuerza (Castle of the Royal Fortress) was built between 1558 and 1577 on the site of an ancient fort destroyed by French corsairs in 1555. Infrastructure imposing castle is surrounded by a moat impressive and walls made from coral blocks, as some fortresses in the Caribbean. Today, there are the Museo de la Cerámica artística Cubana (Museum of Ceramic Art of Cuba). There is also a restaurant, a bistro and coffee shop for travelers. The west tower of the castle, called the Tour of Hope, is crowned by a copy of the famous bronze weathervane named "The Giraldilla." The wind is now kept in the City Museum (Museo de la Ciudad) and emblem is also found on bottles of Havana Club rum. Until 1750 the castle was occupied by the Spaniards before they built their own palaces near their former residence, the famous Castillo de la Real Fuerza.

Catedral de San Cristobal de La Habana

Alejo Carpentier, a Cuban writer described the Cathedral of San Cristobal of Havana as "frozen music." It was not something at the immensity of this magnificent cathedral. Dominated by the inequality of two towers and framed by a Baroque theater facade, designed in the style of Italian architect Francesco Borromini. The revolutionary papal visit of Pope John Paul II in 1998 is also included in the history of this cathedral, which is one of the oldest cathedrals in America. Built in 1748, the people had access to the cathedral in 1787 when it was finished building. Legend has it that the cathedral contains a spectacular monument dedicated to Christopher Columbus (Columbus). And it would have been transported to Spain in 1898, where he is buried near the cathedral of Seville.

Cathedral of Havana

The cathedral was erected on the chapel in 1748 on the orders of the Bishop of Salamanca Jose Felipe Palacios Res. This is one of the most beautiful and sober baroque churches America. It is therefore an example of the style "Jesuit", but it is also a Cuban baroque, like a tropical dolmen both strong and elegant. At any time, the Cathedral of Havana, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, had an enormous religious significance for local people because his devotion to the Blessed Virgin is remarkable, in fact the statue can be found on the main altar.

Plaza de la Catedral

Leaving the Castillo de la Real Fuerza, walking the streets in Mercedes, there is the Plaza de la Catedral (Cathedral Square), where the streets converge Stoned and San Ignacio. At the end of the sixteenth century, the place, at a lower level, was actually a pond of mud. It is for this reason it was called La Cienaga (Place des Marias) until it is turned in 1560 known as El Chorro, thanks to renovations following the fire and looting of 1555 starring caused by a band of English pirates.

Craft Market

Cuba, although in contrast to Latin American customs, is not a country of great tradition. This is due to the extinction of the indigenous population in the early moments of the Spanish colonization of the island. Colonization private traditions and artistic works to develop textbooks for the sound of the Cuban people, in contrast to the wealth produced craft countries like Mexico, Guatemala and Colombia. However, in the Plaza de la Catedral stands a small craft market where you can find some interesting souvenirs to take home. Furthermore, close is a shop that houses the former home of Banos, located on the western slope of the square, baroque building doubtful which was rebuilt in the late nineteenth century.

The Palacio de los Capitanes Generales

The Palacio de los Capitanes Generales - Museo de la Ciudad (The Palace of the Captains General - Museum of the City) is the largest building in the Plaza de Armas, both for its impressive architecture, as for the interesting content to discover during the visit interior of the palace. At the time of colonization, the complex belonged to the Spanish Captains General which is now dedicated the Museum of the city. Found in museum collections that make up the history of Havana from its inception to today. The largest collections are designed for wars of independence of Cuba. The construction of the Palace began in 1776 and was completed in the year 1791. It is one of the most prominent example of Spanish architecture in Latin America. In the Baroque, but with reminiscences Renaissance Palace is a must for travelers.

Havana: Or go to Havana?

The Malecon

This is the inevitable arc boulevard perfect croisette six kilometers long, which overlooks the ocean north of Havana.

La Bodeguita del Medio

At No. 207 de la Calle Empedrado, the former grocery store near the cathedral has become since 1950, the Bodeguita del Medio, a restaurant and a bar where tourists from around the world drink a Mojito ($ 4 per unit). It uses nearly a thousand a day.

El Floridita

According to legend, it's here, close to the Capitol, at No. 557 de la calle de Obispo, the Daiquiri, cocktail emblematic of Cuba, was prepared by Hemingway Ribalaguai and Constantino, the owner of the premises to the time. What is certain is that the Papa Hemingway drank double and sugar at the end of the bar stool where the writer is always visible but inaccessible because of a protected channel. 
 The house cocktail is really a pure nectar is to refresh as well as to intoxicate. For a few dollars, you will experience how the looted ice is essential to get a good Daiquiri, a mixture of ice and rum. 
 Unlike the Bodeguita del Medio very touristy, it is certainly an obligatory stop at a transition to Capital of Cuba.

It Capitolio

Copy of the U.S. Capitol in Washington sets its imposing white marble close to the Gran Teatro.