Hotels and Hostals in Cuba

General Introduction to Havana City, Cuba

The Cuban province Ciudad de La Habana is particularly interesting because, as a whole, it constitutes the capital of Cuba and of all Cubans, "federal" capital (so to speak because there is no federalism in Cuba, but there is a capital province as in many federations), that we will just call Havana from now on. Together with Varadero, Havana is the most reached tourist destination of Cuba.

"If I get lost, look for me in Cuba" wrote the Spanish poet Federico García Lorca. And if you visit Havana you will know why. Havana is really one of the fewest cities in the world which still keeps a characteristic and unique charm. In fact, Havana represents a fascinating contrast between history and circumstances. 90% of the capital keeps even today an unchanged aspect that tells it apart from the other Caribbean and Latin American capitals. You will also see Chevrolet cars from the '50s and other vintage vehicles running next to the soviet Volgas and Ladas, aside from the invented buses (Camels), eveything mixed with sporadic modern cars, coco-taxis and bicy-taxis (that is, also invented three-cycles, with or without engine). You will see modern hotels and buildings surrounded by old structures and colonial houses almost falling apart. All that smothered by the black fumes of trucks and several other vehicles. Many slogans and letterings in capital letters written by the cuban government and lots, lots of salsa.
An air of sophocating appearance, a relentless heat and a lifestyle shared between the annoyingly protocolar and the excessively negletful will provide all this whole with a unique appeal that will always surprise the new tourist.

It's quite difficult to find in this world something that represents more than Havana (or than Cuba as a whole) the definite triumph of essence over appearence. And visiting this city is something that anyone should experience once in a lifetime. Graham Greene and Ernest Hemingway have taken deep (and numerous) drinks in all those places which have inspired them. Ava Gardner and Winston Churchill -- and without mentioning a few others -- have also been deep into rum and tobacco to such extent that they have been enchanted - and therefore the name of Churchill has marked a whole generation of Habanos Puros. No wonder the Cuban "puros" are more than famous and represent one of the numerous must have of all smokers who respect themselves and are not sorry. Of course, if you are looking in Cuba for what to drink and to smoke, you have just arrived at the perfect place, since in Cuba these things abound and are never lacking.

Havana, contrarily to the view that Westerners have about Socialist capitals, entails and comprises a typically Caribbean sense of joy and fun and the city shines and squeaks even at night .

Located on the north-western coast of Cuba, Havana is built around a deep harbour and can take pride in a delicious Spanish colonial architecture, with squares decorated with coconut trees which provide shade under a striking sun. Hidden doors lead to charming patios and the facades of the buildings are frequently covered by terraces from which families look at passers-by.

Many of the Havana constructions are very old and some areas are under restructuring, obviously the historical sites are prioritized. In 1982, the importance of the city was acknowledged by the UNESCO and Havana has been declared as world heritage. it's precisely to preserve this heritage that the restoration works prioritize particularly the historical neighborhoods and, particularly, the streets in Old Havana. To such an extent, that many of the hotels of the historical downtown allocate all their incomes to its restoration.

Being one of the oldest cities of the Americas, at present, Havana is a metropolis, with plenty of heterogeneous architectures but massively colonial, including occasional structures with a lush barroque style. Old Havana, which is nothing but the Historical Downtown of the city, has also been declared by the UNESCO as world heritage. With the help of the UNESCO, a private Iberain capital and the contribution of some hotels, the government of Cuba, represented by the state firm Habaguanex, has already restored most of the historical sites and expects the completion of the works over the course of the decade 2000-2010.

Upon arrival in Havana, the vibrancy of the people is one of the first striking things, given the fact that both in the day time and at night, one can listen to music everywhere ands even witness people dancing in the streets.

The rich history of Cuba and specially of Havana is reflected on the face of the people whose descendence comes from the Spanish conquerors and the African slaves who were introduced into the work of the tobacco and sugar cane plantations.

Havana is a dynamic place for the night life and the choice of places is quite open. it's also a perfect place for live music and it's not even needed to go to a discotheque to listen to it, since it's abundant in the streets, which never stop being full of people up until at least 11.00 pm, and there are no official hours, although most of the night places close before midnight (with the exception of discotheques which close a little later ).

At first sight, Havana seems to be colorless, scarcely painted and with worn out buildings, but a tour around Old Havana does not take long in showing the glorious colonial architecture in all its charm, much of which has been restored. Visitors may wander down the streets of the imposing historical downtown, looking at open patios. And if on top of that we add all the rest, we will have the impression of being moving within a living museum.

The Cathedral Square is one of the most beautiful and preserved squares of Havana, surrounded by restored buildings aimed at keeping the original splendor. The Saint Christopher Cathedral (Chistopher Columbus Cathedral) is an attractive barroque construction from the 18th century, that dominates the north par of the square. While in its old building, since 1720, the Colonial Art Museum is located, a master piece in architecture, surrounded by tropical plants and completed by the colonial furniture of the large palaces. Also remarkable are the sophisticated coffee shops, the restaurants and the post office.

The City Museum occupies now the magnificent Palace of the Captain Generals , formerly the house of the top colonial authority of Cuba. It has also been a Presidential Palace. This popular museum reflects one of the general looks of Havana, since its foundation up to the present. The oldes construction of the square is the amazing Castel of the Royal Force, a colonial fortress from the 16th century, surrounded by a moat, today the site of the Museum of the Cuban Artistic Ceramics .

In Havana there are also many other important monuments. Among the most famous we mention the National Capitol (which is an exact copy of the similar one in the US) and the Museum of the Revolution. In Old Havana, there are all kinds of hotels, even those having a historical or monumental importance. For example, how not to know the value of the Ambos Mundos Hotel where Hemingway used to be lodged?

We should also mention Prado,the street where, in the 19th century the high society of the capital used to gather and where now, paradoxically, the lowest layer gathers. Aside from this, many restaurants and paladares (small private restaurants made at home) where both the Italian and the Spanish cuisine abounds. It has to be said also that paladares have already lost their popularity and they no longer compete with the oficial restaurants, which definitely offer a greater cuisine choice. Since many flights arrive at night it's really a cultural shock to see Havana after the sunset and to wake up the following day inside a society that, according to the opinion of some, represents a masterpiece of humanity. You will see many things that are charateristic, among them colored women - usually in adavanced ages and sometimes fat - smoking huge puros and dressed in a folkloric way, or you will see many girls wearing patterned dresses, children wearing school uniforms, Chinese bicitaxis, plenty of police, cars which have known better times and so forth.

Alternately, do not forget to tour along the famous seashore The Malecón, which enables to have a wonderful panoramic view of the whole city. Anyway, Havana is really a striking city, the population is friendly to such an extent that it seems excessively familiar (almost nobody will call you "usted"), a good warm climate, beautiful beaches, incredible colonial architectures and fascinating culture and history... the perfect place to be aware of an environment totally different from the one you are acquainted with.