And get lost again in Old Havana
Updated on the day: 3/11/2021. Havana has an aura capable of bewitching anyone. Whoever got lost in** its warm streets**, whoever exchanged a few words with its people, always with a smile on their faces, he knows what we're talking about. Bubblegum pink, apple green, light blue, cream... The decadent facades and hypnotic vintage cars put color to the most iconic and unforgettable postcards from the city.
Why not, Havana is never forgotten or surpassed. The Cuban capital is one of those places that never leaves you satiated, it is addiction made city. "We'll be back", we sighed a few months ago, maybe years ago. And now, as the Cuban band Orishas says: "The Distance Remains" . But not for much longer: We count the days to be able to return and the reasons to do so. Take note!
A walk through Old Havana
1. Wander and let yourself be carried without a plan by the colorful streets from the center and others further away and discover corners with an indescribable charm.
two. Take a break at the bar The Golden Rain . Jaime with his wide smile will prepare you some mojitos while he explains the secret of his cocktail.
3. Go partying (as long as the situation allows it) in The Cuban Art Factory (F.A.C), an interactive cultural space of the most avant-garde.
Four. Humming non-stop some of the catchy songs that you will hear incessantly like El bodeguero: "Always at home, present is... the winemaker and the cha cha cha, go to the corner and you'll see..." and that ends up being part of the soundtrack of your trip.
5. Watch the sunset from El Malecón and not want to leave ; Havana's fishermen in the background, some distant music and the sight of children jumping from the rocks into the sea...
6. Have a piña colada in the mythical Cuban National Hotel from the 1930s, declared Memory of the World by UNESCO. While you taste it in front of the Caribbean Sea, a group plays the wonderful melody Yolanda by Pablo Milanés.
And sit placidly on its mythical Malecón...
7. malanga every day , from morning to night; it is a tuber similar to sweet potato which they often use as a side dish.
8. Get a tan on a deckchair on the roof of the beautiful Saratoga Hotel and give you a refreshing dip in your pool from where you will enjoy the magnificent view of the Capitol.
9. take one Tukola (the local Coca Cola) at Variety Bishop (Gastronomic Commercial Complex), a kind of Cuban diner located in the historic center of Old Havana.
10. Browse the books of the revolution; envelope of Che Guevara, Fidel Castro either Camilo Cienfuegos , in the stalls of the precious Main Square.
eleven. fashionistas, walk from top to bottom like a walkway, the tree-lined Paseo del Prado , where the last Chanel cruise show was held.
12. let yourself be impressed by Revolution Square Conceived in the 1920s by the French landscape architect Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier, in which the headquarters of the Cuban Government is located.
There are unique dips like the one at Hotel Saratoga
13. Sleep in a nice boutique hotel like The Colonial 1861 of the residential neighborhood of Vedado and that the charming Margarita prepares breakfast for you in the morning with a smile.
14. Cool off from the heat by drinking one or various daiquiris in the mythical and agitated Floridita , while a Cuban music group animates the atmosphere.
fifteen. be speechless in The Anti-Imperialist Tribune of the José Martí esplanade, a space located in front of the Malecón, next to the Embassy of the United States.
Floridita: the cradle of the daiquiri
16. Stay in private houses to live closely the Cuban experience and to be able to share the stay with the owners and the rest of the travelers.
17. Take a pedicab and walk along the beautiful avenue of Carlos III , full of shops, posters, old cinemas... and literally not being able to stop taking photos.
18. Take a spin with your hair in the wind in one of the beautiful American cars of the 50s ; like a convertible Chevrolet, and at the end of the walk they tell you that it belonged to the famous singer Benny Moré.
19. Find out about the difference in use of the two official currencies, the CUP, Cuban peso and the CUC convertible peso, intended for foreigners.
twenty. A Cuban meal on the balcony of the Palate the Merchants , not for its delicacies, although they promise otherwise, but for its style, in which it seems that time has not passed.
Take a ride in an American car from the 50s
twenty-one. Learn to take a collective taxi, as if you were a local . You will share the race with other people who are going in the same direction for only one CUC. Once inside, you just have to follow the rules of the driver , which with a gesture will tell you where to sit depending on where you are going.
22. Have grilled chicken, in each and every one of the restaurants and houses and that each time they sell you that it is their specialty and that it is exquisite.
Hotel Both Worlds
23. Enjoy a 100% digital detox trip (without a hint of the Internet) and notice how good you feel.
24. Cool down again on the rooftop of one of Hemingway's dwellings at the Hotel Ambos Mundos, with a spectacular view of Old Havana.
25. Try to dance salsa with more or less grace in a bar, let your hair down and feel like you're not doing so bad.
26. A most romantic dinner at La Guarida, an impressive palate with an indescribable charm that You enter through a dilapidated gate and a staircase . You can end the night having a drink on its spectacular terrace that overlooks the city.
27. Change for a day the sota-horse of chicken + rice + beans menu, eating at Casa Miglis, a restaurant in Swedish-Cuban fusion in the middle of Havana Centro, after several days on a Cuban diet you will appreciate its European touch.
28. Manage to elegantly dodge the "jineteros" who will chase you with infinite persistence through all the streets of the city to try to sell you anything, a guided route, a horse-drawn carriage tour...
29. Try the ropa vieja, one of the most typical Cuban dishes, at the gastronomic restaurant Café Laurent; while enjoying the views from its roof. You will see several of the most significant buildings in the city , such as the Hotel Tryp Habana Libre or the López Serrano, one of the most renowned art deco buildings in Cuba.
30. Take photos of every corner and not being able to stop because absolutely everything is instagrammable.
31. take some ladybugs (fried banana snack) and a Cristal beer at dusk in one of the terraces of the Plaza Mayor.
32. Smoke a Habano, a Montecristo, a Churchill from Romeo and Juliet or a Lancero from Cohíba in front of Central Park in the famous Hotel Inglaterra as in the golden age of the 30s.
Monument to Jose Marti
33. Stroll through the residential neighborhood of Vedado, among its colonial houses with gardens and impressive buildings; keep walking and don't get tired.
3. 4. Take old taxis of unlikely colors, bubblegum pink, apple green, light blue, cream yellow...
35. Discover the architecture and vegetation of Nuevo Vedado with an expert who tells you its origin and anecdotes.
36. Have a glass of water filtered by ancient methods in the singular Water House La Tinaja served by the welcoming and friendly Pedro Pablo, of Galician origin.
Atelier Terrace
37. Spend a perfect evening on one of the rooftops of the workshop , a refined restaurant located in an elegant house that offers careful cuisine in a family atmosphere.
38. Enjoy Cuban architecture, such as the Bacardí Building, the Fausto Theater or the América Theater.
39. "Make the queue" Cuban style, with a lot of order and relaxation; under a tree, in a park, or from a bench a few meters from the place, knowing that no one is going to sneak in because you asked for the time. (For the organization, the idea is that each person memorizes the face of the previous one).
40. Accidentally sneak in when buying ice cream at the famous ice cream parlor Coppelia for believing that there was no one waiting and everyone being spread out while waiting their turn.
41. End the stay with an impressive panoramic view from Tower , the restaurant on the 33rd floor of the legendary Focsa building, one of the 7 wonders of Cuban civil engineering and a great innovation of the 50s.
In the background, the Bacardi Building
42. Return from the trip changing the final “r” of the words for “l”, Do you understand my love?
And if you stay more days in Cuba and you want to explore the country…
- Travel to the charming city of Cienfuegos , stay at Hostal Eureka , a beautiful yellow colonial house and fall in love with Yilian, Daniel and the rest of the family.
- Visit Trinity, talk for hours with Héctor and Marta , the owners of the private house Looking for Caniquí and let yourself be guided to the beautiful Sol y Son restaurant.
- Do not miss the region of Viñales, dance in the popular verbena of the Polo Montañez cultural center, ride a horse through its impressive vegetation and declare your eternal love on one of its terraces.
You know.
Do not miss the Viñales region