The Gran Teatro de la Habana
Executive summary by darmansjah
HABANA VIEJA
offers visitors one of the finest collections of urban edifices in the Americas
– the old Town contains more than 900 buildings of historical importance. For the
best, tour the four main squares: Plaza de Armas,
Plaza Vieja, Plaza de San Frncisco de Asis and Plaza
de la Catedral.
Plaza de Armas
Plaza Vieja
Plaza de San Francisco de Asis
Plaza de la Catedral
The Museo de la Revolucion is
housed in the former Presidential Palace. The museum descends chrnonologically
from the top floor, starting with Cuba’s pre-Colombian culture and going down
to the present-day regime (00 537 862 4093; Refugio No 1; 10am-5pm; US$5 plus
US$2.50 camera fee).
Museo de la Revolucion
In 1940, Ernest Hemingway bought Finca
la Vigia, a villa in San Francisco de Paula, 10 miles southeast of
Havana. He lived there until 1960 and it remains virtually unchanged (Carretera
Central; 9am-4.3pm Wed-Mon; US$5, plus US$2.5 camera fee).
Finca
la Vigia
The Malecon, Havana’s
evocative five-mile sea drive, is one of the city’s most soulful thoroughfares.
Laid out in the early 1900s as an ocean-side boulevard, it has long been a
favoured meeting place for lovers, philosophers and poets.
The Malecon
You’re never far from an idyllic beach. Havana’s own pine
fringed Riviera, Playas del Este begins just 11
miles to the east of the capital at Bacuranao. During July and August, Havana
comes out to play an relax on the soft white sands and clear waters of the
beautiful Atlantic coastline.
Playas del Este
Havana is a one-off. Where else can you find vintage
American cars running off Russian engines, ration shops near to gleaming
colonial mansions, and revolutionary slogans daubed on walls of houses hosting
all-night parties? Havana also spawned salsa and mambo, Havana Club rum and
Chohiba cigars.
Joint in the carnival celebrations
in July and August, or go in October for the Havana Festival of Contemporary
Music (musiccacontemporanaea.cult.cu).
The most active hurricane period is September to November.
To reach Jose Marti international
Airport, Cuba’s main aero-gateway in the capital city of Havana, you can
fly into Miami before connecting there with American Airlines (aa.com) or Delta Air Lines (delta.com). Cubana de Aviacion (cubana.cu) flies direct to Havana from
Beijing, London, Paris. Public transport from the airport is practically
non-existent, but a taxi will cost from US$24. You can change money at the bank
in the arrivals hall of the airport.
Los Nardos is one of handful
of semi-private Havana restaurants operated by the Spanish Asturianas society. Portions
are huge and flavourful, and dishes include lobster in a Catalan sauce, garlic
prawns with sautéed vegetables, and authentic Spanish paella (Paseo de Marti
563; mains from USD5).
At Restaurante el Templete,
the speciality is fish, succulent and perfectly prepared without any
pretensions. Enjoy Basque chef Arkaitz Etxarte’s marmitako – a tuna, potato and
capsicum stew (00 537 866 8807; Ave del Puerto 12; mains from US$8).
Paladar La Guarida’s food is
Nueva Cocina Cubana, showcasing dishes such as sea bass in a coconut reduction,
and chicken with honey and lemon sauce. Reservation required (00 537 866 9047;
laguarida.com; Concordia 418 between Gervasio & Escobar; lunch and dinner;
mains from US$10).
La Imprenta has raised the
bar for government-run places, serving specialiaties such as raw fish ceviche,
grilled lobster with rice, and a stash of decent wines (00 537 864 9581;
Mercaderes 208; mains from US$13).
Just beyond the Darsena de los Franceses lies one of the big
guns, Divina Pastora, offering an international
and Cuban-inspired menu, with seafood a highlight. There’s also a credible wine
list, cocktails and live music (Parque Historico Morro y Cabana; lunch and
dinner; mains from US$13).
Metered tourist taxis are available from all upscale hotels.
State owned yellow and black taxis are cheaper, but don’t use the meter – agree
a fare before you get in. the Havana Bus Tour operates
three main routes (all day tickets US$6.50; 00 537 831 7333).
Casa 1932 affords a glimpse
of Art Deco Havana. Everything you touch in this house is antique. The owner is
a designer, local history expert and mine of information on everything from
Cuban film to the history of Pharmacy (casahabana.net; campanario 63 between
San Lazaro & Lagunas; from US$40).
The two rooms at Marta Vitorte are deluxe with lovely
furnishings, not to mention the delicious breakfasts, laundry service, lift
attendant and a glass-fronted waraparound terrace that soaks up 270 degrees of
Havana’s memorable panorama (00 537 832 6475; martavitorte@hotmail.com; Calle G
301 Apt 14 between Calles 13 & 15 from US$40).
Mason de la Flota
is an old Spanish tavern located right beside the gracious Plaza Vieja. Five individually
styled rooms have tiled floors and wrought iron balconies. Downstairs, the busy
restaurant specializes in tapas and flamenco (00 537 863 3838; Mercaderes 257
between Amargura & Brasil; from US$105).
If you want to splash out, try the Hotel Conde de
Villaneuva, it’s been converted from a colonial mansion, the rooms centered
around a courtyard. The suites contain stained-glass, chandeliers and
sculptures (hotelcondedevillanueva.com; Mercaderes 202; from Us$170).
Baroque meets modern minimalist in Palacio del Marques de
San Felipe y Santiago de Bejucal, where you admire artworks from renowned Cuban
artists in a bright Caribbean palette (habaguanexhotels.com; Calle des los
Oficios 152 esquina a Mercaderes; form US$255).
For Your rum Diary by Chico Kidd
Havana Club Museum is housed in an 18th-century
colonial mansion. If you’re after a lot of information crammed into a short
time, a tour with a knowledgeable guide is well worth it. The museum is
interesting, offering an overview of the distillation process. However, the bar
is the place to be, serving some of the best mojitos in town and hosting some
fanstastic local brands (Havana-club.co.uk; avenida del Puerto 262, esq Sol;
entry US$8).
National Pastime by Debbie Wickens
You should treat yourself to cocktails one evening at the Hotel nacional de cuba, just off the Malecon. Dating from
the 1930s, this imposing building is full of style and character. Sip a large
mojito on the terrace as the sun goes down and imagine all the gangsters and
celebrities who have hung out here in the past (hotelnacionaldecuba.com; Calle
21 y O, Vedado Plaza)
Obscure Choice by Clare Moscrop
Situated at the top of a building in Plaza Vieja in the Old
Town, the Camara Oscura allows you to get a fantastic panoramic view of the
city in real time – ideal for working out which bits of the city you’re keen to
see close up. Even better are the views you get from the building’s roof. It’s
a great place to get a different viewpoint on the day-to-day happenings of the
city (netessa.com; Plaza Vieja; admission Us$2)
For Cuba before
Castro, pack Graham Greene’s Our Man in Havana, and for something contemporary,
try Dirty Havana Trilogy by Pedro Juan Gutierrez.
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