Cuba’s capital, Havana, is a city with 2.1 million inhabitants. Founded by the Spanish in the 16th century, the modern-day city is three cities in one: La Habana Vieja, El Vedado, and the newer suburban districts. The old part of the city, La Habana Vieja, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 and is most famous for its narrow alleys, architecture, and monuments.
Fidel Castro & Che Guevara’s Cuba is frozen in time but… it never will be the same again!
Most international tourists come here to see the old buildings and many American vintage cars pre-dating the 1960 trade embargo. Since US President Barack Obama announced the re-establishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba on December 17, 2014, Cubans have been preparing for a massive influx of American tourists. Fortunately, Globerovers Magazine made it to Cuba before the influx of the masses, and even before Obama’s entourage arrived. We can only expect that Havana is slated for a huge transformation.
In the PHOTO BELOW are views of La Habana Vieja (old Havana) from Catedral de San Cristóba. In the foreground is Plaza de la Catedral. This area was originally a swamp but was then drained and used as a naval dockyard. The construction of Catedral de San Cristóba (on the right side) was started in 1748 by the Jesuits. They did not see the completion of the building in 1777 because King Carlos III of Spain expelled them from Cuba in 1767. According to legend, the remains of Christopher Columbus were kept here before being returned to Spain in 1898.
The full name of the Cathedral is “The Cathedral of the Virgin Mary of the Immaculate Conception”. It was built in a Baroque style from blocks of coral cut from the ocean floor of the Gulf of Mexico. Look closely and see marine fossils in the facade.
Catedral de San Cristóbal, Old Havana
The old part of the city, La Habana Vieja, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. It has the second-highest population density in the city and is known for its old crumbling buildings and narrow alleys.
Founded by the Spanish in 1519, it became a main shipbuilding centre during the 17th century but in recent years many buildings have fallen into ruin and closed down. In addition to the old residential buildings, there are many churches, fortresses, theatres and parks to explore.
Havana is known for its street art and graffiti with much of it government-sanctioned, particularly the political murals of national heroes such as Che Guevara and of course, the communist brothers Fidel and Raúl Castro.
Street artists are also making the city a pleasant place to walk around in. It’s not hard to find them in the old city where they sit for hours hoping for a few handouts by passing tourists.
Don’t hesitate to contribute some money as these people are hardworking in a depressing economy where it is hard to make ends meet.
Due to trade embargoes, Cuba had to rely on Soviet Union supplied Volgas, Moskvichs, and Ladas. Since that source started to dwindle, China stepped in to provide sedans from Chinese automaker Geely. They supplied the police and official cars as well as most of the rental cars which are the Geely CK, EC7 and EC8 models.
Turn back time to prior to the 1960 embargo when the majority of new vehicles came from the USA. Currently, about 60,000 American vehicles are in use, and over the years they had to rely on spare parts from any vehicle a workshop could lay their hands on – often scavenged from Soviet cars. Some of the vintage cars on the road have little of the original vehicle left other than the body! Many of them sport brand new Chinese built powerful engines.
Many of the taxis are vintage cars which you can hire at a fairly low fare. Want to travel in style? Spend a lot more to hire a nicely painted and well-maintained vintage car.
☛ Read more: Vintage cars of Uruguay
Cuba is known for its beautiful beaches, such as Varadero Beach, the sandy islands of Cayos Coco & Guillermo, Playa Ancón, Guardalavaca, Cayo Largo del Sur, Cayo Levisa, and the list can go on and on. If you are stuck in Havana, rent a vintage car taxi (or take the public bus) for the day to Playas de Este.
This series of beaches which stretch for about 24 km along the north coast, start at just 20 km east of Havana. Beaches include Santa María del Mar, Boca Ciega, La Veneciana, and Brisas del Mar.
During low season the beaches are almost deserted, especially early morning until noon. Facilities are scarce, so bring your own food and drinks. Pee in the bush rather than in the water because that’s where we all swim!
Blog post and photos by Peter who has been travelling almost full-time since 2005 and has been to over 122 countries. He visited several countries, such as Japan, more than 20 times. Peter is Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of GlobeRovers Magazine, an independent travel magazine focused on intrepid destinations.