Havana in 10 images: the Caribbean charm of the most beautiful capital

Neither embargoes, nor hurricanes, nor revolutions, nor the crises that it has gone through in the last six decades have managed to break the spirit of Havana, a city that exudes the character of the survivors. Overcome one and a thousand vicissitudes, the Cuban capital receives the traveler with his usual warmth, showing his most luminous side.

The best time to visit is from November to April, when the temperatures are mild and the rains are at bay. It is the most suitable time to tour its magnificent historic center, cataloged in 1982 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. As we walk through squares and streets, we contemplate the houses with chipped walls punished by the passage of time and the lack of resources and the scaffolding turned into safe-conduct towards a long-awaited restoration. Despite the sorrows, the city, which treasures five centuries of history -it was founded in 1514- continues to be beautiful and more alive than ever. We invite you to discover its essence in ten images.

Old Havana

The colored buildings characterize Old Havana

It treasures hundreds of historical buildings, from Baroque to Art Deco; constructions that reflect the past of a city that for centuries fell in love with the world. Fortresses, palaces, churches, squares and streets act as narrators of a story that dates back to the 16th century, when the capital was founded by Pánfilo de Narváez. Converted into the most touristic area of ​​the capital, Old Havana is undoubtedly the most iconic postcard in the country; a postcard of narrow streets and avenues flanked by colored buildings, through which the almendrones circulate, the picturesque automobiles of the middle of the last century. 

Main Square

Second-hand book market in the Plaza de Armas in Havana

In the Plaza de Armas, the oldest and one of the four great squares of Old Havana, the city began to take shape. The epicenter of official and public life since the 16th century and throughout the colonial era, in it we find buildings as significant as the baroque palaces of the Captains General and the Second Cape, the house of the Counts of Santovenia or El Templete -the place where it is believed that San Cristóbal de La Habana was founded- and some museums. Today it is a lively space that houses a popular second-hand book market. 

The boardwalk

The Malecón, the emblematic promenade of Havana.

It would be inexcusable to visit the city and not walk along the boardwalk, the promenade that runs along the north coast of the capital from the bay, in Old Havana, to the mouth of the Almendares, in Miramar. Throughout the day, but especially at sunset, it is filled with lovers, young people, musicians, fishermen and anyone who wants to watch the sunset in front of the sea. The architecture along its eight kilometers is eclectic, with a mix of attractive neoclassical and art nouveau buildings, many of them undergoing restoration.

It would be inexcusable to visit Havana and not walk along the boardwalk, the promenade that runs along the north coast of the capital

The nose

View of El Morro from the boardwalk of the capital of Cuba.

Located at the entrance to the bay of Havana, the castle of the Three Kings of the Morro -also known as the castle of the Morro- was from the 16th century to the end of the 18th century a key piece of the local defensive system against corsairs and pirates. Seriously damaged by the English attacks, the fortification had to be rebuilt. Today it houses an interesting cultural complex that includes museums, art galleries and restaurants with enviable views.

The capitol

The capitol is one of the most outstanding buildings in Havana.

The National Capitol of Havana, located next to the Paseo de Martí, very close to the Central Park, is one of the most iconic images of the capital. It was built in 1929 at the initiative of then President Gerardo Machado and designed by Eugenio Raynieri Piedra, to house the congress and the senate. It is clearly inspired by the US Capitol, although it can boast of being one meter taller, one meter wider and one meter longer. Made of limestone and granite and classical in style, a 62-meter dome stands out on top, visible from many points in the capital. Inside, profusely decorated, the Hall of the Lost Steps stands out. It is open to the public and can be toured for free or with a guided tour.

National Hotel of Cuba

The Hotel Nacional de Cuba opened its doors at the beginning of the 1930s.

On December 30, 1930, the Hotel Nacional de Cuba opened its doors, an establishment built on a hill in Vedado overlooking the boardwalk. At that time, no one could have imagined that it would end up becoming the scene of some of the great events in Havana for the next ninety years. Historical episodes with the mafia, the cold war or royalty as protagonists have earned him inclusion in the Unesco World Memories project. And it is that celebrities such as Winston Churchill, Lucky Luciano, Frank Sinatra, Jean Paul Sartre, Lola Flores, Gabriel García Márquez or Francis Ford Coppola have slept under its roof, which is why it has its own “gallery of fame”, a certainly interesting space.