It can be easy to indulge in clichés when you think of a foreign place you’ve never been to before. You might imagine Paris to be populated by snooty locals, or by people who wear berets and stripy jumpers, and who never go anywhere without a freshly-baked baguette under their arm. You might think of Australia as being filled with tanned people who spend most of their time at the beach, and who have to avoid kangaroos while they travel. Once you get to a place, you’ll find that these clichés are mostly untrue, and OK – there a lot of kangaroos hopping around some places in Australia. What comes to mind when you think of Havana? Some of these things might have some truth to them. Yeah, there are a lot of smartly dressed people puffing on cigars, and sometimes it feels like you can hear salsa music drifting out of every open doorway. But there is so much more to Havana than these clichés, as you’ll discover. So what are some of the amazing things to do and see in Havana?
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Watch the World Go By…
The chances are that you’ll spend quite a lot of your time in Havana taking in the many sights of the Old Town. This is where Havana began, and the city essentially grew from this beautiful area, which feels like a self-contained town, almost like a museum that’s come to life (but a museum with a lot of bars). Sometimes when the temperature rises (as often happens in Havana), and the streets become too crowded, then there’s a place you need to go. On the edge of the Old Town, you’ll find the Malecón. This long stretch of walkway goes along the harbourside for an impressive 8 kilometres (5 miles). It’s a truly unforgettable place to sit down, drink a beer from one of the many vendors, and watch the world go by. This is the place where many locals come to chill out, and the views are sensational.
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Viva La Revolución!
Reminders of the revolution are everywhere in Havana, and the focal point is the impressive looking Museum of the Revolution (Museo de la Revolución, located on Avenida Bélgica). The museum itself is very interesting, although it’s geared more towards the actual people of Cuba, or at least those who can speak Spanish. Very few of the exhibits are accompanied by English language descriptions, and English tours of the facility are rather infrequent. The prize of the museum is actually outside, right behind the main building. Preserved in a gigantic glass case is the Granma, which is the boat that brought Fidel Castro and his fellow fighters to Cuba in 1956 for their ultimately successful task of overthrowing the government. This unassuming boat’s role in the Cuban Revolution is remarkable to think about, and the huge glass case is also rather interesting to see.
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Soak up Some Culture
When you think of cities associated with art, you might tend to think of Paris, Rome, or even London. You would be surprised at the number of top quality galleries that can be found in Havana. Museo de Bellas Artes has the most comprehensive collection, and you could easily spend a whole day admiring all the beauty on offer. This is also a museum, so it’s more of an art history experience, comparable to significant facilities such as the Louvre, although obviously with a focus on Cuban art. It’s located at Calle Trocadero e/ Zulueta y Monserrate, approximately 5 minutes walk from the Museum of the Revolution. There’s also Fábrica de Arte Cubano, which showcases the work of emerging Cuban artists (located at Calle 26 in Central Havana). Instead of trying to choose the best galleries and then trying to cram them into your visit, you should think about a Havana art tour, which can show you the absolute best of the best.
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Soak up Some Sun
Cuba is an island, so you’ll never be particularly far from the ocean. There are a number of top notch beaches around the island, but luckily, some of them are right next to Havana. There’s a collection of beaches that start within Havana city limits, and are collectively known as Playas del Este. Santa Maria del Mar is the most popular, and is unsurprisingly crowded during the warmer months of the year. It’s a great party beach, but the constant music and huge numbers of people can be a little much sometimes. The bars and clubs that overlook the beach are great though. If you crave a little peace and quiet, head a little further out to the beach that runs past the village of Guanabo – this is where the locals come to chill out.
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Put Your Dancing Shoes On
If you think you’re of an age where your nightclubbing days are behind you, you might want to reconsider this idea once you get to Havana. You’d be surprised at the multiple age groups you’ll encounter on a night out in the Cuban capital. You’ll see teenagers dancing next to senior citizens, all sweating up a storm to some scintillating salsa sounds. Most nightclubs actually start the evening with live bands who play for a few hours, before the DJ takes the stage and the venue becomes more of a conventional nightclub. For a good time, you’re in safe hands if you go to Casa de la Musica (located at Galiano between Neptuno y Concordia, in Central Havana).
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Shop Until You Drop
Havana is never going to beat other cities in the shopping stakes. For style, you have Paris; for design and innovation, you have Copenhagen; and for sheer volume of stores, you have pretty much any city in America. There are a number of cute boutiques in Havana’s Old Town, but if you want to find something unique to take home, head to the Almacenes San José Artisans Market (located on the corner of Avenida del Puerto and Calle Cuba). A lot of the stalls sell products that are rather obviously geared towards tourists (Che Guevara shirts in every imaginable size and colour), but you will also find a lot of local artists selling their products.
