Havana de Cuba - Hemingway’s Stomping Grounds
Havana, Cuba is heaven for the art aficionados, politicos and history buffs. Travelers will perhaps be surprised how diverse and well-rounded the city is not to mention its walkability. The island is diverse and infinitely fascinating and beautiful, but this blog focuses on Havana, epicenter of the Cuban culture.
EL MALECON
To both locals and tourists, Old Havana is the city’s heart and soul. El Malecon — technically speaking is a five mile long boulevard that stretches along the water — with Havana Bay on one side and Old Havana (Vedado and Central Havana) on the other. It’s the perfect walk to catch a breath of fresh air or take in a beautiful sunset. Except to see locals laughing and congregating, fishermen waiting on a possible catch and even a small dance party.
El Malecon — technically speaking is a five mile long boulevard that stretches along the water with Havana Bay on one side and Old Havana (Vedado and Central Havana) on the other.
OLD HAVANA (HABANA VIEJA)
Old Havana is picturesque, iconic and quickly distinguishable to the world. There is truly no place like it. Luckily thanks to avid preservationists in the early 1980s, Old Havana was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site and remains as impressive today as it did hundreds of years ago.
Walking through the cobblestone streets of Old Havana, you'll see textbook examples of architectural styles, including baroque and neoclassical design elements, painted in bright Caribbean colors of pink, peach, yellow and green. Plazas and streets are filled with local vendors, artists, and locals just going about life...
For history buffs, note that the perimeters of Old Havana are actually the old borders of the city present in the 16th century. Once dubbed the “Key to the New World,” the then owned Spaniard town was attractive for offering access to the Atlantic, which made shipping goods from the Americas back to Spain easy and logistical. Although the Spaniards’ occupation eventually ended, they left behind significant architectural elements and styles, including remnants of old city walls.
Old Havana is picturesque, iconic and quickly distinguishable to the world.
PLAZA VIEJA
Plaza Vieja, built in 1559, is considered Old Havana’s main square. The history and usage of the square is diverse. It has hosted countless festivals and processions, bullfights and military exercises. Eventually, the square transformed into what we know today: an open air market filled with local vendors and entertainers. Perhaps the best way to experience the cobblestone-lined plaza, flanked by bright brightly colored baroque and art nouveau-style buildings, is to grab a drink with a kick and just lay back, relax and watch all the people pass by.
PLAZA DE LA CATEDRAL
Plaza de la Catedral in Old Havana is a “must do” and well worth your time. The stunning 18th century Baroque Catedral de la Habana was once described by a Cervantes Prize-winning writer as "music made into stone” and it’s one of the oldest in the America’s. Havana’s incredible cathedral, dominated by two unequal towers and framed by a theatrical baroque facade, was designed by Italian architect Francesco Borromini. Construction of the church was begun by Jesuits in 1748 and work continued despite their expulsion in 1767. The exterior is Baroque but the interior Neoclassical and relatively austere. Frescoes above the altar date from the late 1700s, but the paintings that adorn the side walls are copies of originals by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo and Peter Paul Rubens. When the building was finished in 1787, the diocese of Havana was created and the church became a cathedral. And the most interesting factoid? The remains of Christopher Columbus were brought here from Santo Domingo in 1795 and interred until 1898, when they were moved to Seville Cathedral in Spain.
Plaza de la Catedral in Old Havana is a “must do” and well worth your time. The stunning 18th century Baroque Catedral de la Habana was once described by a Cervantes Prize-winning writer as "music made into stone” and it’s one of the oldest in the America’s.
MUSEUM OF THE REVOLUTION (MUSEO DE LA REVOLUCION)
The museum is a visual crash course on Cuba’s history, chronicling the life and times of this funky island before the revolution as well as the leaders and events that led to Fidel Castro’s successful uprising. Art, artifacts and relics exhibited demonstrate to visitors the going ons in the minds of the revolution fighters, political figures and journalists. Objects to visually note and experience include maps that were used for navigation during the war, blood-stained uniforms of the fallen from the Santiago de Cuba Moncada Barracks attack and even bullet holes from an attempted assassination of Fulgencio Batista, which is located in the building's main stairway. There are also segregated areas dedicated to both Che Guevara and Fidel Castro, and in front of the building the tank used by Castro during the Bay of Pigs invasion is in full view.
Note: The property used to be a palace that housed some of the country's most corrupt presidents, including Batista. Once Castro came to power, he quickly turned it into the museum that it is today.
MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS (MUSEO NACIONAL DE BELLAS ARTES DE LA HABANA)
For the art aficionado, you will have to see it to believe it!! The museum houses the largest collection of art in the country and is basically separated into two buildings; one for Cuban art housed in the Palacio de Bellas Artes, and (two blocks away) another for the rest of the world in the Centro Asturiano. The Cuban portion of the museum houses paintings, drawings, prints and artifacts from the Spanish occupation to the revolution. Viewers will undoubtedly see many works by the country's greats, including Guillermo Collazo, Raul Martinez (the Andy Warhol of Cuba) and Wilfredo Lam (the Pablo Picasso of Cuba). If you're a fan of Picasso's "Guernica," make sure and seek out Servando Cabrera Moreno's portrait of the Bay of Pigs. The international side is just as interesting and diverse in terms of medium and time span. Viewers will engage with Roman, Japanese, Greek, Spanish and British pieces, with the oldest artwork dating back to 500 B.C
The museum houses the largest collection of art in the country and is basically separated into two buildings; one for Cuban art housed in the Palacio de Bellas Artes, and (two blocks away) another for the rest of the world in the Centro Asturiano.
FINCA VIGIA - Ernest Hemingway’s Home
A short drive from Old Havana is, in my personal opinion, is one of the most beautiful and important pieces of architecture, Finca Vigia or Lookout Farm. Synonymous with Cuba, Ernest Hemingway lived on the island for over twenty years and purchased the property for its view of Havana as well as its migratory bird patterns. He called Finca Vigia home for a lot of his life, even while the United States' relationship with Cuba was starting to crumble, Hemingway wrote some of his most famous works, including The Old Man and the Sea.
When Hemingway died, his home was donated to the government and mostly remains untouched since. Visitors can experience and view the writer's former private quarters, which includes his artwork, hunting souvenirs and animal heads, his famous typewriter and over 9,000 books. Visitors also have access to the garden, Hemingway's dog cemetery and his beloved fishing boat, Pilar. Make sure to enter and climb the backyard tower, which affords great views of the surrounding neighborhood and “looks out” onto Havana - a sight too incredible to miss.
PLAZA DE LA REVOLUCION
For the politicos, the Plaza de la Revolución is a must do! And simply can’t be missed. The plaza acts as the central location for many of the regime's branches of government, and features artwork and monuments honoring notable Cubans, including central figures involved in the revolution. The Ministry of Interior (or Ministerio del Interior) features a giant mural of Che Guevara, with the phrase, "Hasta la victoria siempre" ("Always toward victory") fashioned underneath. At the adjacent telecommunications building, there is a similarly styled image of Camila Cienfuegos, another famous revolution fighter, with the phrase, "Vas bien, Fidel" ("You're doing fine, Fidel") written underneath. There is also a monument to José Martí, Cuba's most famous writer who dedicated his life to fighting for independence in the pre-Castro era. Nearby is the Biblioteca Nacional José Martí, Cuba's largest library, and the Teatro Nacional de Cuba, the country's most important theater.If you are a politico, the area might be quickly recognizable from photographs and film, as Castro made some of his most important and crowd dense speeches here.
