Havana

Havana, capital of the country, it was founded in November of 1519 by Diego Velázquez like village of San Cristóbal de La Habana, probably in the area next to the bay between the street Heel and San Francisco's square. This era the third location after other uncertain locations from 1514. In the year 1982 the UNESCO declared the old case of the city, Old Havana, Patrimony of the Humanity. If you want to have more information on the rehabilitation projects than they are carried out in this area of the city you can give yourself a turn for the page of the Office of the Historian of the City.

In Old Havana they are the constructions of the colonial stage, mainly of the XVII centuries to the XIX one. Following the division that Fermín Romero carries out in its book "The Noble Havana" will make a brief review of the places more emblematics of the city: squares, strengths and ecclesiastical constructions 
The Plaza de Armas that harbors among other the palaces of the Campitanes Generales (Presidential Palace until 1920 and today important Museum of the City) and that of the Segundo Cabo, the Templete (1828) or the castle of the Real Fuerza. This half-closes it was traced on the Havanan planes from Antonio Fernández Trevejos in the XVIII century. Among the years 1834 and 1955 were presided over from their center by the king's statue Fernando VII and from this last date for another of Carlos Manuel Céspedes. The square was restored in 1935 to recover the aspect of half-filled of the XVIII one. 
Next to the port of the city San Francisco's Square is located that had its peak soon after the transfer to the city of the governor's residence and when being good its port of strategic point for the supply of the fleet. It dates of 1628 and in her it was until final of the XVIII one the residence of the general captain of the Island. In one of the sides of the square it's San Francisco's church and in front of her the building of the Lonja de Comercio -inaugurated in the summer of 1997 after some important works that transformed it into the most modern in the city, at the same time that headquarters of great number of companies -. 
Another place recovered by the restoration in 1997 is the Plaza Vieja. Of plant rectangular and big dimensions, the first buildings that surrounded it you began to build in the XVII century. The houses are with porticos of two heights and in the superior the arches are finished off by windows. 
The Square of the Cathedral, very near that of Armas, was built on an old muddy area in which was located at the end of the XVI one a source and the first Spanish aqueduct in America. The other three sides of the square occupy it elegant houses of first of the XVIII one, most with porticos, except which there is in front of the Cathedral. 
The pressure exercised by the pirates and corsairs Cuba has more than enough from beginnings of the XVI one forced the Spaniards to protect the cities and ports with strengths. Of these the most important in the capital and visit forced for the tourist are: the castle of the Real Fuerza, that of San Salvador de la Punta, that of the Tres Reyes Magos -well-known popularly as castle del Morro - and that of San Carlos de la cabaña. Another fortification of the city is the turret of Santa Dorotea de la Luna de la Chorrera, next to the outlet of the river Almendares and in address to the municipality of Playa. 
The small strength of the Real Fuerza, crowned by the well-known Weather-cock, located next to the square of Armas, began to be built by the middle of the XVI century during the stage like general captain from Cuba of Hernando Soto and you concluded toward the decade of eighty in that same century, being a governor Francisco de Carreño who could not use for the first time it for its sudden death. Their interior harbored the Spanish governor's residence, carrying out a small retouch of each one of its residents. Toward 1630 the tower reef was added with the Giraldilla, a vane with woman's Latin American figure that she imitates the one that the Giralda sevillana crowns. With the years, it was good as " safe " for the gold and the silver that Spain started up of America, then in 1901 it was headquarters of the National Library and it had very diverse use in later dates. Today in day it harbors some small cabinets with military utensils of the time and a restaurant in the terrace in the superior plant. It counts the tradition that the figure of the Giraldilla represents the woman of a governor of the city that awaited the return its husband from an expedition to the North American Florida. 
Also to this side of the bay and in their estuary it is the strong of San Salvador de la Punta. Their mission was the one of protecting the city of the landings of the corsairs and French and English pirates who finally controlled the city and part of the island among the years 1762 and 1763. The works of this began toward 1590, but the damage caused by a hurricane in 1595 forced to leave almost from zero. Destroyed partly during the English dominance, then it was repaired by the Spaniards and their last amplification works stayed up to 1868. 
We cross the bay for the tunnel and we arrive at the castle of the Tres Reyes Magos. It was good together with that of the Tip to protect the entrance of the bay. Before their construction the place a was put of wathtowers. The works began in 1589, being carried out the wall toward 1602 and the chapel in 1604. The interior lighthouse dates of 1845. To protect the entrance to the bay it was spread, in 1630, between the Morro and La Punta a copper chain that it blocked the step of the ships. It was difficultly protected in the summer of 1762 when the Englishmen took the city and they besieged the Morro during 44 days. 
Again the city in Spanish hands, in 1763 the works of the castle of San Carlos de la Cabaña began that takes part of their name in the king's honor Carlos III, in the hill that there is in front of the avenue Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, between the Tip and the Real Fuerza. It is that of bigger size of the built ones for the Spaniards in America, with a surface of 10 hectares. Their high cost (14 millions of pesos of the time) made the King to exclaim that, for that invested in her, it would be of such a size that would rot it turns with binoculars from Madrid. You culminated the work in 1774. Today in day it harbors a barracks and a museum. Also, every night at 9 o'clock on the dot takes place the ceremony of the " Gunshot ", in which participate a platoon of soldiers with uniform of the XVIII century. It is one of the tourist attractiveness of the city, I would recommend you that you arrived in advance to see and to be able to photograph as much the ceremony as a beautiful view of Havana at dusk. 
Among the ecclesiastical buildings they are: the cathedral, the church and convent of San Francisco de Asís, and of the Paula and of La Merced. 
The Cathedral was built between 1748 and 1777como church by the Jesuit and up to 1793 she didn't have range of Cathedral. It was then when she took charge to Pedro Medina to carry out the current facade. The cool airs of the biggest Altar painted them the Italian Giuseppe Perovani and the French Jean Baptiste Vermay to horse of the XVIII and XIX centuries. Until the end of the Spanish dominance of the Island, in their central ship it was located a monuments mortician that it contained Christopher Columbus supposed remains, then transferred Spain and I suppose that they are the same ones that are worshipped in the Cathedral of Seville. The interior of the Cathedral, mainly the part of the biggest Altar was restored little before the Pope's visit Juan Pablo II (January of 1998). 
The Order of the Franciscans, pioneer in the city, they began to build toward final of the decade the seventy of the XVI one their convent that they concluded toward final of the century. The church and convent of San Francisco de Asis it is in one of the sides of the equal square it names, in front of the building of the Lonja de Comercio. The vicinity to the bay made that in the second half of the XVII one it suffered important damages for the storms. The recovery and reconstruction of great part of that deteriorated ran for the teacher-architect's bill Pedro Hernández de Santiago. The end of the construction dates of 1738, being impelled in its last stage by the bishop Juan Lazo de la Vega y Cancio. The reformation of the religious orders in Spain in 1841 they motivated the closing of the church and the convent that soon after had civil use. In the eleven months of English dominance (1762-63) it served as the invaders' general barracks. By the middle of the XIX one it harbored the Archivo General of the Island and at the beginning of the XX one the Dirección General de Correos y Telégrafos. 
If we continue walking in address toward the interior of the bay we will be in the middle of the street with the church of San Francisco de Paula. To their side it had stuck a hospital of women. The constructions would originate they carried out in the second half of the XVII one, but the lashes of the sea of 1730 put an end to the buildings, for what Lazo de la Vega's bishop ordered the construction of the current church of Paula of a single ship and that you concluded toward 1745. Abandoned for the cult and closed the hospital, in the first years of the XX century belonged to a port company and you proceeded to its restoration in 1946. 
For not lengthening a lot of east chapter I only aim you the name of some religious buildings that you can visit: the convents of Nuestra Señora de la Merced, that of Nuestra Señora de Belén, that of Santa Teresa de Jesus and that of Santa Clara de Asís, as well as the churches of the Espíritu Santo and that of the Caridad -close of the Chinese neighborhood -, in which a replica of the employer of the country exists.

Being adjacent with the Old Havana the district of Center Havana begins. Among the buildings to visit in this area of the city are worthwhile the Capitol, a replica of smaller size of that of built Washington during the stage of dominance of the United States. Next to this the park of the Fraternity and very close the factory of Tobaccos of Partagás, today transformed into sale establishment to the public of Cuban cigars. In this part of the city you should not forget to go for a walk for the Paseo del Prado, franked by some impressive buildings, the Great Theater with their room García Lorca, in which you will be able to enjoy concerts and representations of the noted National Ballet or of some theater company. In the setting in scene of a ballet could see as exception spectator to Alicia Alonso. In the area they are the hotels Inglaterra -with a beautiful bar in the low plant -, Plaza and Sevilla -with their beautiful restaurant of the last plant -. 
In parallel to Prado, in address to the Punta, the street Zulueta that ends in a landscaped square; in a side it is the National Museum of fine arts and the center the yacht "Granma", protected by a gigantic urn and military armed. If you continue down the street you will meet with the Museum of the Revolution (before Presidential Palace). It is interesting their visit. Very near the Palace and in addressto the sea is the Spanish Embassy, one of the few ones with residence in the historical part of the city. 
For the music's lovers I recommend them a visit to the Music's Museum, in front of the Hispanic diplomatic headquarters, with an important collection of old instruments and a journey for the rich music of the country.

Residential area that had their development withs parallel and perpendicular streets in the beginnings of the XX century coinciding with the dominance of the United States. One of their peculiarities is the denomination of the streets, the parallel ones from the Malecón are odd numbers and the perpendicular ones take letters or even numbers. In their majority they are chales of an or two plants with a small garden. 
Besides the attractiveness of the houses, some of them true palaces, in the neighborhood are the gigantic esplanade of the Square of the Revolution and the Memorial Brief José Martí - with their 142 meters high -, where the leaders concentrate to the masses the signal days of the First one of January (commemoration of the victory of the Revolution) or the First of May (Day of the Work). the Ministries of Interior are In the sides of the Square and of Defense, and in the facade of one of these the image of the "Che" and their celebrated sentence "Until the victory always". 
If we enter to the Vedado from the Malecón, the first thing that we will find if we make it down the street 23 it is the National hotel, at the end of the incline of the Rampa runs off the hotel Habana Libre. A forced stop is the ice shop Coppelia (right margin of the street 23 and inside a small park), immortalized by cuban film director Gutiérrez Alea in its movie "Strawberry and chocolate". If we continue ascending L street, the same of the main facade of the hotel Habana Libre, we will arrive to the University of Havana in whose access perrons to the rectorate are erected majestic the "Alma Mater's sculpture." 
That it consists that one is not anything macabre, but I recommend to be given a turn by the Cemetery Columbus and don't stop to go by the tomb of "La Milagrosa", so that some villager counts them the history that she has more than enough it is counted. You will see that those that will pray give him to him a turn to the image but he never loses the face. There they are the best sculptures and pieces of funeral architecture of the Hispanic America, without forgetting their magnificent main door. The enclosure was inaugurated with its architect's funeral, Calixto de Loira. One of the most attractive sculptural groups is the vault of the dead firemen in the city. 
Another visit that an internet user has recommended me is to the beautiful National hotel where, apart from being able to appreciate her beauty, a visit guided by the underground tunnels of its gardens in those that you will remember the time of the "Crisis of the Missiles" of beginnings of the years sixty exists and you will know a little more than the history of this nonpareil Island, the service is gratuitous for what is not of more to give a tip to the guide.

After the Vedado and crossing the river Almendares the extensive residential area of Miramar begins. Today in day it harbors great number of Embassies, residences of the diplomatic body, headquarters of foreign companies, international consultancies, " diplotiendas " or the center of "La Maisón", where they are carried out from passes of models to celebrations of weddings, and in the one that you can buy clothes, cosmetics or jewels. For the lovers of the marine animals I recommend a visit the National Aquarius, in First Avenue -together to the sea - and near the hotel Copacabana.

From the port of Havana, in front of the bar "Dos hermanos" (Two brothers), they leave the boats for Regla and Casablanca. The first one of these places are a center of Afro-Cuban religion, where the important " babalawo " resides (santeros). it Visits in her the church of Nuestra Señora de Regla (black virgin) and from here you will be able to come closer in car or bus to the near population of Guanabacoa, cradle of Rita Montaner, where you can also visit the Municipal Museum of Guanabacoa that harbors Afro-Cuban art and all him with respect to the religious rituals. 
The other boat will take you to Casablanca. It ascends at most high of the town until arriving to a moor where the immense Christ is located, built little before the Revolution, from there a beautiful panoramic of the city of Havana is sighted, very similar to the one that offers from the castle of San Carlos de la Cabaña. 
Outside of the city you can carry out a visit to the Park Lenin, kind of a from Madrid House of Field, and from there to Expo Cuba permanent -fair of samples with industrial products, artisans and agricultural of the country -. In front of this last one you have the Botanical Garden, where to admire in guided visit approaches of a tow-bus the great variety of species of plants of the Island, as well as to go for a walk for the Japanese Garden and the hothouse of the cactus. Eye, the Botanical Garden closes toward the 4 or 5 of the afternoon.

To the margin of the typical places to eat that they recommend all the guides, some more expensive or more well-known ones, as the Floridita or the Bodeguita del Medio, and other more cheap and not less reputed ones, to take advantage of to the maximum the time have eaten in passing in places. In the Old Havana and Center Havana I had as provisioning points the terrace "La Mina" (in the street Bishop, fair beside the Palacio of the General Captains), in the small restaurant Hanoi (street Teniente Rey corner remains silent to the street Bernaza, a street in front of the Capitol), or in thebarbacue outdoors that there is exactly behind the Inglaterra hotel (a corner at the beginning of the street Neptuno). Some of these places, mainly those that are in the old helmet of the city have gone up the price in the last two years, he requests the list of prices.  before 
A Spanish friend that resides in Havana has aimed me, for his good Spanish food, decent price and the " tapear " possibility, two places in the old helmet, they are supervised by two Spaniards. The first one is the tavern "La Flota", in street Mercaderes, 257, and the other one is the still life "Onda", in the street Obrapía, 55, between streets Oficios and Barbadillo. The benefits of these two local will stop to the reconstruction of the Old Havana that Eusebio Leal directs. 
Other good Havanan friend has recommended me to eat aVedado, with good service, clean and very selections of products: " Wakamba ", in street O, among streets 23 and 25, with conditioned air and low prices (5 dollars for person including the drink); "Pain of Paris", located in the street 25, corner O, special for a good breakfast, great variety of breads and sweet fine, quality and cleaning, they also have conditioned air and good price (5 dólares/persona). Then, for the night he advised me the "Jazz Café", located in the third floor of the center commercial "Galerías de Paseo", in front of the Hotel Meliá Cohiba, beautiful and luxurious to listen music live jazz (Latin jazz), the price to eat and to drink beat the 12 dollars, entrance cover doesn't exist. 
Also in the Vedado I have used the "Maraca", of quick food (to backs of the hotel Habana Libre, in street O, between 23 and 25, next to the hotel St. John), and the palate of "El hurón azul" (very near the previous one). you should not forget the ice cream of the Coppelia. Also in the Vedado and to relax I left to the "Casa de la Amistad", a beautiful Palace with marbles of Carrara, located in Paseo nº 406 and corner at 17, has some calm gardens where you will be able to eat to some incredibly cheap prices, they don't belong together neither with the place neither with the service; whenever I travel to Havana I make a visit at least to the place. 
Those that want something quite more economic and to enjoy a quick Cuban meal, for a difficulty or while you moves of a place to other, you can buy "boxes" in the cafeteria "La Guireña", located inside the agricultural market of the street 19, corner to B, in Vedado, for one dollar gives you rice-beans (congrí), pig beefsteak, salad and viandas (yucca and potatoes). In that same market you can also buy fruits and varied and fresh vegetables, but the payment is made in cuban pesos. Eye if you buy meat, the hygiene leaves a lot that to want and they lack refrigeration. 
An internet user recommends me that indicates you the "Bar Crocodilo", I joust down the street of behind the hotel Meliá Cohiba. Very cuban shows offer and she she had the opportunity to witness the "Pagola lo Paga", humor Cuban. 
The vegetarians have a restaurant where to eat with cuban currency, with very competitive prices, because the lunch can come out you to the change for two dollars US. The establishment, recently remodeled, clean and pleasant, is called Restaurant Biky Cadena Vergel and it is located in street Infanta, corner San Lázaro (to some 50 meters of The Carmen's Church) .  
Don't doubt to use the palates, they are small family restaurants with limitation of the number of diners. They are enough cheap, a half menu can come out you for about 10 dollars.