Havana became the most important port linking the New and Old Worlds. Founded in 1519, historic Havana’s history is rich with tales of pirates, sunken ships, and conflict. In La Habana Vieja (Old Havana), the architecture, combined with its picturesque setting on the Gulf, transports visitors to centuries past.
Havana has more beautiful historic buildings than I thought possible. Styles range from Spanish Colonial, Cuban Baroque, Neoclassical, Art Deco, and Moderne. You can see influences of European, American, and Soviet design. There are five key plazas in La Habana* Vieja and many parks throughout the city.
Comprising two square miles, Old Havana has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982. We toured a portion with Lynne, an architect with the Office of the Historian of Havana. She trained with the man who worked to define and preserve the area, and who put together a comprehensive five-year restoration plan. That plan dates from the early 80s, and not much has been accomplished, but it did save the Old Town from being destroyed. Lynne told us there were 5,000 buildings in the area still needing restoration. 5,000!
We walked from the Castillo de la Real Fuerza and the Plaza de Armas to the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, the residence of the governors from the Spanish Empire era. This Castillo is one of four remaining fortifications that protected the valuable harbor. I wish we could have spent some time exploring those defensive sites.
Calle Tacón, the street in front of the Palacio, is made of wood. I have never seen anything like this before. In 1841, wood replaced river stones and stone blocks. It created a quieter, more sanitary environment for the area’s entitled residents. Buried for many years, part of the street was uncovered during the restoration in the 80s and is still maintained, now as a pedestrian area.
Housing Crisis
Today, many crumbling buildings provide housing. With no established owners (since the government seized the properties), people were able to just move in. Through the years, residents have added small bathrooms or kitchens, often undermining the buildings’ integrity and safety. Combined with zero maintenance, you can imagine the condition. Before restoration can begin, people need to be moved (and there is no place for them to go). Patchwork adaptations need to be undone before structural and restoration work can start. We did not see much graffiti, but we did see piles of trash everywhere in Havana. We were told there is no gas to run the garbage trucks, so it’s not being collected.
Social Centers of the Past
The Capitol building, built in the 1920s, with a design similar to the US Capitol, has been restored and is a focal point for the city. It is not used for government meetings because it is not large enough to house the 470 members of the National Assembly, who meet twice a year. Elected without opposition, Assembly members do not challenge the Communist regime. It is near Parque Central (Central Park), which features a prominent statue of José Martí, and is surrounded by the buildings described next.
The beautiful Gran Teatro de la Habana building was originally built by Galician (Spanish) immigrants as a social center. It now houses the National Ballet.
Across the park is the Centro Asturiano de la Habana, opened in 1927 as a community center for Spanish immigrants from the northern region of Asturias. These social centers housed a theater, ballroom, and many community spaces. My grandfather (Abuelo) was a member since 1917 and was very involved with the Centro Asturiano in Tampa, Florida which was originally a branch of the Havana club. Today, the Havana site is home to the National Museum of Fine Arts.
Hotel Nacional de Cuba
The most famous place to stay in Havana is, without doubt, the Hotel Nacional. Decades past saw it playing host to many celebrities such as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Winston Churchill, Frank Sinatra, Micky Mantle, and Marlene Dietrich, to name a few. The imposing building overlooks the waterfront but is quite a distance from Habana Vieja. Opening in 1930, the front facade and lobby areas look very similar to Coral Gables’ Biltmore Hotel. As Americans, we cannot officially stay in this government-owned property, but we did get in a green ’49 Chevy to go over a take a look (check out “our” car at the front entrance).
Searching Habana Viejo
I was determined to visit the address where my Abuelo resided while in Cuba in 1920. So, with a copy of his official documents from the Havana Spanish Consulate in hand, we set off once again with trusty driver and new friend, Pita, in the green Chevy, to Calle Inquistador. Erik, who arranges cars at the hotel, jumped in and came along for the ride. I think he was questioning the mission and decided we needed a bodyguard. We found the street, a five-block spoke off Plaza Viela, one of the five iconic plazas in the Old Town.
It was a crazy ride with lots of locals trying to help and offering animated opinions. People were leaning in the windows, others shouting comments from the edges of the narrow street and behind gated doorways. At one point, the car was backing down an impassable street. When it was obvious we couldn’t drive farther, we walked to the plaza. We never found the exact address, and for a moment felt like we were on a bizarre version of the Amazing Race. Although I never felt in danger, our thanks to Pita and Erik for getting us back to our hotel without incident.
*It’s not a typo, Habana is the Spanish spelling of Havana
If you enjoyed this post, check out my other content about Cuba:
A rainy day prior refreshed the weather and gave us relief from the hot, humid, sticky conditions. Just in time for a trip to get out of the city. Our bus left early for a three-hour drive into the countryside to the north-central Pinar del Rio Province of Cuba and the Viñales Valley. This area is famous for tobacco production.
The valley around Viñales is a beautiful karst landscape. Surrounded by mountains and tall rounded outcrops (mogotes), with red clay soil, and lush green fields of tobacco. It is a UNESCO heritage site.
A Family Side-bar
I was very excited to visit this region since my Spanish Abuelo worked in the industry, making handmade cigars. In the early days, my Abuela was one of the ladies adding the colorful cigar bands. After his 1920 arrival in the US (transiting from Spain through Cuba), Abuelo spent his first years in New York City, where he helped organize the Fonseca Cigar Factory, earning plaudits from famous union leader Samuel Gompers. A few years later, he moved to Tampa, Florida, which, in the 1920s was home to more than 200 cigar factories.
Today, 25 of the historic buildings still exist (many successfully repurposed), which is why Tampa is known as “Cigar City.” Abuelo joined the thriving Spanish-Asturian community, spending the next 25 years working for the Garcia y Vega Cigar Company (using Cuban-grown tobacco) and another quarter century with the Corral Wodiska company. He estimated he hand rolled more than three million cigars for the luxury market. And he never smoked.
My grandparents above, in Tampa, 1929. Abuelo joined the thriving Spanish-Asturian community, spending the next 25 years working for the Garcia y Vega Cigar Company (using Cuban-grown tobacco) and another quarter century with the Corral Wodiska company. He estimated he hand rolled more than three million cigars for the luxury market. And he never smoked.
An interesting fact I learned while writing this post: In 1955, Fidel Castro visited the Corral Wodiska factory, among other places, to solicit support and raise money for his planned overthrow of the Cuban government. Wow.
Back to Viñales
We visited a tobacco farm, heard from the owner, and saw how the tobacco was dried, baled, and stored. He rolled a quick one to light-up. Ladies demonstrated how the leaves were smoothed, cut, and layered to roll cigars.
It was a very breezy, cool day with beautiful blue skies, perfect to be on a farm. We enjoyed the cats, turkeys, and chickens, but were not too thrilled with the caged hutias, which is a large, ugly rodent eaten in this area. Too ugly for pics. One crazy person tried to pet them, luckily, she didn’t get bitten.
Town & Highway
The town of Viñales was tidy with lots of restaurants, a block-long market, and some small guest houses. In contrast to the city, the mostly one-story homes with porches seemed to be orderly and well-maintained. The focus of the town square was a lovely small church. We had a typical Cuban family-style lunch served at a local paladar where our big excitement was the uninvited guest seen in the photo above.
There wasn’t much traffic during either portion of the trip, and although the road was a bit rough, it was in better condition than I expected (it is a major highway). We frequently spotted one-horse carts traveling along the road. Farmers still use oxen to plow fields, but most the land we passed wasn’t being used for any purpose. There is a huge food shortage in Cuba, and it’s a shame some of this land could not be more productive.
In spite of all the travel time, it was a very enjoyable day.
If you enjoyed this post, check out my other content about Cuba: Reflections Intro | Reflections of Cuba ’25: Music & Dance
Living in Miami, I’m well-acquainted with Cuban music, but I was surprised by the range of talent we enjoyed on this trip. From kids to professional groups, we saw and heard a wonderful cross-section.
One of the first we experienced was at Beyond Roots, a community center dedicated to Afro-Cuban culture. We learned a bit about the icons and music in Santeria worship, and enjoyed spirited drumming and dancing. They also had a beauty salon focused on African hairstyles, and a small shop featuring locally made items utilizing African fabrics. To top off the experience, they made us some excellent guava batidos from their refreshment counter.
My favorite entertainment of the trip was the professional group Havana Compass, which performed an exciting mash-up of flamenco infused with Afro-Caribbean beats. It was one part like the Broadway show Stomp, a dash of dramatic flamenco, combined with synchronized footwork like the Stepping originated by African-American college fraternities. The colorful, energetic performance was a real highlight for me. This troupe has performed around the world (and was in Tampa in 2016 when restrictions between our countries were eased a bit). During your travels, if you see they are performing – go! There is a video with a short sample at the end of this post.
Kids Show Off
On two occasions, we visited children. One group of fourth-graders in an afterschool program sang a quick song. They asked our group to sing back, and rather pitifully, our group responded with a very uncreative “Happy Birthday.” The other kids ranged from nine to teens at a neighborhood guitar center. It may not have been where they wanted to be on a late Friday afternoon. They were shy and looked like they wished they were anywhere else. Some of the older girls were also teachers for younger kids in the program. One young lady sang and played a lovely version of “Quiero, Quiero, y Quiero.”
Getting Our Salsa On
Back to dancing – we went to a local studio, KubaSoy, and met a group of salsa aficionados. These folks had other jobs and clearly love to dance. They very patiently tried to teach our group to Salsa. The girls also showed us some performance numbers, but what I liked best was watching the group dance together – you could tell they were having fun and really enjoyed one another.
Cigars, Rum & a Violin
Another highlight was the incredibly talented violinist/singer who played for us as we enjoyed some Havana Club rum and tried Cuban cigars (no cigars for me). The performer was amazing. This was at Vi Humos Boutique, in a beautifully restored apartment leased from an owner living in El Salvador. It was here I learned to play dominoes, and with a couple of excellent coaches, I won. I don’t think, however, I’ll be challenging Miami’s Calle Ocho players anytime soon.
It was another occasion with no power, and Vi was very worried about her humidors, which she might have to move to a place with a generator if the outage continued. No one here knows when the rolling outages will occur or how long they will last.
Dinner Music
Our first dinner in Cuba set the pace with three wonderful guitarists playing in the background. We concluded the trip with rooftop dining on a beautiful, breezy evening at a neighboring hotel, while enjoying rhythms and songs provided by a nine-member ensemble. With violin, trumpet, trombone, flute, keyboard, drums, and vocalists, these kids were all multi-talented.
Tourist Shows
Just for tourists, the price of these shows includes drinks. At least we knew tickets bought with US dollars through certain intermediaries, meant some fees were shared with individuals.
On a free evening, we visited the Buena Vista Social Club ($35) after dinner (they serve dinner there, but I would not recommend it). Of course, it’s not the original BVSC – that was in a house and closed decades ago. But it honors similar traditional Cuban music – like what is currently featured in the new Broadway show of the same name. The seats were at tables and incredibly smashed up against one another (no fire code here). It was very uncomfortable, but the music was actually pretty enjoyable. We traveled by bicycle taxi, arranged by our Tour Director. That young man had to work hard to pedal us over the dark, badly broken, and uneven streets – but he did his best to make it as smooth as possible.
Yes, we did go to the Tropicana ($95), because after all, we were in Havana. It was a big disappointment. Really run down. And the usual open-air roof was closed for some reason. The show was very “thematic” and included representation of phases of Cuban history. At times, the dancers were performing to taped music, and the musicians were just standing in the background. These pictures actually make it look a lot nicer than it was.
There was an abandoned air about the place, since huge areas of the complex were vacant (maybe where a casino or another restaurant used to be?). In any case, I was glad to have seen it. We went after dinner at about 10 PM and stayed about an hour and a half (dinner is also available there, but again, wouldn’t advise it). The show apparently runs until 3 AM. Our table of 8 was able to take away two almost full bottles of good rum to gift to our local guide.
The highlight was rolling down the long drive and pulling up to the front entrance in a vintage convertible.
If you want to see a small part of Havana Compass in action, watch the following clip:
If you enjoyed this post, check out my other content about Cuba: Reflections Intro
All my life, I’ve heard stories about Cuba. I listened to the reminiscences of my Abuelo, who left Spain for Cuba on his way to the United States in 1920. At every family gathering, I heard tales of family members I would never meet, trapped by life’s circumstances after the revolution ended in 1959. In the early 1990s, my Abuelo made five trips to see his brother, taking clothes and medicine. He told me it was as if time stood still and that he avoided any political discourse since many of the younger generation were proud communists, never knowing another way of life.
As a Miami-area resident for the past 48 years, I feel very connected to Cuban friends and neighbors. Many Cuban descendants refuse to visit the island, others with Spanish or Latin American backgrounds (like my mother) stay away on principle, not wishing to appear to support the government. It’s complicated and emotional.
I always wanted to go and see things for myself, and finally had the chance. Indeed, it was as if time stopped. Unfortunately, so did any upkeep, restoration, or improvements.
First, let me say, I loved the trip. It was a “people-to-people” cultural mission. These trips support the people of Cuba as opposed to the government. Americans cannot identify as “tourists,” and we are not allowed to officially stay in the fancy, nicer government-owned hotels.
Our hotel A/C worked at about 10% capacity, but we were just happy to have any; Cuba has had major power outages for the past six months. Most days, we did experience rolling outages in places we visited. Basic wi-fi was only available at the hotel, but again, we were very lucky to have power along with hot water, and the minimal A/C, certainly more than most people living in Cuba. Any visitor needs to know you can’t flush toilet paper here – not anywhere we went. But we were prepared for that too. Americans can’t use credit cards, but our US dollars (paid out to individuals) are very welcome.
The trip was intense, and never intended to be a luxury vacation; it was an experience. These “missions” allow Americans to visit, but we are on a preset agenda and don’t have much time on our own. I am not naïve enough to think we saw enough of the difficulty of life facing most Cubans today. Our Tauck tour director, Xavier, and local guide Edel did a terrific job showing us the culture and putting things in context. I think visitors have to be open to understanding what they are and aren’t seeing.
Havana was our base, and much of our time was spent learning about Cuban art, architecture, and history, as well as visiting local musicians and dancers. Our meals were at “paladares”, which are private restaurants run by enterprising Cubans (now legal), often out of their homes. I found the Cuban people welcoming, helpful, and happy to see us.
We also visited the beautiful countryside around the town of Viñales, but more on that later. My posts about this trip will be organized into categories like architecture, music & dance, paladares, etc. I hope you will follow along.
As my good friend and travel partner, Sarah, said, Cuba is “so close, yet so far away.”
