Havana feels like you've gone back in time to the 1950's. The meticulously maintained classic cars, colonial architecture, and lack of internet combined with the smell of diesel gasoline and a generally slower pace of life. I haven't been to such a visually stimulating city in awhile, it's full of color everywhere, from the pastel buildings to the vibrant culture!
Havana really reminded me of Beijing in the late 90's, right around the time when the internet arrived in China. For starters, the high ceilings and light fixtures were just like my grandmother's house where I would spend almost every summer as a child. The roads were dusty and even the airport smelled the same. It had a similar energy, where everything was a bit old and dusty and everyone was so poor but at the same time you could see sense how hard working and talented the people are. However, the biggest difference was the people's attitude of the government. Growing up in the US, I arrived in Cuba with a preconceived notion of Fidel Castro and his regime, sort of like reverse propaganda. Visiting Havana completely changed my mind. The people seemed to be really happy with the government and the changes it brought, especially free high quality education. Even though Cuba has been slow to adopt the digital world, my tour guide said that if the people talk it about it enough, soon the government will hear and changes will be made according to the people's request.
With only 4 days in Havana, I felt like I had enough time to truly explore the city, get off the beaten path, while still enjoy the more touristy things such as a walking tour and a museum. Here's my synopsis:
- Malecon is the seaside boulevard/"walking path" that runs about 6km from the port in Habana Vieja through to Miramar. It's where a lot of Cubans hang out at night (there's a slang phrase in Spanish "maleconear" that means for couples to drink and make out along the Malecon), and where people go on walks and jog throughout the day. The views are great but be careful walking around because there are many areas where the waves are higher than the walls and whole parts of the path get swamped with water. Running along the path was a lot more difficult than I expected and I actually spent a lot of time running on the street itself to dodge the waves and avoid bad paths.
- Habana Vieja translates to Old Havana, this is where you will find all your perfect picture ops of doors, vintage cars, art, and of course, the famous ladies dressed in colonial costume (they'll charge you!). We spent a couple hours walking through the different streets and alleyways, some buildings are completely destroyed while others have been refurbished into expensive hotels. You'll find most of the historic sites in this area, if you do a walking tour, it will likely start around here. Right in front of The Capitol building is the iconic pastel buildings, as pictured at the top of this post. This is also where the Museo de la Revolucion and Museo de Bellas Artes are. We opted for the Museo de Bellas Artes, there are 2 buildings (5 cuc for one, 8 cuc for both). We opted for the Cuban art building and were thoroughly impressed with the collection. We also tried to go to the Museo de la Revolucion, but decided to grab a glass of wine - there's really only so much time you can spend on your feet in a museum before it all feels the same! I've heard from friends that the Museo de la Revolucion isn't a great museum, but it's interesting to see how the revolution and UC-Cuba relationship is presented. It costs 8 cuc.
- Clandestina (in Habana Vieja) is a local design store looking to build a community around design in Havana. I'm not normally one for souvenirs, but I definitely picked up a cute tote and curated map.
- Centro Habana connects Habana Vieja with Vedado. It's totally walkable and there's some other notable sites but I mainly came here for some Chinese food in Chinatown. It was pretty bland, but I'll take what I can get! I learned that Cubans only really use onions, garlic, and salt to season, so if you are accustomed to food with a kick, you might want to keep some hot sauce in your bag a la Beyonce. Friends have also recommended an awesome gallery space called Continua that features international artists and is associated with other continua galleries in Beijing, Italy, etc. So definitely check that out if it's your thing!
- Vedado: where more of the nightlife is. It's like a completely separate city from the former two neighborhoods. I think more of the well off Cubans live in Vedado or Miramar (which is where most of the embassies are). It's worth going out to see the Revolutionary Square. If you want to spend a day at a nice hotel pool, you only have to pay like 2 cucs to use the one in Hotel Nacional, which has a bar too. I spent 6 hours there on one of my last days :)
- There's a really cool street called Callejon de Hamel in Vedado where a local artist has filled it with street art. On Sunday afternoons, the Latin-African cultural center hosts a fun street concert there.
- The cool place to go in terms of a night out is Fabrica de Artes deep in the Vedado. It's a converted factory into art gallery that morphed to incorporate a bar and music space. It was closed for renovations or installations while we were there which mad us super sad but you should definitely go eat at El Cocinero next door (see below in Food section) and go here afterward.
The 'know before you go'.
Currency: there are 2 currencies, CUC (coo-ks) convertible pesos and CUPs normal cuban pesos. This is because there are 2 economies in Cuba, the local economy that operates in CUPs, and the tourist economy that operates in CUCs. You'll only really need CUCs.
1 CUC = 1 USD, 1 CUC = 24 CUPs. If you want to explore the shops locals frequent, you may want a few CUPs handy.
Exchanging money: You exchange USD or EUR for CUCs upon arrival at the airport. I'd recommend bringing Euros. The Cuban government charges an additional 10% tax on USD, so you get less bang for your buck. You can exchange money at the airport when you arrive and at specific money exchange locations within Havana. Pro tip: ask your host for your neighborhood exchange. We stayed in Vedado and our local currency exchange never had a line, unlike the ones in Habana Vieja.
WIFI: Internet access is super limited, you need to buy a special card, go to a specific wifi area, and pay $1.50 CUC per hour.
General: Cuba has essentially been closed off to many countries since the 1950's, so everything is really run down and old. The roads are dusty, the vintage cars emit strong diesel and gas fumes, but if you arrive with an open mind, you will fall in love with Havana.
TL:DR Havana was incredible, go before it get's too crowded, and do your research on where to eat (ahem - this blog) and it will be delicious.
Not all restaurants are created equal and this is especially true in Havana. However, with a little planning, you can enjoy really great food while you are here. Below are my favorites!
- O'Reilly 304: This was my favorites! Probably because their cocktails were so delicious, I had the best Bloody Mary ever here (and I'm a Bloody Mary afficionado). Get the little empanadas, ceviche, and everything else looked great too.
- El Cocinero: This is next to Fabrica des Artes in Vedado- if you want to come to this area, I'd highly recommend making a reservation. Pro-tip: ask for outdoor seating! The ambiance cannot be beat. Food is Spanish influenced Cuban fare.
- Restaurante La Makina: Perfect location to grab a glass of wine and eat some ceviche to rest your feet between Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana and Museo de la Revolucion. I didn't try their entrees but the French family next to us really enjoyed theirs, and it smelled amazing.
- Doña Eutimia: traditional Cuban food off a charming square in Habana Vieja, cheapest of the four options here, get the garlic octopus and ropa vieja. Service can be slow.
- Habana 61: Cuban food with modern twist, also in Habana Vieja, delicious caipirinhas and great service.
- O'Reilly 304: best drinks we had, great food (actually spicy!) also tapas style but the mains were HUGE, highly recommend.
We also heard only great things about La Guarida in Centro Habana/Vedado, but couldn't get reservations on short notice. Supposed to have the best food in the city and it's on our list for next time. We do plan on going back!
