A girl browses at a newsstand along the Plaza de Armas.
“Nothing ever moves too quickly in Havana,” laughs Manuela Rivera, a regular at the cafe, who’s sipping on an espresso, or cafe solo as it’s known here. “We’re Caribbeans at heart, and we like to enjoy life when we can.”
Down Obispo Street in Old Havana, the Spanish colonial buildings are gleaming, the best example of which is the 18th century San Cristobal Cathedral – a baroque structure that has been lovingly restored and renovated. On the Plaza de Armas, a 17th century tree-lined square, booksellers peddle everything from Spanish classics to memoirs of the country’s revolutionary leader Fidel Castro. Cobblestone-lined streets and inner courtyards house cosy bars and restaurants, a far cry from the tenements where scores of families once lived.
On the other side of town, an enormous image of Che Guevara, the Argentine-born revolutionary and one of the heroes of the 1959 uprising that brought Castro to power, presides over the Plaza de la Revolucion. At 775,000 sq ft, it’s Cuba’s answer to Moscow’s Red Square. It comes alive on May Day each year when over a million people jostle to find a space in the massive plaza to hail the revolution.
As the afternoon wears on, the queue for the hourly coach to Santa Maria del Mar lengthens – the glorious sandy white beach, just 30 minutes away, is beckoning. Whether it’s diving from rocks along the Malecon, or heading to the beaches at weekends, sun and sea are big with the Habaneros. The Playas del Este (Eastern Beaches) is only 20km from town, where the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea present an irresistible option for locals and tourists alike.
Speaking to local tour operator Virgilio Villanueva, who now divides his time between offices in Havana and London, it sounds like the city is definitely in an upbeat mood. “From hoteliers to residents, everyone is brimming with expectation for future developments,” he says. “It’s likely there’ll be an influx of curious visitors once the island opens up to the US. (Currently, US citizens are not allowed to travel to Cuba on holiday.) We’ll be ready for them when they come.”
OLD ORDER, NEW IDEAS
Communism may regulate, but make no mistake, Havana is the venue for much cutting-edge drama, as manifested in the lively assortment of goings-on that characterise the city’s cultural scene. From music and film to artistic expression, new experiences await around every corner.
Last year’s fine arts festival, the 10th Havana Biennial brought together more than 200 artists from 40 countries. It also marked 25 years since the first of these exhibitions was organised. Come this December, film fever will kick in when the Festival of New-Latin American Cinema (www.habanafilmfestival.com) screens hundreds of Latin American movies all over town.
At the National Museum of Fine Arts on Trocadero Street in Old Havana (www.museonacional.cult.cu), a comprehensive collection of Cuban art spans the centuries, with works that get seriously funky from the 1970s. Besides well-known pieces by mid 20th-century artists like Wilfredo Lam and Rene Portocarrero on permanent display, temporary exhibitions are occasionally staged, and these can be downright quirky, if not disconcerting. One recent installation displayed giant cockroach sculptures scaling one side of the building, with the largest sprawled on its back, underneath another.
But art enthusiasts won’t find a better way to be wowed than by taking a guided tour of the small, non-state funded artists’ studios. Painters like Agustin Bejarano and Douglas Perez, whose works have been exhibited in Europe, Mexico and the US, can be contacted through local company Art-Havana (art-havana.com), which runs keenly priced studio tours.
Says curator Sussette Martinez Montero, “We try to take a wide view of what contemporary Cuban art is, so we have a selection of artists who work with different concepts and styles.” Other names to look out for are Jose Eduardo Martin Yanes, known for his work in printmaking, and photographer Cirenaica Moreira, admired for her provocative, and sometimes shocking, images of the human form.
A popular exhibit at last year’s Havana Biennial, this huge installation depicting a herd of migrating metal elephants is the work of Cuban artist Jose Emilio Fuentes.
QUIRKY STREET EVENTS
For those eager to catch a slice of city life, the rowdy baseball gatherings, complete with enthusiastic fans heckling each other in a passionate yet jovial atmosphere, make for amusing eye fodder. But Saturday afternoons on the Paseo del Prado (the city’s most famous and prettiest promenade, officially named Paseo de Marti after national hero Jose Marti) are truly unique. As Cubans are not allowed to buy or sell property, they’ve invented the permuta system for swapping their homes. Real estate agencies are replaced with public gatherings – for interested parties to advertise their properties. So if you have a four-bedroom home in the suburbs and wish to swap it for two apartments in Central Havana, this is the place to declare it – in writing, on a placard. The bartering gets hot and heavy here, and weekly deals are sealed under the watchful eyes of the eight bronze lion statues lining the avenue.
Whether it’s music or art, Callejon de Hamel is often the scene for lively self-expression.
Elsewhere, on a Sunday afternoon at the Callejon de Hamel (an alley between the Aramburu and Hospital Streets in Centro Habana), a different type of public gathering sees painters selling canvases and dancers strutting their stuff to the rumba beats of street musicians. Running since 1990, artist Salvador Gonzales had designed it as the perfect way to highlight African roots in contemporary Cuban culture.
Retail therapy may not top the list of things to do in Cuba, but there is one thing few people leave without – cigars. Still one of the country’s biggest foreign currency earners, Cuban cigars are considered among the best in the world. The Partagas factory behind the Capitolio building in Centro Habana (Calle Industria 520, Tel: 53 7 862 0086) is a good place to buy them, but there are several smaller cigar outlets around Habana Vieja, such as Palacio del Tabaco (Fabrica La Corona, Agramonte No. 106, Tel: 53 7 878 5166) where visitors can sample wares as well as see cigars being rolled.
A GASTRONOMIC ADVENTURE
Scouring for the best food in town requires a little insider knowledge. Skip the state-run venues and opt for places like Havana’s Chinatown, the barrio chino, where a Soho-style strip of small restaurants offers everything from tasty Asian fare to pizza and Italian ice cream. Or book ahead for La Guarida (laguarida.com), touted as the star of paladares (privately-run restaurants) andpaladar for the stars, with photos of famous patrons like Jack Nicholson and Naomi Campbell gracing the walls. It’s the only place on the island to head to if you’re craving dishes like longfin tuna steak with sugarcane and coconut, and pork medallions with almonds in plum or mango sauce.
Another gem is El Templete (Avenida del Puerto, No. 12, Habana Vieja, Tel: 53 7 866 8807), which overlooks the bay, and where Gallego chef Arkaitz Etxarte serves Basque speciality tunamarmitako (a stew) and rich duck dishes. At El Aljibe (Avenue 7, between Calles 24 and 26, Miramar, Tel: 53 7 204 1583/84), succulent chicken with Cuban favourites of black beans and fried plantain will tempt any hungry palate.
Meanwhile, the Centro Andaluz (Paseo de Marti, No. 104, between Genios and Refugio, Tel: 53 7 863 6745) is a fascinating cultural centre where descendants of Andalucian settlers combine good, simple food with flamenco. To wind down, relax in the cloistered cigar lounge in Hotel Conde de Villanueva (habaguanexhotels.com) – a cosy bar in one of Habana Vieja’s boutique hotels and one of Havana’s best-kept secrets.
The cosy dining room at Hotel Conde de Villanueva is reminiscent of a typical Spanish-style home.
MUSIC MANIA MEETS SALSA SOUL
Cuba’s biggest export beyond rum, sugar and cigars is its music, with a myriad of genres to choose from. Nearly every type involves some blend of African, Caribbean and Spanish influences. Besides traditional son (a Cuban musical form) and salsa artists like the Buena Vista Social Club and Celia Cruz, both of whom brought Cuban music to the world stage, everything from modern and traditional jazz to rumba, rap, fusion and reggaeton (a blend of reggae, rap and Latin music) is played in the clubs around Havana.
The salsa at Casa de la Musica de Centro Habana (Avenida de Italia (Galiano), between Neptuno and Concordia, Tel: 53 7 862 4165) in town is upbeat, but grab a taxi out to Miramar to the other place of the same name (Calle 20, No. 3308 esq. 35, Playa, Tel: 53 7 202 6147) and you will see fewer tourists and more local life, replete with women clad in brightly coloured Lycra. More fun awaits you at Cafe Cantante Mi Habana (Teatro Nacional de Cuba, Avenida Paseo, esq. 39, Tel: 53 7 879 0710), off the Plaza de la Revolucion, which features all the best salsa bands; for really late night music, Delirio Habanero (address as above, top floor) includes a panoramic view over the plaza. Tourists also flock in droves to dance shows at the Tropicana Cabaret (www.cabarettropicana.com) but they’ve got it right – it’s a fantastical land of bling. On an average night, dozens of divas sweep across lavish sets sporting hats shaped like crystal chandeliers.
And when the salsa gets too heady, there’s bold and lively jazz to turn to. The intimate piano bar El Gato Tuerto (Calle O, No. 14, between Calles 17 and 19, Vedado, Tel: 53 7 166 2224) oozes atmosphere, where along with the cocktails you can hear some of Cuba’s best musicians crooning in dark and sultry corners. At La Zorra y el Cuervo (La Rampa, 23rd Street, between Calles N and O, Vedado, Tel: 53 7 833 2402) and The Jazz Cafe (3rd Level, Galerias Paseo shopping centre, Vedado, Tel: 53 7 838 3556), bands like Lazaro Valdes and his group Son Jazz wow small audiences, while at UNEAC (Union of Writers and Artists, www.uneac.org.cu), long afternoon sessions feature local jazz greats, and native Habanero and top pianist Chucho Valdes is known to sneak in an appearance here.
Wild nightly jam sessions are what patrons can expect at La Zorra y el Cuervo.
Despite a hectic international touring schedule, Valdes spends at least three months of every year in Havana. During a visit to his home in Miramar, he seemed relaxed as he played the piano with his two-year-old son Julian. “Some of my favourite places to play are in Japan, New York and London (where he performs regularly at Ronnie Scott’s legendary Jazz Club), but Havana is always home”, he quips amicably.
A PLACE TO STAY
Havana has every conceivable type of accommodation possible, from fancy five-star hotels to the equivalent of a bed and breakfast. If you’re prepared to splash out, the Hotel Nacional de Cuba (from US$120 a night, hotelnacionaldecuba.com) is where art deco meets Spanish colonial style, having been a national monument and UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982. Don’t miss a visit to its bar, Vista al Golfo, in the Salon de la Fama (Hall of Fame), which is lined with photos of the rich and famous who have sampled its daiquiris. From Graham Green to Marlon Brando, they’ve all been here. For uber chic digs, the Saratoga (from US$175 a night, saratogahotel-cuba.com) is a five-star boutique hotel housing sleek decor in a neoclassical building. The hotel is conveniently located in the heart of town.
A guest enjoys stunning Caribbean Sea views from a bluff at the north end of the gardens of Hotel Nacional de Cuba.
For a more personal feel, the Hotel Conde de Villanueva (from US$75, habaguanexhotels.com) is a pretty, four-star boutique hotel in the Old Quarter, with only nine rooms arranged around an inner courtyard. But if you’re feeling adventurous and like to get a taste of local life, try a casa particular (private house), which is akin to an intimate bed and breakfast in someone’s home. Cooked meals are usually an option, prepared by the lady of the house. Starting from US$25 per night, you can make bookings at casaparticularcuba.org.
Travel note: Since May 2010, travellers to Cuba must show proof of a travel insurance policy which covers medical expenses or a policy for medical expenses with coverage in Cuba.
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