Old Havana , also known as San Cristobal de la Habana, was founded on November 16th, 1519. Sorrounded by a wall like a medieval city would close their doors and the entrance of its bay at 9:00 o clock every night in a curfew announced with a Gun Shot (today seattle airport hotels a ceremony in the San Carlos de la Cabaña Fort). You can learn about this if you visit the monument El Templete , a neoclassical building with 3 pictures about this historical event, seattle airport hotels a statue of Pilar saint, patro of the sailors, a pinaple, seattle airport hotels queen of all fruits in Cuba and the ceiba tree of African origin and sacred in the Afrocuban religion where on city s birthday people go around it 3 times and ask for a wish.
The Plaza de Armas (Arms Square) where soldiers from the Fortress Castillo seattle airport hotels de la Fuerza would do their daily drills and look after the city. La Fuerza fort was build in the early 16th century and destroyed by the French pirate Jacques de Sores and rebuilt again resembling a 4 point star to strategically defend the city from all directions. La Punta Fort and El Morro were beginning their constructions. Today the Fort is a museum showing a collection of Gold and Silver findings from sunken ships. There is a statue on top that is called La Giraldilla , a woman s figure that is inspired on Ines de Bobadilla, wife of Hernando de Soto, who left to Florida and it is said she would walk every afternoon expecting his husbands ships to show by the entrance of the bay. If you are US citizen or Cuban, you probably know the De Soto old cars named after him and if you drink Cuban Rum you can see her statue seattle airport hotels in the label of the bottle.
The Main authorities of the Spanish Army lived in this Plaza. El Palacio del Segundo Cabo (2nd in charge) with a simple Barroque style construction, simple because the of solid rock used (roca caliza). Today, this is a Book Fair, in fact, all over the Plaza, you can find all kind of old books. The Museum of the city, house of the Capitán seattle airport hotels General and governor of the city is the main building. It was a Church at first, but it suffered from storms and an explotion of a vessel that destroyed the Dome, and since The Cathedral was already under construction, they decided to be the property of the main authority of the Island. In the centre, you can find the statue of Cristopher Colombus, on top a museum with beautiful art collections, and below it shows what was part of the Church. In front there is a wooden street, one of the captains requested because of the noisy horses with charts.
The Santa Isabel Hotel , first a smalled house of the Counts seattle airport hotels of Santovenia, was built by an American that made the hotel as it is today but back in the 18th century. It was known because of the maitresses wold wear short uniforms, an scandal for those times. This is today a 5 star hotel that was used by former President Jimy Carter in his visit to Cuba. Carter stayed in the Santovenia room. The is a roof with a nice view of the square small bar right in the corner with nice mojitos and cuba libre .
Other buildings are the museum of Natural History, on top there used to be what was the first embassy seattle airport hotels from the US, a lawyers firm (I met a Cuban old man, nationalized Puerto Rican, who left after the revolution who told me this). seattle airport hotels The oficios (offices) street, where there were the people who d write all events happening in the city, the restaurant La Mina a colonial house with peacocks, cocks around your table while you are eating. Al Medina with Arabian food, no so good really though nice environment. The Museum of Old Cars, on the way we find one of the cheapest hotels in Old havana , Hostal Valencia with a specialized restaurant in Paellas, a Cigar shop and excellent location.
San Francisco square seattle airport hotels was a commercial plaza, ships would bring and unload their merchandise. The Franciscans were among the first religious seattle airport hotels orders to arrive to Havana and they built their first church righ here. In 1719 it was rebuilt but years later the Dome suffered from the hurricanes and was totally destroyed. Today the convent is a venue for classical music and a museum. The area for the dome pays homage to Maria Teresa de Calcuta with a small Greek church in the back. There is tower that used to be the tallest spot in havana for some time, you can visit it today.
A business building, Lonja del Comercio (offices of commerce) is in my opinion one of the best located places to run a travel agency. Built in 1909 by an American company with each floor protraying a different architectural seattle airport hotels style (art nuveau, art deco, neoclassical) on top Hermes statue a messenger of the Gods. A post office and the Local travel agency San Cristobal de la Habana where you can request the professional service of their tour guides. Habaguanex SA, the company running the hotels in this 4 square kilometers area. The CUPET SA building is next. The Plaza is peculiar by the pigeons in the area with someone responsible seattle airport hotels for feeding them on a daily basis. The main hotel in this plaze is a new one called Hotel Palacio del Marques seattle airport hotels de San Felipe y Santiago de Bejucal .
On the way, art galleries like Cuban Nelson Dominguez, an international Bank BFI, Los frailes hotel where staff uniform resembles like monks as well as bars and places to eat, the Humbolt museum, a Cuban perfume seattle airport hotels made locally.
The Plaza Vieja was built to move all commercial activities here. In the 20th century this plaza was goint to be converted into a parking lot with 2 levels underground and all buildings going from here into the CAPITOLIO Stairs demolished. The Plaza was restored in the 90 s by the Historian office giving it the aspect it had centuries back. There is a lot of restoration going on, my favorite bulduing here is called palacio Cueto from 1906, you can see the facade with an influence of Gaudi with balconies resembling like waves. The Playing cards museum, Paul and Shark Shop, an Art gallery, in the corner the local Beer bar to enjoy a fish grill and a big tube of beer. There is an elementary school, a hotel, a building to rent an office and the Benny Moré restaurant Bar where musicians from the Buena Vista Social Club still play.
Mercaderes street continues to more bars, hotels, the chocolate house. In the corner is the street Amargura (means bitter) because of the bitter Via Crucis starting in San Francisco church al the way to the Jesus Christ church. More colonial hotels on the way like the Conde de Villanueva or also called the Hostal del Habano where personalities seattle airport hotels from all over the world came here for a Cigar degustation. Arnold Schwarzenegger kept coming to Cuba (defying the US embargo against Cuba) and has a picture here. Other places seattle airport hotels of interest are Hotel Ambos Mundos where Hemingway uased to stay from 1933 to 1939.
The fourth Plaza. The water supply for havana came from a river 15 kms away and locals would collect seattle airport hotels it in El Chorro corner. The restaurant El Patio is the most frequented by tourist seattle airport hotels in Havana, the Church La Catedral . If you see the two church towers, you will notice seattle airport hotels one if wider that the other, this was to prevent closing the street Empedrado , one of the first streets made back in 16th centuries. This street leads you La Bodeguita del Medio the bar that became famous when the owner of this house started a small business and selling Mojitos .
There is much more to learn from Havana Cuba , a World Heritage site with an ongoing restoration. Everyday you surprised with a new place to visit and see the difference of what used to be the Havana that nobody liked. Old havana is one of the best places to stay, the hotels are full of history and charm. To see hotels in Old havana check our Cuba Vacations website.
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