The backside of the postcard
You’ve probably seen the nostalgic images of vintage cars, pastel colonial buildings and happy Cubans drinking rum. This is of course the postcard image. Just around the corner you’ll find houses threatening to fall down on pedestrians, residents trying to earn a living by renting their home to tourists all set in the pastel-coloured colonial frame. Those things are there. But what stayed with me was something completely different: the contrast between extraordinary beauty and decades of political stagnation.
Havana is one of the most fascinating cities I have visited. It is beautiful, frustrating, historic and deeply human all at once. Behind every restored square is another building close to collapse. Behind every smiling musician is someone trying to make everyday life work. This is what I remember most from Havana.
THINGS TO DO IN HAVANA
But Cuba’s tumultuous past and unsure future doesn’t make it less interesting to a cultural traveller. The city is relaxed, beautiful and filled with history!
The Spaniards made sure to leave a cultural mark, and there’s plenty to see for a cultural traveller and make sure you do, since the rest of Cuba is pretty limited, when it comes to historical monuments.
Havana's Colonial Heart - a UNESCO Site
Havana became one of Spain’s most important ports because treasure fleets from Mexico and South America gathered here before crossing the Atlantic.
Everywhere you turn in Havana, you find traces of the colonial past and the earlier European rulers. Cuba was originally inhabited by the Caribbean TaÃno people. But they all died in the 15th century after the Europeans arrived. Probably by diseases like smallpox brought from the continent.
King Philip II of Spain granted Havana the title of City in 1592, but the city was founded in 1519. The city and Cuba became the most important gateway to the new world and the conquest of countries like Mexico.
Havana old town
Castillo de la real Fuerza
When the Spanish arrived in Havana in the 16th century, they turned it into the most fortified city in the Americas. Havana began as a trading port, and hence suffered regular attacks by buccaneers, pirates, and French corsairs. So the first stone fort in the Americas was built. But alas, it was too far inside the bay to do any good.
The small figure on top of the tower – The Giraldilla – is the symbol of Havana and has a love story behind it. Reminds me of Seville.
Palacio de los Capitanes Generales
This palace is the former official residence of the govenors (Capitanes Generales) of Havana. Pretty nice! Today it houses the Museum of the City of Havana and is very interesting with uniforms and works spaces.The statue in the lovely courtyard is Christopher Columbus.
Havana Cathedral
Havana Cathedral is one of the city’s most important colonial churches. While its Baroque façade is beautiful, its biggest claim to fame is Christopher Columbus. His remains rested here for more than 100 years before being returned to Seville, making the cathedral an important stop for anyone interested in the Age of Exploration. It stands at a lovely little square. So swing by.
The Glamorous Havana That Once Was
Long before the revolution, Havana was one of the most fashionable cities in the Americas. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the booming sugar trade brought enormous wealth to Cuba. Elegant theatres, grand hotels, wide boulevards and impressive public buildings transformed Havana into what many called the “Paris of the Caribbean.” It also explains why Havana feels different from many other Latin American capitals.
After Prohibition was introduced in the United States in the 1920s, Havana became a playground for wealthy Americans. They crossed the Florida Straits for casinos, cabarets, rum, nightlife and sunshine. Luxury hotels such as the Nacional welcomed politicians, movie stars and celebrities, while the city became closely associated with gambling and organised crime.
The Cuban Revolution in 1959 changed everything. Casinos were closed, many wealthy Cubans left the country, and Havana’s glamorous era came to an abrupt end. Ironically, the decades of economic stagnation that followed also helped preserve much of the city’s historic architecture. Today, Havana is both magnificent and crumbling—a city where faded grandeur tells the story of a very different past.
La Malecón
One place everyone goes – tourists and locals alike – is the boardwalk along the water called the Malecón. It was build by the Americans – when they ruled Cuba- to protect the city from the sea. As you can see the weather was still quite hurricane like, so it wasn’t that much of a pleasure. But I imagine it’s nice on a hot evening.Â
In the background, you can see Castillo De Los Tres Reyes Del Morro – a 16th century fortress symbolizing the naval past of Havana.
Gran Teatro
One of the luxury buildings built for pleasure was the theatre Teatro Tacón from 1838, that hosted super stars like Caruso and Sarah Bernhardt. The newer Gran Teatro de La Habana from 1915 is located at the same place.Â
If you want to see a ballet by the Ballet Nacional, find tickets here.
El Capitolio
The building began in 1929. El Capitolio was the seat of government in Cuba until after the Cuban Revolution in 1959. Its design is compared to that of the United States Capitol especially because of the dome, but it’s not a replica of it. It’s 1 meter, higher, wider and longer – hmm – almost seems like it’s intended…
The year, we went they started restoring, so it’s probably much more well maintained now.
Hotel Inglaterra
The Hotel Inglaterra is Havana’s oldest hotel, originally founded in 1875. Located at Paseo del Prado in Old Havana (directly across from Central Park and next to the Grand Theatre), it features a striking neoclassical façade, vibrant Arabian interior tiles, and a lively rooftop terrace. This is not where I stayed sadly.Â
Not to forget the vintage cars
You can fix a car with duct-tape it turns out.Â
Havana’s colourful American cars from the 1950s have become one of the city’s defining symbols. They are not simply there for tourists. After the Cuban Revolution and the US embargo, importing new cars became almost impossible, so Cubans kept the old Chevrolets, Buicks and Fords running with remarkable ingenuity, often repairing them with whatever spare parts they could find. When I visited in 2009, they were still mainly everyday transport rather than tourist taxis, so we never took a ride ourselves. Instead, in another Cuban town, a local family invited my young son to join them for a short drive—a small gesture of kindness that became one of our favourite memories from Cuba.Â
Revolutionary Havana
It wasn’t until after the Spanish- American war, that Cuba gained independence in 1902 giving it an economical boost, but also corruption. The Cuban revolution 1953-59 overthrew the dictator Batista, and Cuba became a socialist state.
Whether you agree with the revolution or not, it is impossible to understand modern Cuba without it. Havana still lives with its legacy, and nowhere is that more obvious than the Museum of the Revolution.
Museo de la Revolución
This iconic building in the skyline became the Presidential Palace in 1920, but Museo de la Revolucion is now inside. It’s not only about the Revolution, but there are plenty of it still. For instance, you’ll find Che Guevara’s pipe.
Granma
No, this this is not just any old granma. It’s the Granma!
You can see the actual yacht Granma on which the revolution came sailing in on in 1956. It has it’s own memorial. The boat is inside a huge glass case with constant patrolling. There was much ceremonial surrounding the boat, and you can see my son in the background overwhelmed by the seriousness.
Everyday Life Behind the Facades
In the early 19th century many new and expensive mansion were build for the growing middle-class. I was surprised at how much the buildings were crumbling – sometimes only ruins remained. For someone who’s only visiting, it looks kind of picturesque. But surely not, when living there.
Walking around Havana, it quickly became clear that everyday life was very different from the colourful postcards. Grand colonial mansions stood next to apartment blocks that looked ready to collapse. People queued outside ration shops, children played football in the streets, and neighbours sat outside talking while old American cars rattled past.
“What can you do about anyway” – was the feeling, when we talked to people. This was before Castro died, but after his brother had taken over, but it still meant political power hadn’t really changed leader or course for 50 years.
Those famous vintage Chevrolets and Buicks are not simply tourist attractions. After the revolution and the American trade embargo, importing new cars became almost impossible. Cubans became masters at keeping old vehicles alive with homemade repairs, spare parts from different brands and a remarkable amount of creativity. What looks nostalgic to visitors is, for many locals, simply everyday transport.
Daily life for the people in Havana is waiting for the bus in front of large revolutionary graffiti, waiting in line for ice cream or peso pizza or for kids playing soccer in street after school.Â
Throughout our three weeks in Cuba, we stayed in casas particulares rather than state-owned hotels whenever possible. Families rented out spare rooms to earn extra income, and it became one of the best ways to understand everyday Cuban life. We shared breakfasts, practised our Spanish and learned far more than we ever could have from a guidebook. Our hosts often gave up their own bedroom while they slept elsewhere in the house—a level of necessity I still remember.Â
Music was impossible to escape. Someone was always playing a guitar, singing, or dancing in a square. Sometimes it felt genuine, other times clearly aimed at tourists, but it undoubtedly added to Havana’s atmosphere. Even when buildings were crumbling and resources were scarce, life seemed to continue with remarkable resilience.
Looking back, what I remember most isn’t the classic cars or the colonial architecture. It is the people. Despite difficult circumstances, almost everyone we met was welcoming, curious and eager to talk. That warmth became my strongest memory of Havana.
Chinatown
Very surprising to me, is the vast number of descendants from Chinese immigrants in Havana. The Chinese came around 1850 to work in sugar fields and Havana’s Chinatown is one of the oldest and largest in Latin America.
Things that surprised me in Havana
- Staying in family-run casas particulares rather than hotels.
- Seeing queues outside ration shops.
- The ingenuity that keeps 1950s American cars running.
- Music drifting through almost every square.
- Beautiful colonial buildings standing next to abandoned ruins.
Relaxing
Event hough I am a cultural traveller with many things to see in a short time, travelling with my son means a different pace.
The Caribbean has always symbolized a relaxing vibe. And Havana definitely has that. And always make time for playing when travelling with children… Head for the many small, but luscious green parks and you’ll also find a lot of playing grounds.
By the way the bust in the small park is of the Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen…Â
When the sun goes down, my 4-year old son and I get out the playing cards for a small game, while my husband and I order some margaritas and watch the people passing by.
This was my absolute favourite thing to do in Havana.
Practical Tips to Havana
Where to stay
What Havana taught me
But I preferred the homestays. The friendliness of the people we stayed with and the insisting on carrying on – even if all you have is ducttape to fix the car. I also had a cool homestay once in Uzbekistan:Â Sustainable Homestay in the Nurata Mountains.
Curious about Cuban history? Don’t miss the forgotten splendour of colonial Cienfuegos!
Has Havana changed since 2009? Let me know.
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Lovely photos
Thanks!