Old Havana | Plaza de Armas

Old Havana, also known as San Cristobal de la Habana, was founded on November 16th, 1519. Surrounded 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 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, a statue of Pilar saint, patron of the sailors, a pineapple, 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 de la Fuerza” would do their daily drills and look after the city. La Fuerza fort was built 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 husband’s 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 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 Baroque 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 “Capitan General” and governor of the city is the main building. It was a Church at first, but it suffered from storms and an explosion 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 center, you can find the statue of Christopher Columbus, on top a museum with beautiful art collections, and below it shows what part of the Church was. 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 smaller house of the Counts 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 waitresses would wear short uniforms, a scandal for those times. This is today a 5 star hotel that was used by former President Jimmy Carter in his visit to Cuba. Carter stayed in the Santovenia room. There 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 from the US, a lawyers firm (I met a Cuban old man, nationalized Puerto Rican, who left after the revolution who told me this). The officios (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, has really though nice environment. The Museum of Old Cars, on the way we find one of the cheapest hotels in Old Havana, Hostel Valencia with a specialized restaurant in Paellas, a Cigar shop and excellent location.

Old Havana Plaza de San Francisco

San Francisco square was a commercial plaza, ships would bring and unload their merchandise. The Franciscans were among the first religious orders to arrive to Havana and they built their first church right 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 Calcutta 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 portraying a different architectural style (art nouveau, 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 for feeding them on a daily basis. The main hotel in this plaza is a new one called “Hotel Palacio del Marques 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 Humboldt museum, a Cuban perfume made locally.

Plaza Vieja in Old Havana

The “Plaza Vieja” was built to move all commercial activities here. In the 20th century this plaza was going 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 building here is called Palacio Cueto from 1906, you can see the facade with an influence of Gaudi with balconies resembling like waves. Other attractions are: 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 and the chocolate house. In the corner is the street “Amargura” (means bitter) because of the bitter Via Crucis starting in San Francisco church all the way to the Jesus Christ church. More colonial hotels on the way like the Conde de Villanueva or also called the Hostel del Habano where personalities 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 of interest are Hotel Ambos Mundos where Hemingway used to stay from 1933 to 1939.

Plaza de la Catedral

This is the fourth Plaza. The water supply for Havana came from a river 15 kms away and locals would collect it in “El Chorro”corner. The restaurant “El Patio” is the most frequented by tourist in Havana, the Church “La Catedral”. If you see the two church towers, you will notice 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. Every day 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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