Havana
Ernest Hemingway’s Finca Vigía in San Francisco de Paula Ward, Havana
Havana is Cuba’s capital city. Resplendent with Spanish colonial architecture from the 16th-century, such as the Castillo de la Real Fuerza, are set next to the baroque Catedral de San Cristóbal and Plaza Vieja, reflecting the city’s vibrant architectural mix. The streets are lined with colorful vintage cars and daiquiri-fueled salsa dancing.
STAY
HOTEL NACIONAL DE CUBA A historic Spanish-style hotel, opened in 1930 on the seafront of the Vedado district, offering commanding views of the sea and the city.
PARQUE CENTRAL As the name suggested, a central option in Havana offering views of the National Capitol Building.
HOTEL AMBOS MUNDOS Built in 1924, this pastel-pink Havana institution was Hemingway's hotel of choice before he bought a house in Havana in 1939. It’s said he penned his classic For Whom the Bell Tolls in room 511. Visit the lobby bar for a classic mojito or daquiri.
DINE | DRINK
EL FLORIDITA Famous for its daiquiris and a favorite hangout of Ernest Hemingway in Havana. In fact, the bar boasts a life-size bronze statue of Hemingway positioned in his favorite spot at the end of the bar. On a small plaque hanging in El Floridita, hangs Hemingway's signed quote: "My mojito in the Bodeguita del Medio and my daiquiri in the Floridita"
LA GUARIDA Enrique and Odeisys Nuñez first opened what has become Cuba’s most celebrated paladar in 1996. The building, originally known as La Mansión Camagüey, shows its former grandeur from the magnificent wooden entrance door through the marble staircase up the two flights of stairs to the restaurant itself. A magical place featuring soft lights, fine table linen, German silver cutlery, candles, and Cuban music. Visit the roof for a view of Havana, and try the ceviche, gazpacho or their signature appetizer of eggplant caviar.
LA TERRAZA Located behind the Parque Central hotel, head to the rooftop terrace for breakfast or lunch with a view.
LA BODEGUITA DEL MEDIO Storied watering hole for the famed mojitos. Order one to go and join the crowd salsa dancing in the cobblestone streets.
304 O’REILLY Wedged between two dilapidated buildings on O’Reilly street (named after an Irish-born inspector general of infantry for the Spanish Empire, this Old Havana restaurant specializes in gin cocktails and seafood, we recommend the ceviche.
IVAN CHEF JUSTO Cuban Chef Iván Rodríguez López also operates Al Carbon in Havana.
LA MAKINA A gastropub featuring a contemporary twist on traditional Cuban food. Sit on the terrace and relax after visiting the nearby Museum of the Revolution.
ROMA Owned by Cuban DJ Alain Dark, Roma is located on the roof of a building in Old Havana, offering live music, cocktails and views.
LE CHANSONNIER Hector Higueras opened Le Chansonnier in October 2011 in a house dating from 1860, and transformed it into the current haven of contemporary chic. Don’t miss the wall that leads to the bathrooms, a fascinating piece made with old paint cans produced by local artist Damian Aquiles.
HELADERIA COPPELIA An ice cream parlor chain in Cuba originally built in a project led by Fidel Castro. It is now state-run and sells in both Cuban pesos and Cuban convertible pesos.
EL DANDY A hipster haven— coffee bar by day, and cocktail bar by night.
CASA MIGLIS Mr. Miglis took over a year to renovate this building to fit his dream of opening Cuba’s first experiment in Swedish cuisine.
EL GATO TUERTO Stop by after dinner for live Cuban and jazz music.
CASA DE LA MUSICA All the big names play here, from Bamboleo to Los Van Van. We prefer the Mirador location.
EL COCINERO A trendy bar/restaurant in Vedado located underneath the imposing brick chimney of the same name (which used to be a vegetable oil factory). It is reached via 3 flights of circular stairs, which go up vertiginously lighthouse style, but worth the effort to reach the rooftop terrace with live music and tapas.
TROPICANA CABARET CLUB Set in a lush, six-acre estate tropical garden at the Villa Mina in Marianao, opened in the 1930s. This is a touristy, Vegas-style extravaganza, but a must-see show for first-time visitors.
CAFE CANTANTE MI A disco club in the basement of the National Theater featuring afternoon shows ranging from hip-hop, salsa, rock, pop, and traditional Afro-Cuban music, and evening salsa performances until 3am.
SIA KARA CAFE Located in Centro Habana just behind The Capitolio, this unassuming bar is a bohemian gem.
CAFE MAMAINE Art and coffee are for sale at this reimagined mansion with an interior that features revolving local artist works.
CAFÉ LAURENT After Raul Castro opened up the laws on running private businesses such as paladares (home restaurants) a new generation of restaurateurs emerged, and currently leading the pack are the men in white hats behind Havana’s Café Laurent.
PALADAR LOS AMIGOS Los Amigos has been cooking up traditional Cuban cuisine, think rice and beans, in a family home since the late 90s. Fans of the authentic fare include the late Anthony Bourdain.
LA ZORRA Y EL CUERVA The Fox and the Crow opens its doors nightly at 10pm to long lines of jazz fans.
DON CANGREJO The Friday night party venue of choice, complete with a large (now covered) swimming pool, and live music.
ART | CULTURE | ACTIVITIES
FÁBRICA DE ARTE CUBANO Part art gallery, part club inside a former cooking oil factory, and now Havana's premier nightclub and art space.
FUSTERLANDIA A can’t miss experience outside of Havana consisting of extensive public-art installations by local artist José Fuster, with colorful, whimsical mosaics.
BALLET NACIONAL DE CUBA A classical ballet company based in the Gran Teatro founded by the Cuban prima ballerina, Alicia Alonso in 1948. The company is now led by prima ballerina and artistic director, Viengsay Valdés.
FINCA VIGÍA Ernest Hemingway’s former home-turned-museum in the San Francisco de Paula Ward. Originally constructed in 1886, and featuring his many hunting trophies from Africa, and a swimming pool which he famously ordered never to be drained after actress Ava Gardner swam in the nude in it.
PLAZA DE ARMAS The city's oldest plaza is surrounded by restaurants & host to numerous secondhand book stands.
MUSEO DEL RON A museum focusing on the history of rum-making with a tasting room, and liquor shop.
MUSEO DE LA REVOLUCIÓN Artefacts from the fight for independence are displayed in galleries below the 1938 Revolution Monument.
MUSEU NACIONAL DE BELAS ARTES The National Museum of Fine Arts of Havana exhibits Cuban art collections from colonial times up to contemporary generations.
MALECÓN A broad esplanade and seawall where Cubans come to drink and dance day or night.
MUSEO DEL CHOCOLATE Watch chocolates being made while you sip a cup of hot chocolate.
LA CABANA DE CHE GUEVARA A diminutive, but nonetheless riveting exposé of the life and times of Ernesto Guevara de la Serna (better known as 'El Che'). Telling the story of his life with pictures and a few belongings (radios, rucksacks and guns), it inhabits Guevara's old office in the Fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabaña, from where he meted out 'justice' in 1959.
BERTOLT BRECHT CULTURAL CENTER Originally opened in 1968, this restored cultural center features live bands playing contemporary Cuban fusion.
331 ART SPACE The showroom is shared by three artists— Frank Mujica, Alex Hernandez and Adrian Fernandez, and available to visit by guided tour.
TALLER EXPERIMENTAL DE GRAFICA An energetic complex featuring old printing machines, contemporary art shows, and an outdoor cafe.
MUSEO NAPOLEONICO DE CUBA The Napoleon Museum houses one of the most important collections from the 18th and 19th centuries preserved in the Western hemisphere— the happy result of the combination of the personal collections of Julio Lobo and Orestes Ferrara, which were bought at auction during the first half of the 20th century and represent the most important Napoleonic collection in Central America. The collection itself was declared a 'National Heritage' in 1960 and, with the revolutionary government's blessing, the museum was opened to the public in the following year.
MUSEO E ARTES DECORATIVAS The Museum of Decorative Arts opened in 1964 in a former residence in Vedado in a mansion designed by the French architects P. Virad and M. Destugué in 1927. On display are more than 33,000 works of artistic and historic value from the reigns of Louis XV, Louis XVI and Napoleon III, as well as Oriental pieces from the 16th to the 20th centuries. Important collections of Sèvres, Chantilly, Limoges, Faenza, Meissen Derby, Chelsea, Wedgwood, Worcester and Staffordshire porcelain are also displayed.
SHOP
PARTAGAS A shop offering hand-rolled cigars since 1845.
LA CASA DEL HABANO A cigar shop chain with multiple locations.
DAY & WEEKEND TRIPS
VIÑALES A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this lush valley in Pinar del Río is the gateway to the Sierra de los Organos mountains, and apparently Fidel Castro's favorite place in Cuba. Viñales is the home of tobacco farming and many farms offer tours ending with a hand-rolled cigar and a rum tasting. We recommend lunch with a view at El Restaurante Mirador "Balcón del Valle” and salsa dancing in the plaza at Patio Del Decimista.
Text: Veronica H. Speck Photo: © Finca Vigia Foundation