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El Boulevard
Ciegos newest feature is the three-block stretch of Calle Independencia between Parque Martí and Calle Agramonte that has been pedestrianized and beautified with streetlights, benches, outdoor art and green areas. Come and view Cubas confusing dual economy working at full throttle.
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Monumento a las Víctimas del Maine
West beyond Hotel Nacional is a monument to the victims of USS Maine, the battleship that blew up mysteriously in Havana harbor in 1898. Once crowned by an American eagle, the monument (first raised during the American-dominated period in 1926) was decapitated during the 1959 Revol
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Playa Daiquirí
The main US landings during the Spanish-Cuban-American War took place on June 24, 1898, at this beach, 2km down a side road from the Museo Nacional de Transportes. They might have named a cocktail after it, but the area is now a holiday camp for military personnel and entry is proh
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Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wilfredo Lam
On the corner of Plaza de la Catedral, this cultural center contains the melodious Cafe Amarillo and an exhibition center named after the islands most celebrated painter. Rather than displaying Lams paintings, it serves as a gallery for revolving temporary exhibitions of modern pai
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Dos Ríos Obelisk
At Dos Ríos, 52km northeast of Bayamo and almost in Holguín, a white obelisk overlooking the Río Cauto marks the spot where José Martí was shot and killed on May 19, 1895. Go 22km northeast of Jiguaní on the road to San Germán and take the unmarked road to the right after crossing
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Nuestra Señora de los Dolores
On the northwest side of Parque Central, this dinky, Mexican colonial-style church was built in 1926, after the original was destroyed by a hurricane. In 1957 the parish priest, Guillermo Sardiñas, left Nueva Gerona to join Fidel Castro in the Sierra Maestra, the only Cuban priest
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Iglesia de San Lazaro
The Iglesia de San Lazaro is a beautiful (if diminutive), cream-coloured church dating from 1700, although as interesting is the nearby cloistered hospital constructed nearby a century later by virtuous Franciscan monk Padre Valencia to nurse leprosy victims. Its 2km west of the ce
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Cueva Martín Infierno
In the Valle de Yaganabo, 56km from Cienfuegos via the shore hamlet of Caleta de Muñoz, this cave contains a 67m stalagmite said to be the worlds tallest. The cave is not always open for general tourism. Check with Cubanacán in Cienfuegos first. The valley is also a good bird-watch
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Casa de la Obra Pía
One of the more muscular sights on Calle Mercaderes is this typical Havana aristocratic residence originally built in 1665 and rebuilt in 1780. Baroque decoration – including an intricate portico made in Cádiz, Spain – covers the exterior facade. There are some colonial artifacts d
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Calle Obispo
Narrow, car-free Calle Obispo (Bishops Street), Habana Viejas main interconnecting artery, is packed with art galleries, shops, music bars and people. Four- and five-story buildings block out most of the sunlight, and the swaying throng of people seems to move in time to the all-pe
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Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (Arte Universal)
Exhibits international art from 500 BC to the present day on three separate floors. Highlights include an extensive Spanish collection (with a canvas by El Greco), some 2000-year-old Roman mosaics, Greek pots from the 5th century BC and a suitably refined Gainsborough canvas (in th
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Statue of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes
In the center of Plaza de Armas, which is lined with royal palms and hosts a daily (except Sundays) secondhand book market, is a marble statue of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, the man who set Cuba on the road to independence in 1868. The statue replaced one of unpopular Spanish king,
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Teatro José Jacinto Milanés
Often included in a set of seven classic 19th-century Cuban provincial theaters, the 540-seat Milanés dates from 1845 – making it one of Cubas oldest. It reopened in 2006 after lengthy renovations and, with its three-tiered auditorium, antique seats, and Spanish-style patio and caf
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Plaza de la Vigía
The original Plaza de Armas still remains as Plaza de la Vigía (literally lookout place), a reference to the threat from piracy and smuggling that the first settlers faced. This diminutive square was where Matanzas was founded in the late 17th century and numerous historical buildi
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Museo de Música Alejandro García Caturla
Between the churches is a museum commemorating García Caturla, a Cuban composer and musician who lived here from 1920 until his murder in 1940. Caturla was a pioneer who integrated Afro-Cuban rhythms into classical music and also served as a lawyer and judge. Look for occasional im
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Playa Cazonal
Generally considered to be the best public beach in the area, this strip offers lots of tawny sand, natural shade and a big sandy swimming hole (much of the coast here is clogged with seaweed forests). Turn into the Club Amigo Carisol – Los Corales and then its a quick left to the
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Iglesia de San Francisco de Paula
One of Havanas most attractive churches, this building was fully restored in 2000. It is all that remains of the San Francisco de Paula womens hospital from the mid-1700s. Lit up at night for classical music concerts, the stained glass, heavy cupola and baroque facade are romantic
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Catedral de San Rosendo
The citys understated cathedral is four blocks southeast of the cigar factory. It dates from 1883 and its pastel-yellow exterior seems to get a more regular paint job than the rest of the citys buildings. As with most Cuban churches, the interior is often closed. Get a peek during
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Casa de las Américas
Just off the Malecón at the ocean end of Calle G, this cultural institution was set up by Moncada survivor Haydee Santamaría in 1959 and awards one of Latin Americas oldest and most prestigious literary prizes. Inside theres an art gallery, a bookstore and an atmosphere of erudite
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Museo 28 Septiembre de los CDR
A venerable building on Obispo that dedicates two floors to a rather one-sided dissection of the nationwide Comites de la Defensa de la Revolución (CDR; Committees for the Defense of the Revolution). Commendable neighborhood-watch schemes, or grassroots spying agencies? Sift throug
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