10 Quick Facts – Havana (Habana) Cuba

1. The Classic 1950s Cars

Classic 1950s American cars are powered by Lada engines and some rationing is still prevalent throughout Cuba although the black market is thriving like never before.

2. Cubans Love to Dance

Cuba loves parties and dancing, following a Caribbean tradition of dancing till dawn.

Havana has some of the best live music and dance venues for you as a tourist.

3. Gold

Once a familiar haunt of pirates who would attack Spanish ships with hulls full of South American gold and artifacts, and the first port of call for slaves transported from Africa.

Havana has survived the American Mafia and years of deprivation to become a city that welcomes visitors with open arms.

4. Colonial Cuba

Havana is proud of its history and its fine colonial buildings and cars, of its cigars and rum, and its victory against the imperial might of the USA.

As a visitor, you may be surprised by the sophistication of Havana’s hotels and the quality of the food in the local restaurants.

Although, at times, it can feel as though you have stepped back into the 1950s, at other moments it is clear to see that Havana is embracing everything that the new millennium has to offer.

5. Suffering

The people of Cuba and Havana have suffered considerably over the last five decades but there is a joy to their lives that is unique amongst the Caribbean islands.

Perhaps it is because the Cubans were never slaves but have always been masters of their own destiny.

They want to share that destiny with tourists today and it has never been easier to visit and enjoy such a wonderful piece of paradise.

6. Museums

Havana is a wonderful city for museums lovers.

The city is saturated with a number of very interesting and unique museums including ones such as the:

• ‘Museo Napoliónico’ (which is home to some fascinating Napoleonic artifacts)
• ‘Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes’ (museum of Fine Arts)
• ‘Museum of Chocolate’ (Museo del Chocolate) a must visit location if you have any interest in chocolate and chocolate making
• and National Museum of Decorative Arts.

7. Dominoes

Dominoes is a very important game in Havana in that the game is very popular and played across the city outside in cafes, in bars, and in many open social spaces.

This game is a passion, particularly for older men.

8. Hemingway

Havana was a city in which Ernest Hemingway spent a lot of time and he frequented several of the bars in the center of the city.

Learn more about Hemingway’s Havana!

9. Districts

With a population approaching six million and divided into fifteen districts in Havana, local people have one of the highest life expectancy rates in the Americas.

10. Havana

Habana as it is known to the locals in Cuba), is a capital city that evokes a mixture of romance, the black market, and revolution.

Of course, prior to Fidel Castro taking Cuba from American control, Havana was similar to American cities in the southern USA with its wonderful colonial housing and giant-sized American cars.

Today, Cuba is benefiting from new relations with the USA and although the capital Havana has an air of a bygone era it is still one of the most exciting and fascinating cities in the world.