Travel
- Traveling Music
I don't care for constant music while I'm on a long trip, but I do sometimes feel the need for some energetic music. The remaining 3 CD's I ordered came today, and I'm loading them on my computer, one at a time and then listening...
- By Air, Sea Or Land: Must-see Cities For Your Bucket List
We all have different interests and ideas about which places in the world we like to visit before we depart, but there are a certain number of cities for example, which end up on numerous bucket lists. You might even get to visit some of the places using...
- How To Have A Great Time In Granada, Nicaragua
Granada is the most visited city in Nicaragua, and it is not hard to understand why. On the shores of Lake Cocibolca (known as Lake Nicaragua internationally), this gorgeous colonial city has anything a tourist may want. The colonial architecture, the...
- Beachside Fine Dining
Link: Beachside Fine Dining A list of top 5 beachside restaurants, from toes-in-the-sand romance and Peruvian Ceviche at Flying Fishbone in Aruba, to upscale mod and Latin-influenced Pacific Rim flavors Havana Blue in St. Thomas....
- Two Aruban Airlines Making Great Strides
July 25th, 2011 Last week, the official presentation of the Fokker 50 aircrafts to Insel Air International took place in Curacao. These are the new aircrafts acquired from KLM that will carry the Aruba logo. These aircrafts will be registered and stationed...
Travel
Top 7 Things to Do in Havana
Cuba is an incredible country that definitely deserves to be visited, perhaps more than once. I am strongly convinced that it is one of those places that you get to enjoy more once you get the hang of it, once you understand how things work and once you figure out how to effectively communicate with the locals – where by communication, I don’t just mean speaking Spanish (I dare even the best Spanish speaker to fully understand Cubans!).
I would certainly love to go back. There are many places to see in Cuba that I have missed on my first trip there. The great mixture of beautiful cities, unspoiled nature, gorgeous beaches and crystal clear waters, interesting culture, great music, make it the perfect holiday spot.
One place that I would love to return to is Havana, the incredible, decadent capital of Cuba. This is where most international flights land, and unless you are looking for an all-inclusive kind of holiday and head straight to Varadero, Havana is the obvious place to start your tour of Cuba. There are so many things to do in Havana that you can easily spend a good week there.
Here is a – less than exhaustive - list of what I think are seven absolute musts.
Take a walk in Havana Vieja
A walk in Havana Vieja will take you to the beautiful Plaza de la Catedral, to Plaza de Armas where you can browse through the book market, to Plaza Vieja and to the Real Fabrica de Tabacos Partagas. From Havana Vieja you can also reach the Capitol Building, which has recently been restored.
Visit the Museo de la Revolución
This museum – located in the former presidential palace – is one of Havana's top attractions, and an absolute must if you want to get a better understanding of the Cuban revolution. There is a lot to see and read, so be prepared.
Go to see el cañonazo de las nueve
Attending the ceremony of “el cañonazo de las nueve” is one of the top activities to do in Havana. Each night, at 9PM in the fortress of La Cabaña, soldiers dressed in the traditional costumes of the 18th century, shoot the cannon.
This used to be a warning to the city to close the doors of the walls surrounding it, in order to protect it from pirates and anybody attacking it. It is an interesting show, and on the bonus side the entrance fee also includes a drink, which you can enjoy while you stare at the incredible night view of Havana.
I suggest to go at least one hour before the ceremony, because there are many museums and exhibitions inside the fortress. This is indeed where Che Guevara established his headquarters after the revolution.
Take pictures and a ride on the beautiful vintage cars
Vintage cars are everywhere in Havana. Some are simply rotten old cars, others are incredibly well kept, perfectly restored, very shiny 1950s cars whose owners show some real love. Just stop at any traffic light and you will see so many waiting, or walk around Havana Vieja to see them parked.
Do like Hemingway, and have “Mi mojito en La Bodeguita, mi daiquirí en El Floridita”
Sure, they are touristy, but you are going to be a tourist in Cuba, so why not hit La Bodeguita del Medio to have a mojito and Floridita to have a daiquiri? If you are looking for things to do in Havana after dark, they are cool spots. They may not even serve the best mojitos and daiquiris in Havana, but they are cool places to see and – bonus! - they often have good live music too.
Walk on the Malecon
Whatever you do in Havana, you can’t skip a sunset walk on El Malecon. This is one of the best places to visit in Havana! It is a 8 km paved road waterfront where locals go to relax after a day of work. When on the Malecon, also take a chance to stop at the beautiful Hotel Nacional a neoclassic/art decò building famous since 1933, when some army officers took refuge there hoping to receive the assistance of the US after Batista’s coup. Not only this is a beautiful building, but it also offers a great view of the Malecon, and the bar serves great cocktails.
Look at the splendid colonial homes of the Vedado
This residential area of Havana is less visited than others, yet beautiful for its incredible gardens and beautiful colonial homes. A walk along the Malecon will eventually lead you there!
Have you been to Havana? What were your must sees?
Author bio: Claudia Tavani of My Adventures Across the World is from Cagliari (Sardinia) and is obsessed with travelling. A former human rights lawyer and academic, after devoting her life to the protection of cultural identity, in November 2013 Claudia decided to give in to her biggest passion and started travelling around Latin America, and she has hardly stopped since. Blogging came as a natural consequence, for Claudia wanted to let her family and friends be updated with her adventures. Follow Claudia on Facebook and Twitter.
- Traveling Music
I don't care for constant music while I'm on a long trip, but I do sometimes feel the need for some energetic music. The remaining 3 CD's I ordered came today, and I'm loading them on my computer, one at a time and then listening...
- By Air, Sea Or Land: Must-see Cities For Your Bucket List
We all have different interests and ideas about which places in the world we like to visit before we depart, but there are a certain number of cities for example, which end up on numerous bucket lists. You might even get to visit some of the places using...
- How To Have A Great Time In Granada, Nicaragua
Granada is the most visited city in Nicaragua, and it is not hard to understand why. On the shores of Lake Cocibolca (known as Lake Nicaragua internationally), this gorgeous colonial city has anything a tourist may want. The colonial architecture, the...
- Beachside Fine Dining
Link: Beachside Fine Dining A list of top 5 beachside restaurants, from toes-in-the-sand romance and Peruvian Ceviche at Flying Fishbone in Aruba, to upscale mod and Latin-influenced Pacific Rim flavors Havana Blue in St. Thomas....
- Two Aruban Airlines Making Great Strides
July 25th, 2011 Last week, the official presentation of the Fokker 50 aircrafts to Insel Air International took place in Curacao. These are the new aircrafts acquired from KLM that will carry the Aruba logo. These aircrafts will be registered and stationed...