Streets squares and districts to visit La Havane

This dead-end street in a working-class neighborhood is entirely dedicated to Afro-Cuban culture (murals, including one by artist Salvador Escalona, and sculptures inspired by santería and Palo Monte). It is a space where you can enjoy all the variations of the rumba. Every Sunday from noon, it is rumba en el cayo, as much as to say the traditional rumba, the real one of true! It starts calmly, with professional groups, then, it heats up quickly as the bottles of rum are emptied. The rumberos of all Cayo Hueso (that's how we call this part of Havana) come here to confront their dancing talents. Very popular and authentic, even if the information is far from being confidential today and many tourists come to attend the show. The nave del olvido (bathtub nave) rules the place and evokes the spirit of the creation of the Callejón. A central dome protects the musicians from the sun. In front of it, there is a room full of objects related to the santería and other Afro-Cuban cults, which is hosted by a fortune teller!

By the way, if you are interested in Santería and Afro-Cuban spirituality, you will find in Elias an exceptional interlocutor. The young man, colorful and joking, is a fine connoisseur of the subject. He will be happy to take you to the nooks and crannies of the place, from the art gallery to the altars, and will explain to you (in Spanish) what it is all about. We like it.

The Havana people simply call it the Plaza, because, of all the Cuban squares, it is undoubtedly the best known and the most significant. Larger than the Plaza de la Concorde, it is still too small for large political gatherings, especially the one on May^1st. The Ministry of the Interior, the National Theater, the National Library and the building housing the Council of State, the Council of Ministers and the Central Committee of the Communist Party frame the square, which makes this Revolutionary Square the epicenter of political life in Cuba and explains the large police presence there, even if it is not immediately noticeable... What is striking are the huge portraits of Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos that dominate the square.

It is in this vast space that the Cubans have taken, since 1959, the most important decisions of their history. Fidel Castro has made long and passionate speeches in front of huge crowds of attentive listeners. Contrary to what many foreigners imagine, the Plaza de la Revolución is not the work of the revolutionary government, since the idea of building a civic plaza goes back to the advent of the republic. It was in 1953, during the Batista regime, that the construction of the Plaza Cívica began, which was renamed Plaza de la Revolución on July 16, 1961. The first major event celebrated after the triumph of the revolution was the International Workers' Day on May¹, 1961.

Built in 1559 after the Plaza de Armas, intended for the military at the time, the Plaza Vieja (Old Square) quickly became the heart of the city. The first attempt at urban planning in the history of post-Columbian America, its layout innovated in relation to the Spanish urban organization with the integration of private residences. With the advent of the pseudo-republic (1902-1959), many of the beautiful homes of the past were replaced by buildings of no interest. You will pass by here more than once.

The Plaza de Armas, formerly the Plaza de la Iglesia (Church Square), houses the city's first parish church. In addition to being a religious symbol, it is also the site of political and military institutions. After the demolition of the church in 1776, the square took on its current dimensions. In the 19th century, the captain general gave grandiose parties there, and the nobility rode in carriages. From restoration to restoration, the square has recovered its 1841 appearance: only the statue of Ferdinand VII has been replaced by that of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes.

It is the second square of the city. Its origins date back to the second half of the 16th century. It owes its name to the church and convent of St. Francis of Assisi, built at the end of that same century. Situated in front of the harbor docks, the square is an important commercial center. The crews of the royal fleet would refuel here, drop off their goods and spend some time here before continuing their journey. The facades have been freshly restored.

The Plaza de la Catedral is one of the most beautiful squares in the city, the most famous anyway. The most harmonious too. It is considered the best preserved colonial architectural complex in Latin America. The pavement is arranged in such a way as to form a cross in the center (you would have to be at a high altitude to see this clearly). Unlike the most famous squares in Europe, this one was designed on a modest, human scale. Musicians often perform in the café to the left of the cathedral. A plaque recalls the visit of Pope John Paul II to Havana in January 1998. The first documents, at the end of the 16th century, mention the square as Plaza de la Ciénaga (Marsh Square), because of the waters that, in the rainy season, turned it into a pond. In 1592, a fresh water tank was built in the Callejón del Chorro (Water Fountain Alley) to supply ships. The marsh was drained in the 17th century, and at the beginning of the 18th century the construction of some of the buildings that we see there today began. At the end of the 18th century, the former Jesuit church was consecrated as a cathedral, and the square took on its present name. In addition to the Cathedral of San Cristóbal de La Habana, other notable buildings frame the square: the Palacio de los Marqueses de Aguas Claras, the Palacio del Conde de Lombillo, the Palacio del Marqués de Arcos, the Palacio de los Condes de Casa Bayona and the Wifredo Lam Contemporary Art Center.