A Walk Through Vedado, Havana Cuba
El Malecon, Hotel Nacional, Habana Libre and Coppelia's Ice Cream
Sep 2, 2008
Beginning in 1859 a new district was developed in Havana. Bordered in the east by Central Havana (Habana Centro), and in the west by Miramar, Vedado was built in an area that had been kept wide open in colonial days to have full view of pirates approaching the city. The name Vedado means: 'reserved' or 'prohibited'. The main street running east to west is Calle 23, also known as 'La Rampa'.
Before and After the Revolution
From the 1930s to the 1950s, Vedado was a notorious gambling nightlife mecca for Americans. It was also the neighborhood where doctors, lawyers and business people lived before the revolution. After they were expropriated as part of the Communist reorganization, most of them emigrated to the United States. The mansions radiate their old splendour, while they are for the most part sadly dilapidated. Vedado is best explored on foot and a good starting point for a walk is at Havana's seafront promenade: The Malecón.
From the Malecón to the Hotel Nacional
Between Calle 23 and Calle G is the stretch of the Malecón, that borders Vedado to the north. The Malecón is Havana's twenty-four-hour social center. Habaneros sit on its low walls to get a good view of the ocean, they play music, kiss, fish, socialize, drink and smoke cigars. The palatial Hotel Nacional de Cuba sits on a bluff opposite the Malecón and offers spectacular views of the ocean and the harbour. The hotel's elegance and its art deco architecture have attracted many international guests and celebrities like Prime Minister Winston Churchill, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Frank Sinatra, Buster Keaton and Ernest Hemingway.
La Rampa (Calle 23) and the Hotel Habana Libre
A short walk down Calle 23 to Calle L leads to the Hotel Habana Libre, the former Havana Hilton, that Fidel Castro turned into his administrative headquarters right after the revolution. Today it is one of Havana's five-star-hotels and serves business meetings and conferences. A reproduction of a huge blue mosaic by the artist Amelia Peldez La Fruta Cubana has been restored over the hotel's entrance. On the other side of Calle L is the popular Coppelia Ice Cream Parlour, supposedly the world's largest, serving 30,000 people every day. A line of customers often strings around the block. Travelers with pesos can avoid the touristy dollar section, unless they mind the wait!
From Coppelia's to Avenida De Los Presidentes (Calle G)
Further down Calle 23 is the Parque El Quixote, with a statue of a nude Don Quixote on horseback by Sergio Martinez. Down the wide tree-lined Avenida de los Presidentes (Calle 23 and G) many luxurious 19th century French-style mansions represent Cuba's architectural heritage. The mix of shabbiness and former opulence is striking. Institutes of the University of Havana are located here, like the Department of Communication (see photo, middle school students dressed in uniforms cross the street. Near the junction of Calle G and Calle Linea is the Museo de la Danza (Museum of Dance, Open Tuesday-Saturday 11 am-6:30 pm) in a renovated art-nouveau mansion. Many exhibits were donated by Alicia Alonso, founder and prima ballerina absoluta of Cuba's Ballet Nacional and document the ballet's accomplishments.
From Calle Linea to Revolution Square.
Walking Tour of Old Havana: Habana Vieja
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