Wanderlusting Mama: A Day in Havana

Friday, May 12, 2017

A Day in Havana

Old Havana, Cuba

Our group of two families went on a private tour to Havana. It was about a 2-hour drive from Varadero with a stop at Mirador de Bacunayagua (Bacunayagua lookout). From the lookout, you can see the Bacunayagua Bridge crossing a deep canyon over the Yumuri valley. It is the highest bridge in Cuba.

Mirador de Bacunayagua, Cuba

Here we not only stopped to use the washroom (tips needed), take photos and check out some souvenirs, we also got some of the best piña coladas I have tried. Now, am not really fond of coconut-based drinks, but the bar served such delicious piña coladas made from freshly squeezed pineapple juice and coconut, that I could not resist! They will make it virgin for you as well, which the kids loved!

the best piña coladas at the Mirador de Bacunayagua

It felt like being transported back in time when we got to Old Havana. And while it seemed similar to Intramuros in Manila, with calesas (horse-drawn carriages), Spanish architecture, and cobblestones, the presence of vintage cars on the roads made it truly different.

Havana is beautiful, with brightly-colored buildings and old structures. It is, after all, a UNESCO world heritage site. But there was nothing quite like seeing classic cars driving about like it was just part of a regular day. For us, it was like being in a different time altogether. Vintage cars which we only see in auctions, and that aficionados would spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on, were just ordinary, everyday vehicles. Mostly these were used as taxis and tour cars. Locals would take public transport and you would see a long line up for the sardine-packed buses. While we saw some beautiful Oldsmobile and Plymouth, there were also newer cars. The tour buses were Yutong (Chinese) and our tour van was a Hyundai (Korean).

the old cars in Havana, Cuba

We checked out a couple of nice structures. The big ones, were of course, like in any previous Spanish colony, churches. We saw the beautiful Basilica Menor de San Francisco de Asis

Basilica Menor de San Francisco de Asis, Havana

and the La Catedral de la Virgen María de la Concepción Inmaculada de La Habana (Havana Cathedral).

La Catedral de la Virgen María de la Concepción Inmaculada de La Habana (Havana Cathedral)

We walked around Havana and checked out the city’s most iconic sites like Hotel Ambos Mundos (Spanish colonial hotel where Hemingway used to stay),

Hotel Ambos Mundos, Havana

Bodeguita del medio (a bar which famous personalities patronized), and the mini-museums around.

Bodeguita del Medio, Havana

We also went to the Plaza de la Revolución (Revolution Square) square. There we took the obligatory photos with the José Martí Memorial (a 358 ft with a 59 ft statue).

Old cars by the José Marti memorial, Revolution Square, Havana

Opposite the memorial are the offices of the Ministries of the Interior and Communications. The facades of which featured steel memorials of the two most important heroes of the Cuban Revolution: Che Guevara


Memorial for Che Guevara,"Hasta la Victoria Siempre" (Until the Everlasting Victory, Always)

and Camilo Cienfuegos (sometimes mistaken for Fidel Castro).

Memorial for Camilo Cinfuegos, "Vas bien, Fidel" (You're doing fine, Fidel)

They also had the El Capitolio (National Capitol Building) which housed the seat of government until the revolution. It most definitely looked like the United States Capitol in Washington.

El Capitolio, Havana

Of course, no trip is complete without checking out a cigar factory. Rum and Cigar = Cuba. We went to visit Romeo y Julieta. We no longer did the tour but we did see some other smaller factories with cigar rollers in action. As cigar is paired with rum, stores sell both.