Beyond Havana Vieja: Our Family’s Experience in Cuba’s Most Famous City
During our month in Cuba we stayed in Havana three separate times for a total of about two weeks. You could cover our tracks in half that time but we took a slow approach. We prefer to take our time and let everything sink in — plus we were traveling with our toddler! Here are some thoughts and recommendations about our experience in Havana, Cuba.
Vedado
Our arrival in Cuba included a car break down on the way from the airport in a classic Chevy. With a little pushing it got going again and that was happily the only real car trouble we personally experienced in Cuba!
After that initial bump in the road, we arrived at our “casa particular,” our host family’s home in the Vedado neighborhood. We stayed there as opposed to the more popular Havana Vieja so that we could have more space to spread out with our daughter, and a quieter atmosphere. We also liked that we could get a local perspective by staying with a host family in a less touristic area. The family consisted of three-generations (grandmother, mother, and young son) in a huge house that had been passed down from several generations prior. They had two large rooms for guests with attached bathrooms and ample outdoor space, which our daughter loved.
Vedado is not entirely residential. There are small stores and quite a few restaurants within a short walk. A few restaurants we enjoyed enough to go back to included “Habana Blues, “Comida China,” “La Valentina,” and “La Rueda.”
One of our favorite places in Havana, “Fabrica de Arte Cubano,” can be found in Vedado close to the Rio Almendares. An absolute must for all art enthusiasts, Fabrica de Arte encompasses room after room of exhibitions and performances. There are bars and food stands as well. As of the time of our visit, the hours were Thursday – Sunday nights. The place is simply incredible.
A popular Vedado site is the Hotel Nacional where a long list of notable characters have stayed over the years. It’s worth checking out the terrace out back and perhaps enjoying a mojito. We caught some excellent music there one evening. We didn’t find the dinner to be anything to write home about but the setting is wonderful. Also, during the day at least there was a small stand with some postcards available. I was told they could be mailed directly from the hotel but I used a Correos de Cuba (post office). You may be interested to know that I sent four postcards and they all arrived eventually.
Also in Vedado and a highlight of my Cuba experience was taking salsa piano lessons at Havana Music School. Lessons there are a fun option, especially if you’re a Cuban music enthusiast. They offer classes for various instruments. At the time of our visit they also offered a weekly music circle for kids on Saturdays, which Vienna enjoyed.
In general we loved Vedado. We were never hassled by any vendors and didn’t feel like we were missing out on anything since it’s easy to get to other neighborhoods. Although it was relatively quiet, there was a lot to appreciate by listening. Dogs, street vendors shouting out what they’re selling, old car engines. Maybe you’ll hear a musician in the distance and decide to follow your ear to the source.
Havana Vieja
If you only have a few nights in Havana then you’ll most likely stay in Havana Vieja. We did for the last few nights of our trip to Cuba. Havana Vieja is where you’ll find the highest concentration of restaurants, museums, historic sites, and tourists. Vendors might approach you and people will try to get you into their restaurants but we didn’t feel that anyone was overly aggressive. We had fun while we stayed there but it was decidedly busier and noisier.
Havana Vieja offers plenty of formal activities including museums but what we enjoyed most was simply strolling. Admire the buildings, even if some are unfortunately in quite advanced states of disrepair. Stop in plazas and parks and don’t skip little ones like Parque Humboldt for a rest from the heat. You’ll no doubt find yourself on Obispo, a historic pedestrian street popular among tourists, but let yourself stray to the north and south and take your time!
In terms of restaurants we liked “Donde Lis” (multiple delicious lobster preparations and more). For a fancier option we loved “Los Mercadores.” For breakfast we went to “El Café” more than once.
There’s plenty of live music around Old Havana. You need only follow your ears and don’t be afraid to pop in when you see locals dancing. We had some luck one afternoon near the “Centro Provincial de Artes Plasticas y Diseño.” There we had a coffee in the adjacent courtyard cafe and enjoyed listening as an 11-piece salsa band rehearsed. These are the magic moments of travel and why we should all slow down a bit.
Havana Centro and Barrio Chino
Between Havana Vieja and Vedado you’ll find Havana Centro, including Barrio Chino. Take the time to walk these neighborhoods for a better sense of local life in the city! You’ll still find plenty of restaurants like the historic “La Guarida” but you’ll quickly notice the relative scarcity of tourists. I found Havana Centro to be one of the most photogenic parts of the city (though there are so many). One Spanish colonial building after another, classic cars passing by, local kids playing soccer in the streets. One day I took a chance at a street stand by ordering a burger and beer and talking to some friendly locals.
In Barrio Chino, the small Galleria Continua museum (one of eight international locations) is well worth a stop.
Farther Afield
One day we used the hop-on-hop-off bus so we got to see more of the city beyond the aforementioned neighborhoods. We had a hard time hearing the commentary from the guide due to the speaker system. Still it’s worth doing this early in any trip to Havana to get a broader sense of how things are laid out. In short, there are many areas to explore beyond Havana Vieja so don’t limit yourself!
Outside of Havana
If you’re looking to escape the city for a few hours you can easily reach the beach. Playa Santa Maria is about a 30-minute bus ride from Havana’s Parque Central with several daily departures.
Havana in a Nutshell
Population: 2.3 million
Usual price of an Airbnb: $30-80 USD
What we liked the most: Seeing how people make the best of scarce resources and turn hardship into art
What we found challenging: Using local transportation with our toddler. We had fun and felt accomplished but it didn’t always feel easy.
