In the past, the Spaniards used to sound the cannon there at 8 p.m. to announce the closing of the gates of the city, on the other side of the bay. This tradition, shifted to 9 p.m., has remained as a vestige of the colonial past. At a time when the heat of the day begins to give way to the coolness of the evening, when the silence of the old stones of the Cabaña brings a special magic to the sunset, we sit on the ramparts, in front of a sea calm and a city that timidly turns on its first street lamps. Vendors of peanuts and homemade popcorn are there. Suddenly, young soldiers dressed as Spanish soldiers, marching to the rhythm of the drummer, turn on streetlights and hum the story of the ceremony. At 9 p.m. the shrill sound of the old cannon marks the apotheosis of the evening under the joyful applause of the crowd.
Morro-Cabaña Historical Complex, Monumental Highway, at the exit of the Havana Bay Tunnel.
Frequented at any time of the day, the promenade begins at the foot of the Central Park (which houses the statue of the hero José Marti) and ends in front of the Malecón. Chanel presented its Cruise 2016/2017 collection there in the middle of facades from the beginning of the 20th century with astonishing architectural styles. We walk there immersed in the daily life of Cubans:the noisy ones who talk about baseball (the national sport) or football (the new national passion); those, younger, who play shirtless with an old ball; those who sell on the sly…
The tropical version of our breweries! Good coffee harvested in neighboring producing regions of Havana is roasted on site and prepared for customers wishing to taste what is called here
“the black nectar of the white gods”. We taste the iced coffee for less than 3 CUC (2 €) and enjoy the atmosphere of El Escorial and the view of the fountain in Plaza Vieja.
Plaza Vieja, at the corner of Muralla and Mercaderes streets.
