Old Havana, each stone of its old buildings have the imprint of Eusebio Leal

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By Caribbean Insider

Old Havana is one of the municipalities of the Cuban capital that treasures the historic center of the city, each stone of its old buildings have the imprint of Eusebio Leal, who dedicated all his efforts to the restoration of important colonial constructions, which earned him the UNESCO World Heritage designation in 1982.

Havana, in its beginnings, developed around five large squares: the Plaza de Armas, the San Francisco, the Cienaga, the Santo Cristo and the New, known by all as the Plaza Vieja, which still remain and attract tourists who walk through its streets. In Old Havana, every stone in its old buildings, whether eclectic, baroque, neoclassical or other architecture, has witnessed many historical, social and cultural events, which have been recorded forever and which color the course of its 500 years.

There are buildings from the 17th, 18th and 19th Centuries and even some from the first decades of the 20th Century. Old Havana is surrounded by part of the Malecón, a spacious bank dotted with the foamy waves of Havana Bay, where lovers and tourists alike sit to discover the most emblematic features of this Cuban city.

Among the places of interest is El Templete, where the first mass was celebrated, and there is a ceiba tree which believers and also atheists walk three times around the tree and silently make a wish, hoping that it will come true every time the city celebrates an anniversary on November 16th.

Famous and visited daily by celebrities and travelers in general is the bar-restaurant Floridita, in the most emblematic part of Old Havana, born two centuries ago and there are offered in addition to 16 different types of daiquiri, very tasty dishes based on fish and seafood.

La Bodeguita del Medio is also located just a few meters from the Cathedral, where you can taste the famous mojito with Havana Club rum as the main ingredient. There are streets that have been transformed into boulevards like Bishop, where the coming and going of people is continuous.

Hostels, hotels and rental houses are located in Old Havana, a tourist destination that attracts both tourists who arrive by plane to the Cuban capital and those who arrive by means of the cruise ships that dock in the bay.