La Habana is the capital of the Republic of Cuba. With a great deal of history, culture and tradition, the City of Havana is the destination par excellence in Cuba. It is also one of the most charming places in the world.
La Habana treasures several attractions, colonial architecture and special entertaining sites. In this beautiful city you will find great hotels, cabarets and very good restaurants.
The total population of the city is of 2.1 million inhabitants and and it has a total of 728.26 km2 (281.18 sq mi), making Havana the largest city by area, the most populous city, and the third largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean region.
History
The city of Havana was founded by the Spanish in the 16th century and due to its strategic location it served as a springboard for the Spanish conquest of the continent and become a stopping point for the treasure-laden Spanish galleons on the crossing between the New World and the Old World
Districts
La Habana can be divided in three major districts: Old Havanna, Vedado and the newer suburban districts. To the north and west a newer section, centred on the uptown area we can find the district of Vedado, this part of the city has become a competition to Old Havana for commercial activity and nightlife.
Centro Habana, is a shopping district between the districts of Vedado and Old Havana. It starts where the Capitolio Nacional building is, in this area you can find attractions like Barrio Chino and the Real Fabrica de Tabacos Partagás, one of Cuba's oldest cigar factories.
Old Havana is the oldest part of the city, here you can find the Plaza de Armas, this part of the city had a restoration project, for Cubans to appreciate their past and boost tourism.
Due to Havana's almost five hundred-year existence, the city is full of diverse styles of architecture in the world, going from castles built in the late 16th century to modernist present-day high-rises.
Attractions
Within La Habana you can find several tourist attraction, like Habana Vieja (Old Havana), wich contains the core of the original city of Havana and it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.The Lighthouse and the Castle of Tres Reyes del Morro, are symbols of the city, the Plaza Vieja was the site of executions, processions, bullfights, and fiestas in the original city. Fortress San Carlos de la Cabaña is a fortress located on the east side of the Havana bay, it is an impressive fortress from colonial times, particularly its walls constructed at the end of the 18th century.
Transport
La Habana has many transport systems, although old, they are good to move around.Airports
José Martí International Airport is the major airport of La Habana, the Airport is about 11 kilometres (7 mi) south of the city center, in the municipality of Boyeros. The city has also another airport, Playa Baracoa Airport, a small airport to the west of city used for some domestic flights.
Urban buses
There are two types of buses, the Metrobús and Omnibus Metropolitanos. The Metrobus goes around the inner-city urban area, with a maximum distance of 20 km and the Omnibus Metropolitanos
connects the adjacent towns and cities in the metropolitan area with the city center, with a maximum distance of 40 km-
Rail
Havana has a network of suburban, interurban and long-distance rail lines.The FFCC connects Havana with all the provinces of Cuba. The main railway stations are: Central Rail Station, La Coubre Rail Station, Casablanca Station, and Estación de Tulipán.
Interurban (tram)
An interurban line, known as the Hershey Electric Railway, built in 1917 runs from Casablanca (across the harbor from Old Havana) to Hershey and on to Matanzas.
Ferry
Ferries connect Old Havana with Regla and Casablanca, they have a frequency of 10–15 minutes from Muelle Luz (at the foot of Santa Clara Street).
If you are planning to visit Havana, check these deals for hotels:Hotels in Havana
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