Havana - a Hidden Jewel
Havana, with its infamous history with the United States, is located only 90 miles off the coast of Florida. A former Mafia destination, this well-kept secret destination offers a Latin charm that is unique to the world and ,as Cuba’s crowning jewel, offers visitors a vibrant and old world charm that is seeped in history.
Travelers to Havana can expect to see over 500 years of history, a vibrant contrast of vintage American cars and its traditional signs of communism with the state ration shops and revolutionary mural paintings.
Despite its isolation from the United States, Havana has been at the forefront of Latino culture with the development of salsa and mambo music, Havana Club Rum, its distinctive art that is used in the creation of mural painting and Che Guevara iconography, and of course, the much sought after Cohiba Cigars.
It is an easy city to travel around, designed using a grid plan, its broad avenues are found throughout the city from the old Intramuros Plaza and the newer Extramuros Plaza.
Some of the main things to see while visiting Havana includes a visit to La Habana Vieja, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and for good reason, visitors will find the old world charm of Havana travel here. Of course, a visit to Havana’s oldest cigar factory, located on the west side of the Capitolia, is necessary for any visitor to Cuba. Visitors here will find employee still rolling cigars by hand.
One final, thing about Havana and its currencies. There are two forms of money throughout the city Convertibles; used by tourists, and the Cuban Pesos. Getting Convertibles is simple but bring cash in anything but the American dollar. The exchange rate for converting dollars is extremely high and credit cards issued by U.S. banks are not accepted.
