General Havana Information - Real Havana: Explore Cuba Like a Local and Save Money - page 102

al, about 1 km north of Regla. At this terminal you will find the Hershey Train Sta-
tion. I will discuss taking this train in more detail in the section titled Riding The
Hershey Train.
Miramar and Playa
Going west from Vedado, you will have to take either a bridge or a tunnel to get
into the neighborhoods of Miramar and Playa . Miramar is a coastal neighborhood
filled with many upscale hotels and foreign embassies, located directly west of
Vedado. Playa is a more residential neighborhood, located a bit further south from
Miramar. Both of these suburbs are relatively rich and are great places to explore,
as they offer an interesting way to spend a day outside of the hustle and bustle of
urban Havana. You can easily walk to these suburbs from Vedado. At the western
tips of both Calzada and Linea streets, there are traffic tunnels with pedestrian
sidewalks which lead into Miramar. A few blocks further south, on 11th Street,
there is a small, 2 lane bridge leading into Miramar which also has pedestrian
sidewalks. Further south, at Calle 23, you will find the large Puente Almendares
bridge, which leads directly into the Playa neighborhood. There are several main
attractions in Miramar, such as the Acuario Nacional (National Aquarium), the Isla
de Coco amusement park, and several popular nightclubs. These will all be dis-
cussed in the Entertainment section of this guide.
Cojimar, Alamar and Playas del Este
These suburbs are located east of Havana. You can get to them by taking a taxi
or bus through the Havana Tunnel located at the northern tip of Old Havana, at
the mouth of the Bay of Havana. Note that there is no foot traffic permitted in this
tunnel. These areas are a little bit more complicated to get to and explore and I
will give more details about how to commute there in the section titled The Won-
derful Beaches in Havana.
Taxi Particular Routes in the suburbs
If you anticipate exploring the suburbs, especially the western suburbs of Miramar
and Playa, you must know the taxi particular routes. The routes are not difficult to
understand if you follow along with the map below. Just note that the price to use
a taxi particular to travel between any of the main Havana neighborhoods and the
suburbs is 20 pesos (MN) per person.
If you really like to explore and are eager to experience Havana like a local, I
strongly suggest taking a taxi particular into one of the suburbs and getting lost for
a few hours. You are unlikely to encounter another foreigner and you will probably
learn a lot about daily Cuban life. Perhaps you might also make some friends
along the way. And always remember that Cuba is one of the safest countries in
the world, so wherever you explore, you will always feel comfortable.