Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Havana Entertainment Options
Havana is a city that lives and breathes excitement. It radiates a vibrant culture like
no other city in the world. There are thousands of great places to visit and explore,
day and night, and most of them are extremely inexpensive, or free. While the fol-
lowing list is not exhaustive, it will give you a good idea of what to expect and per-
haps a few ideas on how you can discover other interesting entertainment options
on your own. The best thing to remember is that half the fun in any adventure
comes from the searching. So as long as you are out and about, walking the
Havana streets and interacting with locals, it is impossible to get bored.
Free Fun
Explore a Beautiful Old Building
Havana has a wealth of majestic, old buildings. While many of these are crumbling
and in desperate need of repair, most are also architectural marvels and shock-
ingly beautiful. The neighborhoods of Vedado and Central Havana are packed with
gorgeous apartment buildings, with some being well over 100 years old. You can
freely walk into most of these buildings and explore the lobbies, hallways, and all
other public areas. If you're lucky, a resident might even invite you inside their
apartment for a cup of coffee and a chat.
One of my favorite buildings to visit is located at the corner of 25 and G, in
Vedado. The huge, red bricked apartment complex has amazing architecture and
clearly stands apart from all others buildings in the area. You can simply walk
inside and take the elevator to the 9th or 10th floor. There, you will see a lookout
offering incredible, unobstructed views of the whole city.
Explore a Dilapidated Building
Some apartment buildings in Havana are beyond repair. They have crumbled to
pieces after years of neglect. Despite this, a fair number are still inhabited by
people, although living conditions are very poor. If you want to see the harsh reality
for yourself, you can enter some of the dilapidated buildings in Central Havana, es-
pecially those near the Capitolio. The front doors are usually left open and a long,
steep, flight of stairs leads up from the street. You can just walk in and explore the
various levels. Buildings like these can house dozens of families per level and, in
all likelihood, nobody will even notice you roaming the hallways. As with most
things in Cuba, the only private areas are those closed off by a locked door.
Everything else is public.
Explore a Fancy Hotel
Just because you are not paying the expensive fare to stay at a fancy hotel,
doesn't mean you can't freely enter, explore, and use some of the facilities.
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