Its name arises from the fusion of the name of the saint chosen as patron (San Cristóbal) and the name by which he was known in his first settlements: Havana.
Although there are several hypotheses of the origin of this name, the most accepted derives it from the name of a Taíno chief called Habaguanex [abaguanéks], who controlled the area of his first settlement.
Places of interest
- Fortress of San Carlos de la Cabaña: it is a fortress located to the east of the bay. La Cabaña is the largest fortress built by Spain in America. This was built after the English invasion and completed at the end of the 18th century. Currently the main headquarters of the International Book Fair and the Havana Biennial, among other events.
- Capitol of Havana: it was built in 1929 to house the Senate and the House of Representatives. This colossal building is visible from almost the entire city with its imposing dome. Inside is the Statue of the Republic. Today it is the headquarters of the Cuban Academy of Sciences.
- Castillo del Morro: it is a picturesque fortress at the entrance to the port of Havana, inside there is a powerful lighthouse that directs navigation.
- Colón Cemetery: open-air cemetery and museum. It is the most famous and largest cemetery in all of America, known for its beauty and the magnificence of its sculptures, it is considered the third of world importance, preceded only by Staglieno in Genoa, Italy and Montjuic in Barcelona, Spain, in the cemetery.
- Dulce María Loynaz Cultural Center. It is located in the house of the well-known writer Dulce María Loynaz, winner of the 1987 National Literature Prize and 1992 Cervantes Prize. It is the main institutional space for facilitating the creation and promotion of authors available to the Cuban Book Institute, the governing organization of the publishing system and the distribution of books and serial publications in Cuba. One of the venues of the International Book Fair operates in its facilities.
- La Calle 23 (Vedado): one of the main arteries of the city, leading to the boardwalk. In it they can be found from the headquarters of several ministries such as Public Health or Labor, to the famous Coppélia ice cream parlor (which the people of Havana call the Ice Cream Cathedral), passing through the hotels, clubs and discos, where they go. hundreds of young people on weekends.
- Ciudad Deportiva: in one of the best known places in Havana, the intersection of avenues Boyeros and Vía Blanca, a very special facility is presented to all passersby, the Ciudad Deportiva, which in its majestic coliseum, one of the the most important works of Cuban Civil Engineering, has hosted for almost five decades countless sporting, political, educational and cultural events. It also has stadiums and a swimming pool complex.
- Fuente Luminosa: it is bordered by a wide roundabout where Calle 26, Vía Blanca and Avenida de Rancho Boyeros converge, themain link with the José Martí International Airport. It was part of an urban program carried out by the so-called “Authentic” government of President Ramón Grau San Martín, in the mid-1940s. With a mixture of irony and Creole humor, the population then baptized it as “Paulina’s bidet. ”, Alluding to the sister-in-law of the president and first lady of the nation.
- Old Square. It was originally called Plaza Nueva. It emerged as an open space in 1559, after the Plaza de Armas andthe Plaza de San Francisco, respectively, although there are some authors who point out that it was the second existing plaza in Havana. It was a residential area of the Creole plutocracy in colonial times. The urban architectural ensemble of the Plaza Vieja is represented by valuable colonial buildings from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries and some examples from the first decades of the 20th century that maintain stylistic unity.
- Palace of the Revolution: The Palace of the Revolution is the main building within the Plaza de la Revolución Complex, located in the Cuban capital. In it are the headquarters of the Council of State, the Council of Ministers and the Central Committee of the PCC.
It was originally conceived as the Palace of Justice and the Supreme Court. In 1965 the revolutionary government ordered the transfer of the seat of government and state that previously resided in the Presidential Palace (now the Museum of the Revolution).
According to Andyeducation.com, the building is divided into three parts, in the first are the offices of the Council of Ministers, in the second the headquarters of the Council of State and the offices of the president and the first vice president of the Cuban State, and in the third of the Central Committee of the PCC.
- Beaches and places of tourist interest: The coasts occupy the entire northern limit of the city, near the center is the bay of Havana and to the east are beaches of great beauty.
- From the tourist point of view in general, the tourist areas of Playas del Este, the Historic Center of Havana and Monte Barreto-Vedado are included.
