La Habana

It was originally a villa founded in 1514 by Don Diego Velázquez under the name of San Cristobal de La Habana in a lowland and unhealthy place on the southern coast, which forced its transfer through different territories until 1519 when it was settled in the vicinity of Puerto de Carenas.

Due to its economic and strategic geographical location as a fleet gathering port, from the 16th century until the 19th century, Spain developed here the most complex and powerful defensive system in America, turning it into a walled city.

As the cultural capital of the country, Havana, shows a diverse and attractive range of artistic manifestations that validate its selection in 2016 as Wonder City.

Capital: La Habana, Capital of Cuba Extension: 721, 01 sq. km Municipalities: Arroyo Naranjo, Boyeros, Centro Habana, Cerro, Cotorro, Diez de Octubre, Guanabacoa, Habana del Este, Habana Vieja, La Lisa, Marianao, Playa, Plaza de la Revolución, Regla and San Miguel del Padrón Demonym: habanero/a Limits: It limits to the north with the Florida Straits, to the east with the province of Mayabeque, to the south with the provinces of Mayabeque and Artemisa, and to the west with the province of Artemisa. Access: Mainly by air. It has three air terminals for international services and one national. It also has multiple accesses by sea such as the Hemingway and Tarará Marinas, as well as the Cruise Terminal on the Bay of Havana. Havana connects with the rest of the provinces by the National Highway, the Central Road, the Via Blanca and the national railroad network.

PLACES OF INTEREST HISTORICAL CENTER OF OLD HAVANA AND ITS SYSTEM OF FORTIFICATIONS

Declared by UNESCO as World Heritage Site in 1982, its restoration and conservation has been the main endeavor of the City´s Historian Office. Since its inception, Havana has focused its main axes of social, cultural, religious and military life around five squares that make up the main tourist and cultural attractions of the Historic Center.