Vedado is a large, mostly residential neighborhood a few miles west of Old Havana. Thick swaths of forest were converted into a closed military defense zone by Spanish colonizers, hence the name; “Vedado” means “forbidden” in Spanish. Residential development began in the mid-1850s, and the neighborhood was given its characteristic grid system. The streets are numbered and lettered instead of having names, making it one of the easiest places in Cuba for outsiders to navigate.
While Old Havana’s beautifully restored squares offer an unparalleled glimpse into Cuba’s colonial period, Vedado is rich in relics from another fascinating era in Cuba’s history. In the decades following Spain’s defeat in the 1898 Spanish-American war, Vedado was transformed by American investors and those benefitting from Cuba’s sugar trade boom.
One of the best ways to spend a day in Vedado is to simply wander the grid of stunning mansions from this era, each boasting one-of-a-kind Cuban architecture. Nowadays, many of these properties are still single-family homes, but a remarkable number of them were converted into state offices, government-sponsored cultural centers, and embassies after the 1959 Cuban revolution. Imagine going to work every day in a historic mansion with high ceilings and marble staircases!
Vedado landmark hotels like the Hotel Nacional, the Capri, and the Riviera are towering odes to the 1950’s, a period in Cuba’s history notoriously steeped in opulence, gambling, and corruption. Meyer Lansky -- who owned the Riviera before it was nationalized after the 1959 revolution -- and other U.S. mobsters ran casinos, while a decorated string of Hollywood stars frequented spots like the Hotel Nacional.
23rd Street in Vedado is also the centerpoint of the city's gay scene in a country which now grants many rights to LGBT citizens. At night, 23rd St. is reminiscent of a gay district between the Cinema Yara and Coppelia ice cream parlor, and the foot of 23rd at the Malecón, with numerous gay entertainment options nearby such as the Bim Bom outdoor bar and the Las Vegas nightclub. Many of the casas particulares target LGBT clients as customers
While Old Havana’s beautifully restored squares offer an unparalleled glimpse into Cuba’s colonial period, Vedado is rich in relics from another fascinating era in Cuba’s history. In the decades following Spain’s defeat in the 1898 Spanish-American war, Vedado was transformed by American investors and those benefitting from Cuba’s sugar trade boom.
One of the best ways to spend a day in Vedado is to simply wander the grid of stunning mansions from this era, each boasting one-of-a-kind Cuban architecture. Nowadays, many of these properties are still single-family homes, but a remarkable number of them were converted into state offices, government-sponsored cultural centers, and embassies after the 1959 Cuban revolution. Imagine going to work every day in a historic mansion with high ceilings and marble staircases!
Vedado landmark hotels like the Hotel Nacional, the Capri, and the Riviera are towering odes to the 1950’s, a period in Cuba’s history notoriously steeped in opulence, gambling, and corruption. Meyer Lansky -- who owned the Riviera before it was nationalized after the 1959 revolution -- and other U.S. mobsters ran casinos, while a decorated string of Hollywood stars frequented spots like the Hotel Nacional.
23rd Street in Vedado is also the centerpoint of the city's gay scene in a country which now grants many rights to LGBT citizens. At night, 23rd St. is reminiscent of a gay district between the Cinema Yara and Coppelia ice cream parlor, and the foot of 23rd at the Malecón, with numerous gay entertainment options nearby such as the Bim Bom outdoor bar and the Las Vegas nightclub. Many of the casas particulares target LGBT clients as customers