Havana Gets Trimmed for its 485th Birthday

Cultural tradition and the taste for the good smoke will be key players in this year´s festivities to mark the 485th anniversary of the foundation of the city of Havana.

An array of imagination and gaudiness will highlight these celebrations that are intended to keep cultural heritage very much alive and remember the old part of a town that still captivates the hearts and souls of thousands of visitors every year.

Every November 15, residents of Havana go out at midnight and pace a dozen circles around the Templete (Small Temple) ceiba, a tree that reminds inhabitants of the former ceiba that once grew there and where the first settlers founded he city over 450 years ago.

This time around, Cuba´s National Ballet Company will stage a classic encore of Romeo and Juliet, choreographed and directed by Prima Ballerina Alicia Alonso.

Music will blare out at the San Francisco of Assisi Square and Havana Amphitheater, as well as in every street and plaza of the old part of town.

There´s no better time for foreign trippers to come to Havana and enjoy the luxury and intimacy that the burg´s fanciest hotels have to offer.

A case in point is Los Frailes Hotel, resembling a Middle Age abbey, and the Villanueva Count Hotel, designed for cigar aficionados and currently undergoing an all-out refurbishment. For its part, the Raquel Hotel recalls Jewish presence in Havana, while the O´Farrill Palace brings back memories of Havana´s architecture and history three centuries ago.

As far as cuisine is concerned, visitors can saunter into La Mina, the Tavern Café, Las Palmeras and Hanoi restaurants, all serving great-tasting Cuban food made from traditional recipes.

Founded in 1519 under the shadow of a leafy ceiba tree, Havana suddenly became a cosmopolitan city packed with travelers from every nook and cranny of the world, willing to take an in-depth look at it.