The Heart Of Havana

With Its Easy-going Latin American Vibe, Ever-flowing Mojitos and Unique Classic-car Culture, the Capital of Cuba Is Every Bit the  Picture of Faded Island Bliss

- Sylvia Mckeown

I had my fortune read to me by a voodoo card-wielding priestess. She sang and waved a fan at me several times as she spoke of love, two terrible exes and my future children… or at least, that’s what I think she said – it was all in Spanish. She’d caught my eye as I entered Ernest Hemingway’s favourite mojito bar La Bodeguita del Medio, and I later watched her work her magic under a white lace umbrella. She was friendly, wise and approved by the Cuban government. This is possibly the best metaphor for the rundown paradise that is Havana: colourful, otherworldly, welcoming, gritty and officially state-sanctioned.

HOLIDAY SPIRIT

Cuba conjures up images of rum-fringed sunny beaches, palm trees and billowing communist flags, and the reality may not be too far off. Everything you eat and drink has been influenced by the communist state, and the only rum you’re likely to find is the state-owned Havana Club and the occasional sipping rum Legendario. The selection may be limited, but there are cocktails aplenty, from mojitos and rum daiquiris to more specialised offerings.