Havana

Havana

Havana is located in the La Habana Bay, on the north coast of the island. The Caribbean's largest city, it has one of the largest historical colonial treasure troves in the Western Hemisphere. Before Fidel Castro came to power in 1959, it was a mecca for US tourists, who were attracted by the city's many attractions, which included history, climate and nightlife. The Old Havana quarter and its fortifications were designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. The location of Havana, on a splendid deep-sea bay with a protected harbor, has made the city a major economic development site since Spanish colonization in the early 16th century. Many fortifications were built in the area by the early colonizers, which resisted most invaders. During colonial days, Havana was the first port of call for Spanish fleets arriving in the New World, and the port became the starting point for the Spanish conquistadors' conquest of the Americas, and later Spain's economic and political domination of the hemisphere. The city was an early cosmopolitan center, with extensive fortifications, cobbled squares and ornate facades, as well as ornate iron balconies. Havana today is a mix of these buildings and a wealth of traditional modern buildings. By far the island's leading cultural center, Havana has a wide range of attractions, from museums to ballet, art and music festivals to technology exhibitions. Old Havana's renovation has offered many new attractions, among them a museum housing relic of the Castro revolution.