A WALK TO ''EL FLORIDITA" IN HAVANA CUBA

EL FLORIDITA

HOME OF THE DAIQUIRI

HAVANA CUBA

 A visit to Havana would not be complete without visiting El Floridita  at the end of Calle Obispo. It is a historic fish restaurant and bar that will take you back to the 1940's and 1950's with h=its red jacketed waiters and Regency Style decorations.It opened its doors in 1817 as  La Pina de Plata (Silver Pineapple) and later changed its name to El Floridita. In 1914, a Catalan immigrant Constantine Ribalargus Vent tended bar and then owner in 1918.He had been credited as the creator of the Daiguiri in the early 1930's. Ernest Hemingway was a frequent visitor to the as he lived just down the road in  the Hotel Ambos Mundas. A life style bronze of Hemingway sits at the bat at the spot where he usually sat. The Daiquiri's are not that cheap as the place now essentially caters for tourists but definitely worth the visit to soak up  the atmosphere.

A good place to stay, confortable and clean was:

IBEROSTAR PARQUE CENTRAL HOTEL

Along the way enjoy the sights of Havana, a very different town.

El Floridita Havana-Birthplace Of The Daiquiri

EL FLORIDITA

HAVANA

BIRTHPLACE OF THE DAIQUIRI

El Floridita was one street back from  the
IBEROSTAR PARQUE CENTRAL HOTEL
where  we stayed when in Havana.
El Floridy=ta started life in 1817 as  La Pina de Plata or the Silver Pineapple but was later change to El Floidita. The bartender , Constantino Ribalaigua Vertz who later became an owner  has been credited for creating the Daiquri. Most famous of its customers from 1932 to 1939 was Ernest Hemingway and they now have a bronze statue of his at the end of the bar where he frequently sat.

The bar and restaurant has waiters in red jackets that take you back 100 years. The Daiquri's were good and more expensive that anything else in Havana at around $3-$5 but the atmosphere was worth it and it was only a short walk back to the
Iberostar Parue Central Hotel

Havana Cuba

HAVANA CUBA

A FUN PLACE

The Parque Central Hotel View Over The Park

The visit was before the opening up of Cuba by the US government and we were not permitted to fly out of the US so flew Air Canada from Toronto.. We arrived at mid night in a taxi through unlit streets and stayed at the

IBEROSTAR PARQUE CENTRAL HOTEL

This was a very good hotel located right on the main square and central to everything in town.At no time did we d=feel unsafe in walking through the streets and the many buildings that were falling down. Many of the locals were poor and had to line up for cash from the banks and  for the basic needs such as fruit and vegetables. We survived without the local currency for some days as the hotel had run out..The old cars were fascinating and many were found broken down beside the roads and stitched together. There were some great historical bars frequented by Hemingway and others and are worth a visit. The historical port areas were interesting and if you select restaurants designed for foreigners they were good quality although expensive.

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