257 Mercaderes St.. between Amargura St. & Brasil St. (Teniente Rey) ,
Havana, Cuba
(+53) 78633838
yes
About
Meson de la Flota
The Meson de la Flota is not strictly speaking a hotel but a bar with a few rooms above it which are more than occasionally used, one suspects, by clients of the hostelry who find the prospect of walking a straight line to their more distant accommodation a little too challenging to contemplate.
The establishment is designed around a maritime theme in celebration of Havana’s salty, swashbuckling history and is liberally decorated with signal flags, model ships, barrels, ships’ wheels, lanterns and other seagoing paraphernalia.
There’s a good selection of wines and some excellent tapas at the bar, along with exuberant performances of Cubano-Flamenco music every day.
San Ignacio No.61 (Plaza de la Catedral), Habana Vieja, La Habana
Colonial Art Museum
The Museo de Arte Colonial (Colonial Art Museum) is housed within the oldest construction in Old Havana, the Condes de Casa Bayona Palace, a mansion rebuilt in 1720 by Cuban Governor, Don Luis Chachón. The palace’s Classical patio and coffered ceiling made intricately of wood stand out within this construction. The palace boasts a wonderful location, right in front of the San Cristóbal de La Habana Cathedral. This small museum has a Colonial furniture and decorative art exhibition, amongst which will stand out some pottery with Colonial Cuba motifs, as well as several scenes of Colonial dining rooms and a fantastic collection of ornamental flowers.
San Ignacio y Empedrado, Habana Vieja
The Cathedral Of Havana
The Cathedral of Havana is an iconic work of what is known as Cuban Baroque and the most remarkable of our colonial churches. The glorious baroque facade and asymmetrical bell-towers of the late 18th-century cathedral are the square’s top attraction. Its interior is surprisingly plain, but it once held the remains of Christopher Columbus. Religious services are held here. It has been declared a National Monument.
Oficios, e/ Amargura y Churruca, Habana Vieja
San Francisco de Asís Square
This square dates back to the first half of the 17th century. Its location, just a few metres from the bay, led to it becoming an important trading square over the years. It is said that around the year 1600 the first fountain of the city could be seen at this square. In 1836 it was replaced by a beautiful fountain made of white Carrara marble by Giuseppe Gaggini, under the good auspices of the Villanueva Count. This fountain is called Fuente de los Leones (Lions Fountain). On its paved area stand two noteworthy buildings: the Monastery and Basilica of San Francisco de Asís, which today houses the Museum of Religious Art and a concert hall. It is also where the Lonja del Comercio (Chamber of Commerce) is located, inspired by Spanish Renaissance architecture and topped by a dome on which a sculpture of the god Mercury stands. Among the houses built around the plaza, the house of the Arostegui family, residence of the Captain Generals until the completion of the City Hall at the end of the 18th century, was erected.
Ave Carlos Manuel Céspedes y Santa Clara, Habana Vieja, La Habana
Nuestra Señora de Kazán Orthodox Cathedral
The Catedral Ortodoxa de Nuestra Señora de Kazán (Nuestra Señora de Kazán Orthodox Cathedral), declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO, is one of the newest constructions in Havana, being built in 2000. This Russian Orthodox church is Byzantine in style. It has six beautiful domes, two of which (the biggest and smallest) are gold-sheeted, and the rest are made of bronze. Its staircase entrance calls our attention and is considered the second largest staircase of all outside Russia. From the interior, its golden altar stands out, built in Trinidad and the San Sergio Monastery, Russia; and the murals adorning its walls.