Touring Havana like a royal is easier than it seems, and you don’t have to be blue-blooded to enjoy the city’s most elegant places, chicest venues and one-of-a-kind experiences. To find out what royals like Prince Charles and Camilla got up to in Havana, read this blog post and see where they stayed, where they toured, what they dined on, who they met and the cultural highlights, quirks and performances they enjoyed during their visit.
Back in March history was made with the royal visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles and Camilla. When they descended in Havana for a 2-day trip with an exciting itinerary packed to the brim. Their 2-day Cuba tour was full of cultural immersions, public outings, social engagements and other quirks. And, while they were indeed received with plenty of pomp and flair, as befits guests of their political stature. You certainly don’t need to be a royal (or spend like one) to enjoy Havana in style; so follow their footsteps during a Cuba holiday.
Want to experience Havana like their royal majesties? Want to know where they went and the kind of activities they got up to? From tasting experimental cuisine to driving a vintage MD TD (for those not versed in classic cars, this is a 1953 British model); a rare one, even rarer in Cuba where classic American yank tanks prevail. They were discovering Cuba’s hottest nightlife venue, enjoying a private ballet performance; chatting with Cuban boxers at a gym and even grinding sugar cane at a Cuban paladar. Yes, you can really do all that too in Havana, or at least most of it, no royal accreditation required. Keep reading to find out more.
Prince Charles and Camilla in Havana – from mojito-sipping to classic-car driving
Their visit might have been brief but their HRHs certainly didn’t waste a second of their time. While they landed in Cuba on an official state visit, and not on a personal holiday; their time in Havana included plenty of touring around and opportunities to soak in the vibrant culture.
Old Havana – a full immersion into its baroque and colonial architecture
On their first morning in Cuba, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall were taken on a guided tour of Old Havana. Where they learnt about the city’s colonial architecture and stopped to admire several buildings; as they were told the history behind each of them by revered city historian, Eusebio Leal. The man behind the restoration of many of the buildings still standing today. They walked around cobblestone streets, stepped inside the Cathedral of Havana; walked along Plaza Vieja and stopped to greet some passers-by that cheered them on.
And while you might not enjoy the same public attention that they did; or get to be shown the city by Havana’s most knowledgeable historian. You can still enjoy culturally immersive guided walks during your Cuba holiday. With the help of expert guides, they are just as informative and full of interesting stories and anecdotes about the city; they’ll only be too eager to share.
Riding a classic car
OK, so yes; the heir to the British throne didn’t just ride a beautifully preserved classic car like most tourists do. He actually drove it and that’s a really rare privilege; that very few visitors get to experience during a Cuba holiday. You can, of course, enjoy scenic rides on Havana’s colourful fleet of beautifully preserved classic cars. But you won’t get to sit behind the wheel of one; unless it’s momentarily for a picture, selfie or to get a feel for the driving wheel and the dashboard. Driving one of these beauties? That’s highly unlikely. Cuban classic car owners are over-zealous about their prized possessions. And with these cumbersome antiques being more than half-a-century-old; you can understand their reservations. It takes a certain skill to drive them.
That said, it might not be completely off the cards to briefly drive one (emphasis on the word “briefly”). You could try and negotiate a short ride around the block; (after all Charles’ ride was a brief one) with a classic car drive owner. But it most likely won’t be one of the shiny ones parked around the Capitolio. Ask around and see if they can point you in the right direction; and try your chances for this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Enjoying a Cuban ballet performance at the Gran Teatro de la Habana
Right, so, you might not get a private audience with Carlos Acosta CBE. (The first Cuban knight in history) like the British royals did. Or enjoy a private performance from his dance company in Cuba like Charles and Camilla did. Although he is quite the affable man and if you pass him by in Cuba or anywhere else in the world; he’ll be happy to stop and sign autographs. But you can certainly head to the majestic Gran Teatro de la Habana; and catch a performance by the prestigious Cuban National Ballet Company (or Acosta’s Cuban dance company). They regularly stage performances and even though there’s no guarantee that there will be one during your time in Havana; you can plan ahead to enjoy one if you’re a really keen ballet fan (by worldly standards, ballet tickets in Cuba are really cheap too!).
Meeting Cuban’s budding entrepreneurs
You don’t need to arrange an official visit like Charles and Camilla to chat with Cuba’s budding entrepreneurs; and find out more about the island’s blossoming private sector. There are Cuban entrepreneurs from every walk of life to be found virtually everywhere in Havana. From owners of stylish and modern cafes, bars and bakeries as well as the famous paladars (private Cuban restaurants); to street vendors and yes, classic car taxi drivers.
In the case of Camilla and Charles they visited the Fabrica de Arte Cubano (FAC) for a special presentation. And met Cuban entrepreneurs like the owners of Clandestina; (a textile shop you can find in Old Havana with cool T-shirt and tote bags designs). They even filed a complaint against giant clothes store Zara for plagiarising one of their t-shirt slogans; and guess what? Zara removed the “copied” designs from their shelves. In photos you can see how Charles is gifted with one of their bags; and you too can get your hands on one during your holiday in Cuba!
Dancing the night away
OK, so Camilla and Charles didn’t get up to any dancing (as far as we know) but while you’re in FAC (probably not attending an entrepreneurship conference like the royals did), you can get up to more lively and fun things. Check out its many cultural attractions with permanent and temporary art exhibits to get better acquainted with Cuban contemporary art or enjoy a cocktail at the atmospheric bars. This former oil factory transformed into cultural hub has plenty of concert halls with frequent live performances. Expect queues at the entrance though. This is the hippest night venue in Havana!
Eating experimental Cuban cuisine in a paladar
Camilla had made headlines ahead of her trip by revealing she was worried about eating Cuban food (and we can’t blame her if she based her fear on the Cuba of the 90s, when the Special Period meant food shortages and stale food). But the Cuba of today has exciting nouvelle cuisine and fusion food, as was proved to the royal couple during a special banquet with exquisite gourmet bites prepared by Cuba’s most prominent paladar chefs. Prince Charles was not only pictured grinding his own sugar cane juice (guarapo) on the spot and mixing mojitos, he liked Cuban food so much that he asked the chef from Paladar Rita y Champagne to put some black bean croquettes aside for him to eat on the plane. Yum!
Sitting next to John Lennon
Of course, the British royal couple couldn’t have left Havana without experiencing its most British corner. A bench with a life-size sculpture of John Lennon in a park named after the Liverpool musician was an obligatory stop for Charles and Camilla, who happily sat next to the likeness of this global icon of British culture. You can do it too, and of course, take the obligatory selfie at Havana’s John Lennon Park!
A visit with some precedent – the British king who visited Havana first (twice!)
As historic as Charles and Camilla’s visit to Cuba was, it wasn’t completely without precedents. Back in the 50s another British royal couple frequented Havana and was seen in its most exclusive country clubs and hotels. We’re talking about former British King Edward VIII, who famously renounced to the throne for love, and his wife Wallis Simpson. They were regulars in Havana before the triumph of the revolution and on both occasions that they enjoyed Cuba holidays they stayed at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba.
Other European royals who were quick to follow – the Spanish King and Queen’s visit
Just two weeks ago the Spanish King and Queen landed in Havana for a long-overdue state visit. To mark the occasion of Havana’s 500th birthday last month, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain enjoyed a three-day official state during which they enjoyed similar activities as their British royal counterparts. Only that their visit was slightly longer and a little more packed; after all Cuba was a former Spanish colony, so they are many more ties uniting both countries. Instead of staying at an embassy residence like the Duke and Duchess of Spain they opted for the regal Iberostar Gran Packard hotel.
Not just a royal magnet- other celebrities who have recently basked in Havana’s complex beauty
But it isn’t just royals who have felt compelled to explore the beautiful Caribbean island recently and leave their mark. Ever since Obama’s rapprochement in 2014, with an official state visit to Havana in 2016 many American (and non-American) celebrities have followed suit. From Katy Perry to Beyonce and Jay Z, Mick Jagger, the Kardashians, Paris Hilton, Will Smith, Major Lazer (who staged a mega concert, free for all habaneros to attend and the Rolling Stones who followed in their steps with yet another epic free public concert), Zoe Saldana, Natalie Portman, and Madonna, who not only went on holiday to Cuba but chose it as the destination to celebrate her 58th birthday bash staging a major party of epic proportions by booking the entirety of La Guarida, Cuba’s most famous paladar.
But, most importantly, as you’ve seen here if you’ve been reading this far, to experience Havana like a royal or a celebrity you don’t need to be one and you most certainly don’t need to spend like one. We’ve shown you the ways!
