The Malecón (officially Avenida de Maceo) is a broad

esplanade An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide cl ...

, roadway, and

seawall A seawall (or sea wall) is a form of coastal defense constructed where the sea, and associated coastal processes, impact directly upon the landforms of the coast. The purpose of a seawall is to protect areas of human habitation, conservation ...

that stretches for 8 km (5 miles) along the coast in

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribb ...

, from the mouth of

Havana Harbor Havana Harbor is the port of Havana, the capital of Cuba, and it is the main port in Cuba (not including Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, a territory on lease by the United States). Other port cities in Cuba include Cienfuegos, Matanzas, Manzanillo, ...

Old Havana Old Havana ( es, link=no, La Habana Vieja) is the city-center (downtown) and one of the 15 municipalities (or boroughs) forming Havana, Cuba. It has the second highest population density in the city and contains the core of the original city of ...

, along the north side of the

Centro Habana Centro Habana is one of the 15 municipalities or boroughs (''municipio''s in Spanish) in the city of Havana, Cuba. There are many retail spaces (such as ''Plaza de Carlos III'' commercial center, office buildings, hotels, bars and clubs (such as t ...

neighborhood and the

Vedado Vedado ( es, El Vedado, ) is a central business district and urban neighborhood in the city of Havana, Cuba. Bordered on the east by Calzada de Infanta and Central Havana, and on the west by the Alemendares River and Miramar / Playa distric ...

neighborhood, ending at the mouth of the

Almendares River The Almendares River is a river that runs for 47 km in the western part of Cuba. It originates from the east of Tapaste and flows north-west into the Straits of Florida. The river acts as a water supply for Havana Havana (; Spanish: '' ...

. New businesses are appearing on the esplanade due to economic reforms in Cuba that now allow Cubans to own private businesses.

History

Construction of the Malecón began in 1901, during temporary U.S. military rule."HISTORIA DEL MALECON HABANERO", Tania Díaz Castro, 26 March 2010, ''Primavera Digital''
The main purpose of building the Malecón was to protect Havana from the sea. To celebrate the construction of the first 500m section of the Malecón, the American government built a roundabout at the intersection of Paseo del Prado. According to architects of the period it was the first roundabout in Cuba to be constructed with steel-reinforced concrete. Bands played Cuban melodies there every Sunday. The Miramar Hotel was built in front of the roundabout. It was the first hotel in Cuba where the waiters wore

tuxedos Black tie is a semi-formal Western dress code for evening events, originating in British and American conventions for attire in the 19th century. In British English, the dress code is often referred to synecdochically by its principal element fo ...

(dinner jackets) and vests (

waistcoat A waistcoat ( UK and Commonwealth, or ; colloquially called a weskit), or vest ( US and Canada), is a sleeveless upper-body garment. It is usually worn over a dress shirt and necktie and below a coat as a part of most men's formal wear. ...

s) with gold buttons, and it was very fashionable for the first 15 years of independence. Subsequent Cuban governments continued the extension of the first section of the Malecón. In 1923, it reached the mouth of the

between K and L streets in

, where the

United States Embassy The United States has the second most diplomatic missions of any country in the world after Mainland China, including 166 of the 193 member countries of the United Nations, as well as observer state Vatican City and non-member countries Kosovo a ...

was built, near the José Martí Sports Park and, further out, the Hotel Rosita de Hornedo (today, the Sierra Maestra). In 1957 and 1958, the roadway served as the venue of the

Cuban Grand Prix The Cuban Grand Prix, also known as the Havana Grand Prix, was a sports car motor race held for a brief period in the late 1950s in Havana, Cuba, last raced in 1960. The 1958 race is best remembered as the backdrop to the kidnapping of Formula ...

Stages of completion

* In 1901 and 1902, from the Paseo del Prado to Calle Crespo * Between 1902 and 1921 as far as the Monument to the Victims of the USS Maine * Between 1948 and 1952 to the mouth of the

Today

The Malecón continues to be popular among Cubans. It also provides a source of food for poorer families who fish there at night. In addition, it is used for

prostitution in Cuba Prostitution in Cuba is not officially illegal; however, there is legislation against pimps, sexual exploitation of minors, and pornography. Sex tourism has existed in the country, both before and after the 1959 Cuban Revolution. Many Cubans do not ...

with women and men providing sexual services to tourists. Although the houses lining the Malecón are mostly in ruins, the Malecón remains one of the most spectacular and popular destinations in Havana.

Points of interest

There are a number of important monuments along the Malecón, including those to General Máximo Gomez, Antonio Maceo, General

Calixto García Calixto García Íñiguez (August 4, 1839 – December 11, 1898) was a Cuban general in three Cuban uprisings, part of the Cuban War for Independence: the Ten Years' War, the Little War, and the War of 1895, itself sometimes called the Cuban ...

, and the Monument to the Victims of the USS ''Maine''. At the intersection of 23rd Street, the Malecón marks the northeast end of the

La Rampa La Rampa (also known as Calle 23) is a main street in the Vedado district of Havana, Cuba. La Rampa runs from Calle L to the Malecón. Built in 1930, the end was the location of the Battery of Santa Clara that protected the city from attack. ...

section of 23rd Street,

. In the Plaza de la Dignidad is a statue of

José Martí José Julián Martí Pérez (; January 28, 1853 – May 19, 1895) was a Cuban nationalist, poet, philosopher, essayist, journalist, translator, professor, and publisher, who is considered a Cuban national hero because of his role in the libera ...

and in front of the Embassy of the United States, the José Martí Anti-Imperialist Platform. Significant buildings include the

Castillo de la Real Fuerza The Castillo de la Real Fuerza (Castle of the Royal Force) is a bastion fort on the western side of the harbour in Havana, Cuba, set back from the entrance, and bordering the Plaza de Armas. Originally built to defend against attack by pirat ...

, the Castillo de San Salvador de la Punta, Malecón 17 (Las Cariátides) and the

Hotel Nacional "Hotel Nacional" ("National Hotel") is a song by Cuban-American recording artist Gloria Estefan. It was released as the second single from her studio album '' Miss Little Havana'' (2011). Written by Estefan, the song portrays the need to dance, ...

. There were several buildings, monuments, and geographical features that were a part of Barrio de San Lázaro including the Torreón de San Lázaro, La Casa de Beneficencia, Hospital de San Lázaro, the

Espada Cemetery The Espada Cemetery was located in the Barrio of San Lazaro approximately a mile west of the city walls, near the cove of Juan Guillen and close to the San Lázaro Leper Hospital.Reynolds, Charles B. (1905) Standard Guide to Cuba: A New and Com ...

, the Casa de Dementes de San Dionisio, the Quarry of San Lázaro, the Batería de la Reina, the

Santa Clara Battery The Santa Clara Battery, with its two remaining coastal guns, one a caliber 305mm (12") Ordóñez HSE Modelo 1892 rifle and the other a 280mm (11") Krupp, stands on the grounds of the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, in Vedado, Havana. UNESCO in 1982 inc ...

, and Hill of Taganana, among others.

In popular culture

The Malecón has served as an inspiration for several

cocktail A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink. Most commonly, cocktails are either a combination of spirits, or one or more spirits mixed with other ingredients such as tonic water, fruit juice, flavored syrup, or cream. Cocktails vary widely acr ...

names, including the "Malecón cocktail" by John Escalante that can be traced back to his 1915 Cuban cocktail guide, ''Manual Del Cantinero''.

Gallery

File:Malecon entre Calcel y Genios.png, Malecon entre Calcel y Genios File:Havana10.JPG, Residences along the Malecón File:Hotel nacional habana.jpg,

Hotel Nacional de Cuba The Hotel Nacional de Cuba is a historic Spanish eclectic style hotel in Havana, Cuba, opened in 1930. Located on the sea front of Vedado district, it stands on Taganana Hill, offering commanding views of the sea and the city. History Design ...

overlooking the Malecón File:Jumping off the Malecon in Havana Cuba.jpg, Jumping off the Malecón with the

Morro Castle Morro Castle may refer to: Fortress * Morro Castle (Havana), a fortress guarding Havana Bay, Cuba * Castillo San Felipe del Morro Castillo San Felipe del Morro, also known as El Morro, is a citadel built between 16th and 18th centuries in San Ju ...

in the background File:Malecon, Havana.JPG, Malecon, Havana

References

External links

"Malecón habanero", ''EcuRed''
(Cuban state wiki, in Spanish) {{DEFAULTSORT:Malecon, Havana Streets in Havana Buildings and structures in Havana Waterfronts Tourist attractions in Havana