The Malecón (officially Avenida de Maceo) is a broad esplanade, roadway, and seawall that stretches for 8 km (5 miles) along the coast in Havana, Cuba, from the mouth of Havana Harbor in Old Havana, 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 th ...

neighborhood and the Vedado neighborhood, ending at the mouth of the Almendares River. 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 ( waistcoats) 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 Almendares River between K and L streets in Vedado, where the United States Embassy 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 Almendares River

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 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 Maximo or Máximo may refer to: Arts * Capcom video game series ** '' Maximo: Ghosts to Glory'' (also known as just ''Maximo'') ** ''Maximo vs. Army of Zin'', the sequel to ''Ghosts to Glory'' * Maxïmo Park, a British indie rock band * Maximu or ...

, Antonio Maceo, General Calixto García, 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 section of 23rd Street, Vedado. In the Plaza de la Dignidad is a statue of José Martí and in front of the

Embassy of the United States 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 ...

, 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 pirates ...

, the Castillo de San Salvador de la Punta, Malecón 17 (Las Cariátides) and the Hotel Nacional. 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 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 includ ...

, 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 across ...

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 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, a fortress in San Juan, Puerto Rico * Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca The Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca (also k ...

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