An agreement announced last week at the Our Oceans conference in Valparaíso, Chile, the US and Cuba will work together to protect and preserve marine life in the shared waters between the two nations. The collaboration will jointly map marine life in protected areas in the Florida Straits and Gulf of Mexico and compile a … Read more
The Mirador Restaurant is perched on the most scenic rooftop corner of the famous Saratoga Hotel. There are 270º views of Havana – and virtually all tables enjoy a direct view of the Capitol building in La Habana Vieja (Old Havana). The Mirador offers a special service for cocktails, parties and gala events. Otherwise, diners … Read more
One of the Caribbean’s biggest stars visited Cuba in May. The native of Barbados was reportedly recording a video but the Vanity Fair cover story, Rihanna: Our Woman in Havana, reveals the mission of her trip. One of the most controversial images – taken by the famous photographer Annie Leibovitz – is of Rihanna lying … Read more
By the Cuba Journal staff United States Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker arrived in Cuba on Monday for a high-level visit. Pritzker is just the second US Cabinet official to visit Cuba in more than a half century, following US Secretary of State John Kerry’s recent visit. On Tuesday, Pritzker was set to co-chair a … Read more
By the Cuba Journal staff Carnival has announced initial pricing for its new Fathom “social impact” cruises to Cuba. Prices for an interior stateroom begin at $1,800 per person in low season, rising to $2,320 in shoulder season and $2,710 per person in peak season. The most expensive rooms on Fathom’s Cuba cruises, suite staterooms, … Read more
By the Cuba Journal staff Legendary rock star Mick Jagger visited Cuba this weekend. Jagger was reportedly on a “private visit,” according to an official report. Jagger posted a photo of his trip to his Twitter account, writing “On a break in Cuba!” But other reports suggested he was scouting the area for a possible … Read more
I was visiting the famous Hotel National in Havana, Cuba when the piercing light of a camera’s flash shot in rapid succession across the eclectic, Art Deco interior. A small group of plain-clothes people formed a semi-circle around a woman in a sequined red dress as she cast a skyward gaze into nowhere. The bulwark, … Read more
Old Havana describes the central area of the original city of Havana, Cuba. In addition to having the largest concentration of colonial architecture in the western hemisphere, the Cuban capital boasts the largest collection of Spanish colonial military architecture. Old Havana and its fortifications were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. Havana’s first settlement … Read more
By Alexander Britell BACUNAYAGUA — It’s one of the Caribbean’s most famous cocktails, and perhaps the one that most typifies the best and worst of Caribbean tourism: the piña colada. This cocktail, which is said to have been born at the Barrachina bar in San Juan, Puerto Rico (or, others would have you believe, at … Read more
By the Cuba Journal staff Fathom, Carnival Corporation’s new “social impact” cruise brand, has announced it will visit three Cuban ports of call — Havana, Cienfuegos, and Santiago de Cuba — when it begins operations next year. The company has also unveiled the seven-day itinerary travelers will experience during their Cuban “cultural immersion.” In June 2015, Fathom … Read more
