I love walking through the Havana Forest on a hot afternoon. The sound of the water is soothing and the trees provide great shade. The Havana Forest runs along the Almendares River and many locals fish here.
The best time to go is when it has rained recently, when the forest is most lush. The green canopy-like plants that cover the trees in the forest are exotic and beautiful looking. I took a couple of avid bird-watchers that I was guiding here once and they managed to see three different species.
The trails are not groomed, but easy to follow, I just had to watch out for roots. I always stop for a while to watch kids playing at the playground here. Next time I plan to bring money to rent a little rowboat and paddle along the river.
The addition of a little cafe at one end of the park has definitely improved the park. I’ve been lucky to glimpse some brides being photographed here"”it would be a great spot for pictures!
Nicole currently divides her time between Ottawa and Havana, working as a musician, guide and writer. She has travelled all over Canada, the USA and Cuba, as well as Mexico, Costa Rica, England and the Dominican Republic. She has also lived in Spain, where she worked as an English teacher. Aside from travelling and music, Nicole enjoys cooking and has worked in several restaurants and has a BA Honours in Translation from the University of Ottawa.
I, too, remember going there with my uncle and spending the day walking around seeing nature at its best and listening to the different bird sounds. Brought back many memories, thank you for the article.
In your travels throughout Cuba, did you ever run across the name DeClouet? He founded city of Cienfuegos in 1829, but arrived in Cuba in 1819. My great grandmother may have descended from him, but there is no personal life history for the time he was in Cuba, except, of course, for his military and professional life. Just thought I’d ask.
Thank you, Nelson Giruad Vera
Miami, Florida, USA