Havana – Classic American Cars and Nightlife in Cuba
Discover the vibrant energy of Havana through photography: vintage cars, colonial buildings, colorful street scenes, and music-infused nights. This photo essay captures the nostalgic soul of Cuba’s capital city—where time stands still and rhythm drives life.
Havana, the bustling capital of Cuba, captivates with its contradictions—faded grandeur and undeniable charm. From the moment you step into the city, 1950s American cars appear like colorful mirages. Whether perfectly restored or lovingly patched up, these iconic vehicles cruise along the Malecón and down the Paseo del Prado, forming an integral part of Havana’s visual identity.
A ride in a red convertible is a must for visitors, as captured in a photo of a local driver wearing dark sunglasses and a straw hat behind the wheel. The pastel-colored, timeworn facades glide by—silent witnesses to a once-glorious era. Another image shows a red taxi waiting at a traffic light, headlights glowing, with the illuminated Capitolio standing proudly in the background.
But Havana is more than just its cars. The city comes alive at night. In a room bathed in vibrant light, a musician from the Buena Vista Social Club captivates the audience, guitar in hand. The atmosphere pulses with son cubano, bolero, and guajira rhythms. Havana is music above all. You can feel it in legendary bars like La Bodeguita del Medio, once frequented by Hemingway, where a bartender crafts a long row of freshly minty mojitos.
By day, life follows a different rhythm. The covered market bursts with local produce: mangoes, avocados, sweet potatoes, peppers, plantains… The space is worn but functional—much like the city itself. Nearby, grand colonial mansions crumble behind makeshift scaffolding. Some still hint at their former splendor with ornate balconies and baroque facades cracked with age.
One photo taken at dusk shows the Paseo del Prado from above: flat rooftops stretch toward the horizon, and in the distance, modern waterfront towers rise like a counterpoint to Cuba’s revolutionary past. Elsewhere, the brutalist silhouette of the former Soviet Embassy looms over the Miramar district, its concrete mass bathed in golden morning light—an austere, surreal relic of another time and influence.
Havana is a web of paradoxes. It balances the cultural intensity of its music and bars with the erosion of time on its walls. It lines Cadillac and Buick convertibles along cracked avenues. It brightens its streets with the warmth of its people and the nostalgic textures of peeling paint.
A city out of time—yet fiercely alive.
Next stop: Viñales, the rural heart of Cuba between mogotes and tobacco drying barns
Click on the photos below to view them full screen.
All the photos displayed on this website are copyright protected © Sebastien Desnoulez. No use allowed without written authorization.
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