In 1906, aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont flew 60 meters in a biplane he named the 14-bis.
On his wrist was Cartier’s first wristwatch, simultaneously the world’s first pilot’s watch. This timepiece was created in 1904 especially for Santos-Dumont by his good friend Louis Cartier after he had previously complained to the jeweler how difficult it was for him to check his pocket watch during flight.
So I couldn’t think of a better watch to take on a trip to Cuba than my own trusty Cartier Santos Dumont as I’d be flying 7,500 kilometers across the ocean.
Cartier Santos Dumont wristshot with 1955 Mercury in Havana, Cuba (photo courtesy George Cramer)
I was heading for Havana, a city that has been high on my travel list for years.
I thought it better to get to Cuba now before the international fast food chains and fashion stores get a chance to put down roots and spoil the beautiful facades in this amazing, pure, and historical city.
Customized circa 1951-1952 Chevrolet in Havana, Cuba (photo courtesy George Cramer)
If you have not yet been to Cuba, prepare yourself to take your time for everything. After clearing passport and customs – which, despite this being a fairly small airport, took more than two hours – I was glad when I was finally able to sit back in a vintage Dodge and head for my hotel.
Havana boasts a large range of hotels, with more and more modern boutique hotels opening up in renovated historical buildings.
Hotel Nacional in Havana, Cuba (photo courtesy George Cramer)
For my first three days I chose one of the oldest hotels in the city and one with a famous history: Hotel Nacional de Cuba.
Cartier Santos Dumont in the Hotel Nacional in Havana, Cuba (photo courtesy George Cramer)
Opened in 1930, the architecture of the Hotel Nacional de Cuba features a mixture of Art Deco, Hispano-Moorish, and neoclassisicm. Its 457 rooms and 15 suites probably haven’t changed much since Ernest Hemmingway spent time there. It has always been “the place” to stay; Winston Churchill, Jimmy Carter, Marlene Dietrich, Gary Cooper, and Marlon Brando were all regular guests.
Hotel Nacional is a five-star hotel with a huge garden, terraces, and a great swimming pool. To me, this is a great place to start my holiday, especially since the hotel is also a must-see spot on any sightseeing list to Havana and the experience of staying here is great.
Impressive entry to the Hotel Nacional in Havana, Cuba (photo courtesy George Cramer)
However, it is important to note that a five-star hotel in Cuba is not the same as a five-star hotel in Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. So don’t expect your mini bar to be refilled regularly, that the internet works, or that your room is even vacuumed every day.
Havana, Cuba (photo courtesy George Cramer)
However, I still recommend the Nacional for a night or two as the staff is generally very sweet and the seafront location is wonderful, even if there is no direct access to the Havana Harbor itself.
Typical street in Havana, Cuba (photo courtesy George Cramer)
Havana is a city with great architecture, which makes it extremely photogenic mainly due to the absence of shop windows because there are simply very few shops.
Not many shops along the street in Havana, Cuba (photo courtesy George Cramer)
Many buildings are very well restored and painted in light pastel colors. But there are also plenty of non-renovated areas where much work still needs to be done.
A 1950-52 Chevrolet taxi in Havana, Cuba (photo courtesy George Cramer)
Leica, for instance, chose Havana streets as its location for the photography of its M9 and M10 camera brochures because they’re pure and without modern advertising and ugly street signs.
A 1948 Chevrolet in Havana, Cuba (photo courtesy George Cramer)
One of the major attractions of Havana is the many vintage cars driving around in the city, some of which pick up tourists for short or longer rides. Those amazing Chevrolets and Dodges often date back to 1945.
I am not a car person at all, in fact I do not even own a car. But here I was, shooting these automobiles like I was a fanatic simply because they are so irresistibly charming.
Colorful Pontiac interior from 1950-52 in Havana, Cuba (photo courtesy George Cramer)
And there is much more to do in Havana: churches, museums, the place where Hemingway used to live (you can even have a drink on the rooftop here), and lots of restaurants and bars.
And when you get tired of all the activities and don’t mind taking a taxi for about 20 minutes, you can relax at a beautiful sand beach area called Playas del Este. Santa Maria was my favorite beach there.
A 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air sedan in Havana, Cuba (photo courtesy George Cramer)
In respect to beaches, Havana has a lot more to offer than Curaçao or Aruba. I didn’t even get around the whole island; I will be saving that for the next trip.
* With special thanks to Jonathan Stein, editor-in-chief of Hagerty Classic Cars, for help with identification of some of the automobiles I saw.
For more information on the trusty Cartier Santos Dumont, please visit www.cartier.com/en-us/collections/watches/all-watches/santos-de-cartier/santos-dumont.
Quick Facts Cartier Santos Dumont
Case: 36 x 27 mm, platinum
Movement: manually winding Caliber 021MC (base Frédéric Piguet 21P)
Limitation: 90 pieces in honor of the 90th anniversary of the Santos Dumont watch
Year of manufacture: 1996
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Great post and pictures capturing the real feeling of Havana…
George What a beautiful article. Stylish with great pictures. Lovely done. Regards Hugo
Thanks a lot, Hugo. It was a great visit.
George, you are correct that Cuba is a beautiful island. It is filled with history and it’s people are welcoming and hospitable. What you so sadly fail to mention is what is truly behind the crumbling buildings, the reason why there’s so many old cars, why the rooms at the Nacional still look the same 60 years later, why there’s no internet connection. Cuba may be a mystical place to some, but for those who live there or have had to leave everything behind in search of freedom and a better life, Cuba is nothing but a prison and a miserable place to live. I should know since I was born and lived there, under its tyrannical and brutal regime. As long as the Castros are in power, Cuba will remain an oppressive military state. Have fun at Varadero, enjoying the beauty of Cuba that Cubans can’t enjoy.
You must be a miserable person. The USA is the worst prison in the world, you can gunned any time in the street. It is worst than he’ll if your skin is not white.
While the USA certainly has its problems, Mike, you might temper your comment with the fact that, aside from tourists, there are not thousands of people trying to escape from the USA to get to Cuba.
Try selling that to any Cuban living in the USA. You are a clown!!!
If your comment is directed toward me, I’d like you to know that I am not a miserable person. In fact, I could not be happier because it is impossible. Unlike you I will refrain from speculating what kind of person you are; however, you should know that based on your comment, you come across as extremely misinformed about life in USA, not to mention what it’s like to live -not visit- the Republic of Cuba. I take it that someone’s experience from actually living in Cuba, being one of Castro’s pioneers, having family and friends still living in he island, means nothing to you. There is nothing like a socialis, liberal, or communist, who defends Cuba’s system, while enjoying the comforts that capitalism and democracy offer. Enjoy your freedom to trash the USA. Surely you wouldn’t be able to criticize anything about Cuba if you were Cuban and lived there.
Was it better at Batista time? Drugs, prostitution, US mobs, jails.
Going there on July 12!
Great article, Geo.
Always I hear Havana I remember the film of that name with Robert Redford and Lena Olin.
Thank you Zdenek! It was a great stay, with all this architecture and cars.