Avenida de los Presidentes

Within Vedado’s neat grid of streets, two grand avenues stand out. One is Avenida Paseo, and the other is Avenida de los Presidentes, which you’re now standing on. Stretching over twenty blocks and running all the way to the Malecón, this is one of Havana’s most beautiful thoroughfares. On either side, the old mansions of Cuba’s upper class show off timeless façades, often draped in flowers, while down the middle, gardens and green spaces invite passers-by and locals to pause and rest. But what truly sets Avenida de los Presidentes apart isn’t just its charm, but its purpose. This avenue is an open-air tribute to Latin America’s past leaders. As you walk along, you’ll find Simón Bolívar, liberator of the continent and hero after whom Bolivia is named; Benito Juárez, the Mexican president who embodied reform and resistance against foreign empires; Salvador Allende, president of Chile and a symbol of courage for dying in the presidential palace, La Moneda, during the 1973 coup; Eloy Alfaro, a progressive leader and reformist president of Ecuador; and from Cuba, José Miguel Gómez, president of the Republic, and Tomás Estrada Palma, the country’s first head of state, whose mutilated statue stands as a stark reminder of the upheavals of history. Also known as Calle G, this avenue is home to the Museum of Dance, a four-star hotel, a literary café, schools, and a range of political and cultural institutions. The area is buzzing with life at any time of day – especially on weekends.