Parque Central, Havana

There is some confusion among people reviewing this here at Yahoo Travel Parque Central, translates Central Park,is a park, as the name indicates, very centrally located in Havana. Parque Central is also the name for a nearby fancy hotel built by the Spaniards hoteliers who now own, most of the hotels chains in the country. The park is not very attractive. Just a statue of the National Hero Jose Marti and some old run-down fountains. It does provide some shade and trees that are a refreshing break in the concrete jungle that surrounds the area. Far more interesting are some of the building that surround the park. The Inglaterra (England) Hotel is one of the oldest in Cuba. Historically relevant, Cuban patriots conspired against Spain on its portal. The Garcia Lorca theater has a very elaborate architecture outside. If you can get tickets to watch some of the shows of the National Ballet company do it. They are worth every penny. Right acroos the park, you see the building of the former Asturian Brotherhood Building. Asturians had a great role in the building of Cuba and the inside of the building you can see the opulence of a now gone era. On the other side, flanking Central Park the Manzana de Gomez (Gomez block building) diagonal cut block of building and stores that reminds the traveler of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milano. Sumarizing. Skip the park, look around it.