What is El Malecon?

Answer 1

Malecon is the Spanish word for jetty, or breakwater. Perhaps the most famous use of the word is in reference to the continuous stretch of pavement - as walk, seawall, and roadway - that runs about 5 mi/8 km along the coast of Cuba, from Old Havana's Harbor to the modern downtown. The building of El Malecon took over 50 years, from 1901, under military rule by the United States in the aftermath of the Spanish-American War [April 25-August 12, 1898]; to 1952, with the completion of the scenic route, to the Almendares River. All along the way there are scenic marine views on the one side, and impressive buildings and monuments on the other. Perhaps the most historic building is the Castillo de la Real Fuerza [Castle of the Royal Force], which dates back to the 16th century. For it's the oldest stone fortress in the Americas, and is one of UNESCO's World Heritage sites. Two other historic buildings are the 16th-century fortress ka Castillo de San Salvador de la Punta and the 17th-century turret ka Torreon San Lazaro, as defenses against pirates. Also, there's a view of the much less ancient, much-photographed Hotel Nacional, whose luxurious design by the N.Y. firm of McKim, Mead and White has impressed visitors since its opening in 1930. A curiosity is the United States Interests Section of the Embassy of Switzerland in Havana, ka USINT Havana, whose counterpart in D.C. is the Interests Section of the Republic of Cuba in Washington. The two are considered sections of the Embassies of Switzerland. But their staffs are drawn from the U.S. Foreign Service and the U.S. Department of State, and the Cuban equivalents, respectively. And their existence makes it so that two countries that don't interact diplomatically have a communication channel when need be. Monuments include memorials to three military leaders who were honored for their pivotal roles in Cuba's independence from Spain: General Calixto Garcia e Iniguez [August 4, 1839-December 11, 1898]; Major General Maximo Gomez y Baez [November 18, 1836-June 17, 1905]; and Lieutenant General Antonio de la Caridad Maceo y Grajales [June 14, 1845-December 7, 1896].