Image source: commons.wikimedia.org
The five- kilometer Malecón—the hulking walkway and seawall that stretches along the vast shore of Havana, Cuba, not just protects the glitzy city from the qualms of the sea, but is also a monument to Cuba’s restless history. Strolling locals and tourists are easily schooled on its sentimental significance, as the seawall is also famed a lovers’ lane.
Today it is a famous tourist destination: hotels, restaurants, and museums rest beyond its protection. But for the past few years, it has been more a natural part of Cuban topography and identity than a mere landmark.
Image source: NYTimes.com
Below the wall, just along where the sea slammed against the shelter, Cuban writers — Arenas, Carpentier, Lima, Marti, among others — had recited and composed their poems. Beyond the wall, the great uprisings had railed against the Batista dictatorship, which ended in guerrillas and activists swarming into Havana Hotel to celebrate the success of the would-be socialist leader Fidel Castro. Atop the wall, many artists, dissident musicians, and revolutionaries had borrowed strength and inspiration from the sea to stir both revolutionary and counterrevolutionary spirits. And if the sea could only utter words, she would definitely reel off the events that built the now magnificent Cuba—Malecón could therefore be considered the sea’s confidante about national memories.
Image source: commons.wikimedia.org
Malecón’s importance does not rest solely on history. Rather, its historical facet is a beacon of joy for those who are discovering the beauty of Havana, a city with a flamboyant past and present. And those who bask in the Cuban sun with at least a curiosity for the Malecón’s role in Cuban history could also feel that they are not just under a historical parasol—but, indeed, becoming a part of history.
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