{"id":340914,"date":"2026-07-23T17:57:59","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T21:57:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/?p=340914"},"modified":"2026-07-24T13:32:32","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T17:32:32","slug":"old-havana-ghost-streets-closed-venues-nonexistent-tourism-and-a-subdued-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/cuba\/old-havana-ghost-streets-closed-venues-nonexistent-tourism-and-a-subdued-summer\/","title":{"rendered":"Old Havana: ghost streets, closed venues, nonexistent tourism, and a subdued summer"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Historic Center of Old Havana used to be one of the city\u2019s busiest areas. The district offered a wealth of cultural, culinary, and commercial options, all set against the backdrop of the history embedded in the walls of the Cuban capital\u2019s oldest quarter. The current crisis and the slump in tourism have drastically altered that reality.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Places that once teemed with crowds now stand in chilling solitude,\u00a0proof that tourism, a cornerstone of the Cuban economy, never managed to recover from the crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. That situation has now become extreme due to the sanctions the United States has imposed on the island since the beginning of the year.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Between January and May, tourism in Cuba dropped by 58 % compared to the previous year. The impact is visible not only in the empty streets and venues but also in the lives of the thousands of people in Old Havana who depended on tourism for their livelihood.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adelaida Borges is the fortune teller of Havana Cathedral.\u00a0\u201cI\u2019ve\u00a0been working here for 37 years\u00a0\u2014\u00a0reading cards, offering hope and strength.\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a084 years old now, which means\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0seen many\u00a0stages\u00a0of my beloved Cuba, and\u00a0I\u2019ll\u00a0die a Cuban because\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0not going anywhere else,\u201d\u00a0says the woman known as\u00a0Se\u00f1ora\u00a0Habana (Lady Havana).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Adelaida
Adelaida has been reading cards in Old Havana for over 30 years and asserts that \u201cthis is the lowest point of all.\u201d Photo: Lied Lorain.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Reflecting on her more than three decades of work in the old city, she\u00a0states,\u00a0\u201cThis is the lowest point of all; we\u2019ve hit rock bottom.\u201d\u00a0The fortune-teller believes that \u201cwe cannot compare other times with this one because they have nothing in common\u201d and that \u201cas you go along,\u00a0you realize that a city that used to be so packed with tourists lacks that now\u00a0\u2014\u00a0and that is what many of us live off.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The absence of foreign visitors has left everyone on\u00a0tenterhooks\u00a0\u2014\u00a0from independent workers to those in the state sector and private investors who have put money into the area.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The real problem lies with the families behind these workers; today, they face the harsh Cuban reality, compounded by a radical shift in their purchasing power.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Closed
Closed storefronts are becoming a common sight in the area. Photo: Lied Lorain.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lissete P\u00e9rez\u00a0\u2014\u00a0a well-known Old Havana street vendor whose distinctive calls have been featured in documentaries and even a Los Van\u00a0Van\u00a0music video alongside Juan Formell\u00a0\u2014\u00a0describes the situation as going \u201cfrom bad to worse.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0even say we have a tourism industry. This year, we\u00a0practically haven’t\u00a0seen\u00a0a peak\u00a0season at all. The high season usually starts in October, dips in December, picks up again in January, and runs through May; but nothing has come in here\u00a0\u2014\u00a0we\u2019re hitting rock bottom,\u201d says the street performer and peanut vendor, who has been walking these streets and calling out her wares since 2011.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Others have known nothing in life but\u00a0scraping by\u00a0on these streets. Such is the case for Jos\u00e9 Orlando Garc\u00eda, a street musician who has been singing and playing guitar for tourists since he was nine years old; he is now 69.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When asked how he views the situation, he is unequivocal: \u201cLike nothing I\u2019ve ever seen in my life\u00a0\u2014\u00a0not even when I was a child.\u201d\u00a0Yet, it is clear he has no intention of giving up on the thing that has given his life meaning and sustenance.\u00a0\u201cThis is the hand we\u2019ve been\u00a0dealt; you have to fight the battle at any distance\u00a0\u2014\u00a0short, medium, or long,\u201d he says, before treating us to a song.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

No sales<\/h3>\n

Local handicrafts are among the most sought-after products in tourist areas worldwide. A sector that not only provides employment but is also crucial for the survival and evolution of artisanal techniques\u00a0\u2014\u00a0practices that are part of the nation\u2019s cultural identity and have been passed down from generation to generation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

They are part of the country\u2019s cultural identity, yet their primary customers are often foreign visitors looking for a unique memento to take home from the places they visit.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The fair run by the Cuban Association of Artisan Artists (ACAA),\u00a0located\u00a0on Obispo Street, used to be one of the busiest spots in the area. Today, it is usually empty.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The
The ACAA fair on Obispo Street remains largely devoid of customers. Photo: Lied Lorain.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A wide variety of handmade goods are sold there. Wood carvings, ceramics, textiles, papier-m\u00e2ch\u00e9, costume jewelry, and leatherwork are among the range of artisanal products\u00a0\u2014\u00a0classic souvenirs\u00a0\u2014\u00a0on offer.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe often come more out of principle and a commitment to professionalism,\u00a0to stand by our work,\u00a0but\u00a0actually making\u00a0a sale is\u00a0very difficult. I\u2019ve been a member of the ACAA since 1995; it takes a lot of experience to make a sale while maintaining the value of your work\u00a0\u2014\u00a0finding a price that is fair to you while ensuring the customer is happy\u00a0\u2014\u00a0but customers are exactly what\u2019s in short supply,\u201d\u00a0says Manuel Alejandro Fauro Abreu, a wood artisan.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fauro\u00a0explains that\u00a0\u201csales often happen with locals, embassy staff, or the occasional airline worker.\u201d\u00a0In his view, were it not for these occasional buyers, the fair\u00a0\u201cwould be on the verge of shutting down.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCustomer traffic at the fair is\u00a0very low\u00a0\u2014\u00a0especially for us, the papier-m\u00e2ch\u00e9 artists. Our work is bought by tourists, not Cubans, and there is a severe lack of tourism. We might make one sale a day\u00a0\u2014\u00a0two at most\u00a0\u2014\u00a0if God wills it, but often there are no sales at all,\u201d\u00a0says Ivette Cortina, an artisan who has been selling her creations here for 18 years.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ivette
Ivette waits for the few tourists who do visit, hoping to make at least one sale a day. Photo: Lied Lorain.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Other vendors, such as Mario Mesa Rodr\u00edguez, have been selling at this location for a shorter period. He has been selling his small wood carvings at this establishment for three years.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLook how empty it is; that affects us artisans.\u00a0You\u2019ll\u00a0see the table stocked; we keep working, hoping the current situation in Cuba improves.\u00a0Better times will come; things have to get better,\u201d he tells us.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Just as the vendors at the Obispo fair suffer the consequences of the lack of tourists, so do those selling their products at the San Jos\u00e9 Warehouses\u00a0\u2014\u00a0located on Avenida del Puerto, much further away from foot traffic,\u00a0and the many small businesses scattered throughout Old Havana.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Neither outsiders nor locals<\/h3>\n

Beyond the drop in international tourism, Old Havana used to be a favorite leisure spot for Cuban families\u00a0\u2014\u00a0especially during the summer\u00a0\u2014\u00a0and the absence of that crowd is also noticeable.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Closed\u00a0venues\u00a0and services unavailable due to shortages of supplies or electricity leave the area much worse off; only a few businesses\u00a0\u2014\u00a0almost always\u00a0run by\u00a0the private sector\u00a0\u2014\u00a0are\u00a0full. For many, the current appeal of Old Havana boils down to walking around and admiring the beauty its heritage buildings still\u00a0retain.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Museums
Museums that remain open mostly display their exhibits without electricity. Photo: Lied Lorain.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We came across a group of teenage girls on\u00a0Oficios\u00a0Street taking photos and videos for their social media. For them, the area\u00a0remains\u00a0an attraction.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s great; we take lots of photos\u00a0in\u00a0beautiful places you can go into and see,\u201d Jade tells us.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Estefany, however, while enjoying the outing with her friends, admits: \u201cIt\u2019s still very beautiful, in a way, but the streets aren\u2019t the same as when we were kids\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Obispo isn\u2019t the same anymore\u00a0\u2014\u00a0but you still have a good time.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some mothers still try their luck bringing their little ones along, but they, too, are struck by the overwhelming transformation of\u00a0the space.\u00a0Mairelis\u00a0went out with her\u00a0children and friends\u00a0and\u00a0states\u00a0that what she found has \u201cabsolutely nothing\u201d to do with what it used to be.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, I\u2019m here with the kids I brought for an outing in Old Havana, and I have no idea where to take them, because most things are sold in foreign currency or are very expensive, and Cuban families simply can\u2019t afford them,\u201d she tells us, as the group of children accompanying her runs about on Madera\u00a0Street.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For Wendy, the outing with her little girl was completely cut short. \u201cWe were just at the Aquarium, but because the power went out, the whole trip was ruined. We were going to go\u00a0into\u00a0another museum, but the same thing happened.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0a shame,\u201d she says as we approach her; she is standing right in the street, adjusting her daughter\u2019s sun hat and clearly unsure of what to do next.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The decline of Old Havana as a vital hub of the city\u2019s cultural and tourist life\u00a0\u2014\u00a0for foreigners and Cubans alike\u00a0\u2014\u00a0is a tangible sign of the structural crisis affecting every aspect of life in the country. It threatens the loss of areas and sectors that were once our primary attractions\u00a0for the world.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
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Between January and May, tourism in Cuba dropped by 58% compared to the previous year. 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