Havana Bay

One of the largest and safest bays in the world. It is a pouch-shaped bay which gives security to vessels. It has a strategic position both geographically and economically. The U.S. battleship Maine exploded in the bay on 15th February 1898, and it meant the entry of the United States in the War of 95, also known as the Necessary War (Guerra Hispano-Cuban-American).

The bay is considered one of the most polluted in the world, because it is a wasteful city, there are currently several environmental remediation projects for the Bay of Havana, including solid waste collection, dredging fund, a sewage treatment plant and the use of specialized bacteria in the decomposition of oil, one of the most important contaminantes.

The port of Havana was considered one of the largest in the region during the colonial era and one of the strategic points for Spain, which is why the bay was protected with a very important network of fortifications, including the Tower of San Lazaro, El Morro de La Habana, La Fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabana, The Castle of Binding and others dedicated to the protection of the port and city.

The Malecon in Havana

One of the distinctive elements associated with the Bay is the lighthouse on the El Morro fortress, whose construction dates from the eighteenth century, and currently works with the optics of French origin, which were installed at the time of its construction, including the mechanisms and original counterweight and levers for operation, with the illumination system (now electric).