An urban jungle just under the bridge of Calle 23, the Parque Almendares, also known as Parque Metropolitana, is located in the heart of the lively Vedado area. Few know the park was also designed by the French city planner Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier, perhaps more celebrated as the designer of the Eiffel Tower’s Champs-de-Mars gardens in Paris. The city planner lived in Havana from 1925 to 1930, and was responsible for designing some of the city’s most famous landmarks including the Paseo del Prado and Parque Central.
This is a popular place for Cuban family outings, where kids and people of all ages hang out under the shade of trees on hot summer days. There is a small golf course, an outdoor performance area frequented by local bands and a dinosaur park.