Regla

Regla sits directly across the harbour from Old Havana and is reached by a small passenger ferry that crosses in a few minutes. It is an industrial and dockworkers' town, and it is also one of the strongest centres of Afro-Cuban religion in the country. The church on the waterfront holds the Virgen de Regla, a black Madonna who is the patron of the bay and of sailors, and who is identified in Santería with Yemayá, the orisha of the sea. The two devotions run together and the church receives both.

History

Regla grew up in colonial times at the head of Havana bay, on the site of a native settlement called Guaicanamar, around the hermitage of Nuestra Señora de Regla, founded in 1690. Its population rose from 164 in 1755 to 789 in 1778 and 2,218 in 1810. It is known as the home of the Guaracheros de Regla and for the celebrations of the Virgen de Regla, whose cult is joined with Santería (Wikipedia, Regla).

What to look for

• The ferry - a short crossing of the harbour with the Old Havana skyline behind you.
• The church of the Virgen de Regla - a black Madonna venerated as both Catholic patron and Yemaya.
• The town - a working dockside settlement with almost no visitor infrastructure.
• The hill of Lenin - a park above the town with a view back across the bay.

When to go

November to April is the drier season. The 7 September feast of the Virgen de Regla brings a procession and large crowds. Ferries run frequently through the day.

Before you go

Regla is a poor working town and there is little for visitors beyond the church and the crossing. Religious practice here is genuine and private; asking before photographing or entering a ceremony is the minimum. The ferry has security checks and can be crowded.

Nearby

Old Havana is across the water, and Guanabacoa, another Afro-Cuban centre, is inland.

Key facts