Parque Coppelia is the world's largest ice cream parlor, serving around 35,000 customers daily, and at its busiest, it can serve 1,000 people at a time.
Built in 1966, Parque Coppelia, located in the Vedado district of Havana, is the world's largest ice cream parlor, according to the BBC. The parlor includes a queuing area for customers and a two-story building with a dome inspired by Brazil's famous Brasilia Cathedral. Therefore, it is also known as the "cathedral ice cream parlor" and has become an iconic landmark of the country.
Next to the ice cream shop is a lush green area with hundreds of tables, accommodating 1,000 people at a time. The shop is a state-owned enterprise, employing 400 people and selling 16,000 liters of ice cream daily to approximately 35,000 customers.
An ice cream shop seen from above. Photo: BBC
According to locals, leader Fidel Castro commissioned the construction of Parque Coppelia after ordering 28 boxes of ice cream from American manufacturer Howard Johnson. After tasting these ice creams, Fidel decided to create larger, tastier ice cream cones that were affordable enough for everyone. His idea resonated strongly, and to this day, thousands of people continue to visit the shop to enjoy this delicious, nutritious, and inexpensive ice cream.
Some American tourists, after trying ice cream at Coppelia Parque, said it was the best ice cream in the world. The shop serves many different flavors, at one point offering over 30. Today, Coppelia Parque remains the world's largest ice cream shop and is still very popular in Cuba. Most children celebrate their birthdays there, and couples on their first dates also choose Coppelia Parque as a stop. The ice cream shop is also one of the capital's most popular tourist attractions. Each scoop of ice cream costs 5 pesos (approximately 5,000 VND).
"The ice cream shop opens at 10 am. When I arrived, I saw many locals already waiting. The ice cream was delicious and inexpensive," a tourist from Denmark shared on Tripadvisor about this ice cream shop.
The ice cream is on display in the shop. Photo: BBC
When writing about Cuba's capital, CNN once remarked: "Strange, mysterious, vibrant, Havana is steeped in the magnificent beauty of time. Home to over two million people, Cuba's captivating capital city is like a Hollywood stage with plenty of things for tourists wondering what to do."
Besides ice cream parlors, visitors can explore other equally famous destinations in Havana, as suggested by travel book publisher Lonely Planet, such as Necropolis Cristóbal Colón, the capital's main cemetery, the largest in the Americas and famous for its marble statues; the 7-kilometer-long Malecón promenade; Plaza Vieja, a square with eclectic architecture; and Catedral de la Habana, one of the oldest churches in the Americas...
According to Taste Atlas, dishes that tourists should try when visiting Havana include Ropa vieja (a hearty stew made with minced beef, tomato sauce, onions, and peppers), Cuban-style pizza, Medianoche (a sandwich filled with roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, and pickles), Picadillo (a spicy dish of minced meat, tomatoes, and onions), Vaca frita (beef rib steak), and Platillo Moros y Cristiano (rice cooked with fluffy white rice and black beans).
(By Anh Minh , based on BBC and Lonely Planet )
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