. . . History

Once decided, other prerequisites were added: a good beach, a club house suitable for children, and the absolute determination to admit as members only people of known honesty and decency.

Like any large project, it took a great deal of effort to go from the planning stages to the realization of the dream. First they focused on finding a site. Here, they were in luck, because the founders took aim at a piece of land where 92nd avenue in Miramar meets the sea. There was an inlet (or caleta) called "La Caleta de la Leņa" where wood was burnt. So, for those of you who wondered where the name "Caletero" came from, now you know.

After the purchase of the land, construction of the Clubhouse was started. It was a formidable wooden structure with its two towers and two lateral covered terraces that made it distinctive and unforgettable (look at the photo and return here using the "Back" or "Previous Page" button) . The building was finished in 1924 and the Club was officially registered in 1926.

The Club was a tremendous success since its conception. It can be said, without a shadow of a doubt, that it attracted not only prestigious families of the Havana society, and from other parts of the Island, but from the vast "Middle Class" that made Cuba a unique country. Not like other Latin American countries, where a great vacuum exists between the "haves" and the "have-nots".

It is worthy of notice that even with the great success and the ever increasing number of members, the prerequisites and admission dues were never changed. There were even instances in which Presidents of the Republic were denied membership.

During the late 40s, a combination of factors contributed to the decision to make some badly needed renovations, and construct a new Clubhouse.

These factors included the large number of new members, the success of the nautical and sporting events (which required more space), and the desire to add air-conditioning for the advantage of all members.

In April of 1950 construction began of the new building, and by July, the main columns, concrete floors and concrete ceilings of both the main building and the large terrace were in place. This phase was finished in 1951 and by 1952 only the swimming pool, squash courts, etc. remained to be done.

The new Clubhouse, with its beautiful and modern design, surpassed all expectations (see photos). At the same time, the addition of the land adjacent to the old Clubhouse became a most important factor for the expansion.

During the next few years, more improvements were made. These included the construction in 1954 of the "Little Bar" (barrita) which was inaugurated in 1955 and the new "Boathouse" in 1956. Also in 1956 the men's "Gaming room" was expanded and the locker rooms were improved with the addition of "steam baths" and "massage rooms".

We hope that the above history and description will serve as an invitation to browse the other pages of this Website, which you can select in the left column of the top of this page. Because it is there, in the Nautical, Sports and Activities pages, that you will truly be able to reminisce and appreciate the life and successes we enjoyed at our beloved Miramar Yacht Club.