river of western Cuba, rising at about 740 ft (225 m) in the Alturas (heights) de Bejucal and flowing in a semicircle north and west, then northward across the Cuban coastal plain through the city of Havana, forming the boundary between the neighbourhoods of Vedado and Miramar. It empties into the Straits of Florida after a course of 29 mi (47 km). It is the source of part of Havana's water supply, and its banks are also the site of the much-frequented Parque Almendares.