Explore Havana: 7 Unmissable Spots for an Irresistible Cuban Adventure

A key destination when visiting Cuba, Havana provides numerous attractions. Below are 7 sights you shouldn’t miss during your visit.

With its colourful façades,
vintage American cars,
With bustling streets, Havana is a key stop when visiting Cuba. Being the biggest city in the Caribbean (covering an expanse seven times larger than Paris’s downtown core), this Cuban metropolis provides an unexpectedly calm ambiance, giving one the feeling that time has paused. Whether you explore majestic plazas or neighborhoods teeming with artistic expression and musicality, each street embodies historical and cultural depth. Once evening descends and cools off the daytime warmth, a different mood emerges. Specific areas transform into hubs for spontaneous get-togethers and dynamic nights filled with local interactions and shared vitality. It is precisely this diversity and genuineness that set Havana apart; continue reading to uncover my top 7 essential places not to miss here.

Farovint

.

If you’re planning a trip to Cuba, these articles can assist with organizing your travel plans:

• 5 hidden coves where you can spread your beach towel in Cuba
• Cuban Family Vacations: 6 Activities That Will Delight Children
• 6 lesser-known towns and villages in Cuba worth visiting

La Habana Vieja

Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982,
Old Havana
(

La Habana Vieja

It serves as the historic and cultural core of Cuba’s main city. The streets paved with stones, the vibrant hues of the structures, and the intricate ironwork balconies evoke an atmosphere reminiscent of past times.

Old Havana grew around four primary plazas. The most ancient of these is

Plaza Armas

, fuses colonial and Art Deco architectural styles. Next is

Plaza de la Catedral

, encircled by 18th-century Baroque structures. Then proceeds

Plaza Vieja

, combining elements of colonial and Art Deco architecture, filled with quaint cafes, art galleries, and crafts stores. Lastly,

Plaza de San Francisco de Asís remains unchanged as it appears to be a proper noun referring to a specific place.

, thoroughly renovated in the late 1990s, houses many statues, fountains, and multiple museums.

The Malecón

The Malecón extends for 7 kilometers along a sea wall that links the historical center with the Vedado neighborhood. Beyond being merely a walkway,
The Malecón serves as a central location for various gatherings and festivities.
Nicknamed “the world’s biggest couch,” this place attracts residents who walk, work out, fish, and soak up the sea breezes and scenic vistas. As evening falls, the shoreline bursts into life with the roar of breaking waves combined with performances from street artists and an electric atmosphere.

The journey starts at Castillo San Salvador de la Punta, directly opposite its companion fortress, Castillo del Morro—both were once crucial for protecting the harbor mouth. As you proceed along the pier, you’ll see characteristic homes built between the 1930s and 1950s. The path is interspersed with parks, statues, watchtowers, and various landmarks before concluding at Castillo de la Chorrera.

El Capitolio

Constructed from 1920 to 1929,
Havana’s El Capitolio
It is a copy of the United States Capitol in Washington. Despite being completely covered in marble, it has a distinctive design that merges Neoclassical and Art Deco elements. The building initially served as the seat of the Cuban Congress before 1959 but currently accommodates the Academy of Sciences.

Within, guests can discover the

Salón of Lost Steps

, a magnificent hall featuring a marble flooring and an intricately decorated ceiling. Situated at its center, a 25-carat diamond set into the ground signifies kilometre zero for every road within the nation. Additionally, the structure contains the Statue of the Republic, a towering bronze figure exceeding 15 meters in height.

The Museum of the Revolution

Located within the historic Presidential Palace, the Museum of the Revolution chronicles Cuba’s journey from ancient indigenous cultures through to today’s communist government. Through displays featuring artifacts, photos, papers, and armaments, visitors gain an understanding of the nation’s struggle for autonomy and the events of the Cuban Revolution.

Outside, visitors can view an SAU-100 tank that was utilized by Fidel Castro during the 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion. Additionally, on exhibit is the

Granma

The renowned 18-meter boat that transported Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, and 80 guerillas from Tuxpan, Mexico, to Cuba in 1956 was known as the yacht.

Callejón de Hamel

Nestled within the Cayo Hueso neighborhood,

Callejón de Hamel

The heart of Afro-Cuban culture beats within this compact 200-meter passageway, teeming with life and drawing crowds from all walks of society. The area stands out for its striking street art, which dominates the scene with murals, statues, verses, and spiritual symbols adorning the walls in a lively burst of color.

Guests can revel in rumba shows and impromptu live music sessions. The local artists frequently present, willingly imparting their creative processes and methods. This bustling thoroughfare buzzes with activity as residents groove to the beats, mingle, savour beverages, and join in song.

The statue of Christ

This monument inevitably evokes thoughts of Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer. Nonetheless, its backstory differs significantly. In 1957, after an assault on the presidential palace, the leader’s wife, worried about her spouse’s safety, pledged to the Sacred Heart of Jesus that she would have a statue of Christ made if he managed to survive the attack by political adversaries.

The responsibility lies with the sculptor Jilma Madera. Following two years in Italy, she comes back to Cuba bearing a massive 320-tonne white marble statue standing at an impressive height of 20 meters. This colossal artwork has been overlooking the Bay of Havana from then on.

The Christopher Columbus Cemetery

Unlike its name implies, this site does not house the remains of the renowned explorer; he was laid to rest at the Seville Cathedral. Situated in the El Vedado neighborhood, the

Necrópolis of Cristóbal Colón

Founded in 1876, it stands as the biggest cemetery in Latin America, housing almost a million tombs. Numerous monuments are crafted from white marble, adorned by works of art created by local Cuban artists.

This cemetery provides a stroll through its pathways, featuring numerous neoclassical or rococo mausoleums. Among them, one of the most renowned tombs belongs to

La Milagrosa

(“The Miraculous”), a young woman who passed away, was buried alongside her baby’s remains.