CU
Havana
The City of Classic Cars and Revolution
The City of Classic Cars and Revolution
Old Havana (UNESCO World Heritage Site) is a 5-square-kilometre neighbourhood of extraordinary 16th–18th century Spanish colonial architecture — crumbling baroque churches, shaded arcaded plazas, and neoclassical palaces in various stages of photogenic decay and restoration. The Gran Teatro de La Habana and El Capitólio (restored 1929; the former seat of government) anchor the western edge of the district.
💡 Walk the five main plazas: Plaza de Armas (the oldest), Plaza Vieja (the most photographed), Plaza de la Catedral, Plaza de San Francisco, and Parque Central. The best time is 7–9am before the sun and the tour groups arrive.
The Malécón is an 8-kilometre seawall promenade stretching along Havana’s northern coast, flanked by crumbling early 20th-century townhouses on one side and the Caribbean on the other. At sunset and after dark it becomes the social spine of the city — fishermen, lovers, musicians, families, and rum-drinkers spread along the wall in one of the most distinctly Cuban scenes in the country.
💡 Walk the Malécón at sunset from Parque Maceo to the Hotel Nacional for the full golden-hour panorama. After dark, the stretch near Calle 23 in Vedado fills with musicians and is entirely spontaneous — no entry fee.
Cuba has an estimated 60,000+ American cars from the 1940s and 1950s still on the road — maintained through extraordinary ingenuity with improvised spare parts across seven decades of US embargo. The most photogenic concentration is around El Capitólio and the Plaza de la Catedral. Open-top convertible tours of Havana (the finest 2-hour city introduction available) depart from Parque Central.
💡 Negotiate the tour price before entering any classic car — the standard rate is CUC 30–40 per hour for an open convertible. The best photography positions are from the front passenger seat looking back at the driver, with Old Havana facades in the background.
Vedado is the 20th-century residential and commercial heart of Havana — wide boulevards, Modèrne apartment buildings, and the Hotel Nacional (1930; a National Monument with a lobby bar that reads like a Who’s Who of the 20th century). The Plaza de la Revolución has the giant Che Guevara mural (Ministerio del Interior) and Camilo Cienfuegos portrait. The Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (two buildings; Cuban art and international art) is the finest art museum in the Caribbean.
💡 The Hotel Nacional’s terrace bar serves reasonable mojitos with a panoramic Malécón view — worth stopping for the architecture and the guest list (Churchill, Sinatra, Hemingway, Meyer Lansky all stayed here). No reservation required for a drink.
Havana eating divides cleanly into state restaurants (avoid) and paladares (seek out). The essential Cuban meal is ropa vieja (slow-braised shredded beef in tomato sauce with black beans, rice, and fried plantain; from CUC 6 at a paladar). Ceviche, fresh fish, and lobster are extraordinarily good value by global standards: lobster from CUC 8 at a proper paladar. The essential Cuban drinks are the mojito (rum, lime, sugar, mint, soda; invented at La Bodeguita del Medio in Old Havana; arrive before 10am to see it without the crowd) and the Havana Club 7-year rum (the finest product Cuba consistently exports; CUP 5 at a local shop). Cuban coffee (café cubano; small, strong, and sweet) is served at street windows throughout the city for 1 CUP.
Walk Old Havana from Plaza de Armas to Plaza Vieja (9am; before tour groups; 2h). El Capitólio (exterior free; interior tour from CUC 5). Classic car open-top tour from Parque Central (1h; CUC 30–35; negotiate before boarding). Lunch at a paladar near Plaza Vieja (ropa vieja; CUC 6). Malécón at sunset walk (Parque Maceo to Hotel Nacional; 2km; free). Dinner at San Crispín (Centro Habana; CUC 10–15). Live son music at any open window you hear it from.
Hotel Nacional terrace (morning coffee with Malécón view). Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (Vedado building; CUC 3; 2h). Walk Calle 23 (La Rampa) to the Plaza de la Revolución (Che Guevara and Camilo mural; free; 20 mins). Afternoon: Cementerio de Colón (the finest 19th-century necropolis in the Americas; CUC 5; 1.5h). Evening: Fabrica de Arte Cubano (Vedado; opens 8pm; CUC 2; multidisciplinary arts space in a former factory; stay until midnight).
Finca Vigía (Hemingway’s house; 15km east; CUC 5; taxi CUC 10 return; the desk and the rum bottles are still on the shelves). La Floridita (11am; the daiquiri bar Hemingway frequented; overpriced but worth one drink for the bronze statue at the bar; around CUC 7 for a daiquiri). Afternoon: Viazul bus to Viñales (3h; CUC 12; book ahead) or afternoon flight to Trinidad.
Cuba operates outside the SWIFT banking system. US-issued cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex from US banks) are completely blocked.
Licensed private homestays (casas particulares; Airbnb lists many in Havana) typically charge €25–50/night including breakfast and are far superior in character and service to state hotels at equivalent prices.
The finest Cuban music in Havana happens at smaller venues: the Casa de la Música (Miramar; both traditional son and salsa; entrance from CUC 5), Fabrica de Arte Cubano (Vedado; Cuba’s most experimental cultural space; CUC 2 entry), and the Jazz Café.
Cuba’s internet infrastructure is government-controlled and limited. ETECSA sells prepaid SIM cards at the airport (bring your passport; around CUC 10 for 1GB).
State-run restaurants (restaurantes estatales) in Cuba serve poor-quality food at tourist prices.
Viazul (viazul.com) runs air-conditioned tourist coaches between Havana and Trinidad (6h; CUC 25), Havana and Viñales (3h; CUC 12), Havana and Santiago de Cuba (16h overnight; CUC 51), and Havana and Varadero (3h; CUC 10).
The essential Cuba offline map — internet access is extremely limited. Download Cuba offline before departure. Works without any connection in Havana’s streets.
Free
Download Spanish offline pack before travel. Essential for reading menus, signs, and communicating in everyday Cuban life where English is rarely spoken.
Free
The best platform for booking casas particulares in Havana and across Cuba — read reviews carefully, confirm the address and host contact before departure, and message via the app while you still have data.
Free
Load USD or EUR before departure — Cuba does not accept cards from US banks. Revolut’s multi-currency card gives the best exchange rate at CADECA bureaux on-island.
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Explore Cuba’s most extraordinary destinations — from revolutionary Havana to the colonial streets of Trinidad.