7 Places You Must Visit in La Habana (Havana) City, Cuba

Here are 7 places that you must visit in La Habana (Havana) if you are staying in the city. As a half Cuban person who visited Cuba for the first time a few years ago, I have to say that it is wonderful and very different to any other place that I have visited.

Cuba is a developing country and one of the few communist countries in the Americas. There is a lot of history in La Habana with a very different culture and traditions to learn from. This blog will only focus on places to visit in the capital but stay tuned for my upcoming blogs covering facts about Cuba, personal opinions and other places to visit in this wonderful country.

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1. La Cabaña Fortress

Also known as Fortaleza San Carlos de la Cabaña, is a fortress built around 1763-1774 and located on the elevated eastern side of the harbor entrance in Havana, Cuba. It is one of the largest Spanish fortifications in the Americas and a landmark of the Spanish Empire.

When you enter, you will get the feeling of a town or village due to its large size. Inside, there are many photo spots with a panoramic view of the city, small stands with souvenirs, and small museums to learn more about the fortress.

In addition, every night at 9pm soldiers dress in 19th century uniform and a canon is blasted. This is a tradition in the city known as "El Cañonazo". I recommend getting there early to get a nice spot and cover your ears as its blast ecoes all over the city.

You will get a significant discount if you are a Cuban national or family of a Cuban, yet the cost to enter and live the experience is around 8 CUC ($8) + cost of transport (taxi recommended).

Not so far from this place you will find Cristo de La Habana (Havana's Cristo) smaller than Brazilian Cristo Redentor which I recommend visiting before the fortress.

Estimated visit time: 3-5h

2. Museum of Revolution

Located near Parque Central in Old Havana, the Museum of Revolution is an important place to understand how Cuba became what it is today.

Here you will be able to learn Cuba's history back to the Spanish colonization in the 15th century up to the Cuban Reolution in the 1950s. Note that the Cuban Revolution is the core and main focus in this museum.

In case you do not know, the Cuban Revolution lasted 5 years (from 1953 to 1959) led by Fidel Castro against the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. The musem was actually a Presidential Palace before it was given up to for a musem and hosted important leaders of the revolution including Fidel and Raúl Castro, Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos.

Estimated visit time: 2-4h

3. La Habana Vieja (Old Havana) & La Bodeguita del Medio

La Habana Vieja is the historical center of La Habana was declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. It is located at the heart of the city and here you will find architectural treasures including plazas, churches, fortresses and more.

Inside Old Havana you will find four main plazas:

• Plaza de Armas - a military and defensice center with its own fortress and courtard used for military parades.
• Plaza de la Catedral - One of the fource main plazas (described further below) with its own cathedral and relegious centers.
• Plaza Vieja - commercial hub with several markets.
• Plaza de San Francisco de Asís - a port where Spanish ships docked for exportation and importation of goods.

La Bodeguita del Medio is one of the favourite and most famous spots in La Habana and a place that you MUST visit. It is a restaurant visited by many celebrities with a large menu and nice Mojitos.

This is not it, here you will also find a few palaces (palace of Marqueses de Aguas Claras, Conders de Casa Bayonam Marques de Arcos), museums (Casa de Chocolate, Casa de la Obra Pía, Tabaco, Havana Club Rum Museum), and many restaurants and bars.

Estimated visit time: 1 day

4. Plaza de la Catedral

La Plaza de la Catedral is one of the most impressive architectural buildings in Cuba. This 18th century Baroque landmark is also known as Catedral de San Cristóbal de la Habana (Cathedral of Saint Cristobal of Havana) and the center of many money-driven palaces and houses which were built around it.

Near it you will find another four main palaces including Palacio de los Marqueses de Aguas Claras, Palacio de Conde de Lombillo, Palacio del Marqués de Arcos, and Palacio de los Condes de Casa Bayona.

Estimated visit time: 1h

5. La Habana Fast & Furious (Simón Bolívar Street & Hotel Nacional de Cuba)

If you are a fan of Fast and Furious (in particular Fast and Furious 8) you will be pleased to know that the start of the movie was filmed in the center of La Habana. The race starts from Simón Bolívar Street near Old Havana, passing through the National Capitol of Cuba (described below) and ending at the front of Hotel Nacional de Cuba with views to el Malecon (described below).

I really recommend walking or driving pass the Hotel Nacional de Cuba which has very nice views of El Malecon and is a nice place to take photos too.

Estimated visit time: 1-2h

6. El Malecon

Malecon is a 8km long coast spanning from Havana Harbor in Old Havana up to the Almendares River.

If you love the sea it is a nice walking, running or cycling spot yet be aware of the hot weather or storms in the country.

Estimated visit time: 1-2h

7. National Capitol

"El Capitolio" (National Capitol) is one of the most important landmarks of the city since the 1920s. This is a place that you MUST view if you visit the city.

El Capitolio is NOT a copy of the US Capitol in Washington DC despite being similar in design. The building was inspired by a dome from the Pantheon in Paris and the chief architect was Eugenio Rayneri Piedra. The dome is used to measure distances from Havana using a replica diamond located in the center of the hall.

I really recommend you to explore the history of Cuba during your stay in La Habana and learn about people, their traditions and the culture from this unique place. Don't forget to check my other blogs describing my experience in Cuba, other interesting facts for your visit and other adventures =).

Estimated visit time: 2-4h

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