World City Guide

Key Attractions

Plaza de Armas (Arms Square)
An excellent place to start a tour of Havana is Old Havana (La Habana Vieja) – and where better to begin than the place where the city is said to have been founded. A small chapel, El Templete, with an interesting fresco by the French artist Jean Baptiste Vermay, was built in 1828 to mark the spot. In front of the chapel is a ceiba tree, similar to the one under which the first mass in Cuba is said to have been held. From here, it is a natural progression to Plaza de Armas, dominated by the Museo de la Ciudad (City Museum), which occupies the magnificent old Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, once home of the highest colonial authority in Cuba and a former Presidential Palace. This popular museum gives an overview of the history of Havana from its founding until the present day. The oldest building in this square is actually just to the side – the impressive Castillo de le Real Fuerza, a 16th-century colonial fortress surrounded by a moat, today home to the Museo de la Ceramica Artistica. For visitors wishing to deviate from a cultural tour, the nearby market is the best place in Havana for local arts and crafts.

El Templete
Corner of Calle Baratillo, between Calle O’Reilly and Plaza de Armas, Habana Vieja
Opening hours: US$1.

Museo de la Ciudad
Calle Tacon 1, between Calle Obispo and O’Reilly, Plaza de Armas
Tel: (7) 612 876.
Opening hours: Daily 0930-1830.
Admission: US$3.

Museo de la Ceramica Artistica
Castillo de la Real Fuerza, Corner of Calle O’Reilly and Avenida del Puerto
Tel: (7) 616 130.
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700.
Admission: US$1.

Plaza de la Catedral (Cathedral Square)
Plaza de la Catedral is one of the most authentic and best-preserved squares in Havana, with the cathedral and surrounding buildings almost all restored to their original splendour. The Catedral de San Cristobal de la Habana is an 18th-century Baroque building occupying the north side of the square. On the opposite side is the oldest building, which dates from 1720, the Museo de Arte Colonial, an architectural masterpiece that is built around a central courtyard containing tropical plants, which is complemented by the collection of colonial furniture gathered from Havana’s palaces and mansions. Other sophisticated buildings line this square and now house cafés, restaurants and an impressive post office.

Catedral de San Cristobal de la Habana
Plaza de la Catedral
Opening hours: Officially open every day but often firmly locked.
Admission: Free.

Museo de Arte Colonial
Calle San Ignacio 61, Plaza de la Catedral
Tel: (7) 626 440.
Opening hours: Daily 0930-1900.
Admission: US$2.

Hemingway’s Havana
No visit to Havana would be complete without paying homage to one of its most famous residents, Ernest Hemingway. On a stroll between Plaza de Armas and Plaza de la Catedral, it is worthwhile stopping at Hotel Ambos Mundos, a stylish 1920s building, which played host to Ernest Hemingway during much of the 1930s. In room 511, he began to write For Whom The Bell Tolls. While the rest of the hotel has been restored, Hemingway’s room has preserved pretty much as it was when Hemingway was a guest – and is now open as a museum.

But to pay true homage to Hemingway, do as he did and start the evening with a mojito, a delicious blend of rum and mint, in La Bodeguita del Medio, Calle Empedrado 207, and continue with another of his favourite tipples, a daiquiri, in El Floridita, Calle Obispo 557.

Hotel Ambos Mundos
Calle Obispo 153, corner of Calle Mercederes, Habana Vieja
Tel: (7) 609 530.
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1700.
Admission: US$2.

Museo de la Revolucion y Memorial Granma (Museum of the Revolution and Granma Memorial)
The 1950s dictator Batista – like all dictators – had to try and impress the populace with a grand presidential palace. So it is ironic that this glorious palace, which he hardly had time to enjoy, now houses the Museum of the Revolution, a vivid exhibition displaying the struggle of the Cuban people to gain sovereignty over their own island. Exhibits include photographs, cinefilm, clothing, original documents and weapons. In the garden is the Granma Memorial – the boat Granma in which Fidel Castro and over 80 foolhardy combatants returned to Cuba from exile in Mexico in 1956. Also scattered around the garden are various vehicles used in the struggle.

Calle Refugio 1, between Calle Monserrate and Calle Zulueta, Habana Vieja
Tel: (7) 624 091 or 624 096.
Opening hours: Tues 1000-1800, Wed-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission: US$5.