Attractions

Havana is a city with a rich historical and architectural legacy. There are scores of sights and attractions, ranging from museums and churches to city squares and colonial forts -- and more. There's easily a week's worth of worthy attractions.

At many attractions, a CUC$2 to CUC$5 (US$2.15-US$5.40/£1.10-£2.70) fee is added on for the taking of photos, and as much as CUC$50 (US$54/£27) for shooting video. This policy seems to be applied somewhat erratically.

All of the major tour agencies offer city tours. These affairs generally take in as many attractions as can be fitted into the allotted time period. The most common tours include stops at the José Martí Memorial, a ride along the Malecón, and a walk around La Habana Vieja (including stops at a handful of churches and attractions, and, of course, La Bodeguita del Medio). Some include tours of any number of the attractions listed below, with perhaps a visit to El Morro or the Hemingway Museum thrown in, while others are theme based -- castles and forts, churches, tobacco, art, or Hemingway, for example. Different tour agencies mix and match the various attractions at their discretion. If you want to see something specific, be sure it's on the tour you sign up for. The tours can range from 4 to 8 hours in length and cost between CUC$15 and CUC$50 (US$16-US$54/£8.10-£27) per person.

La Habana Vieja

There are scores of other interesting little museums and attractions. Moreover, many of the hotels and restaurants mentioned above (including El Floridita, Hotel Santa Isabel, and Hotel Ambos Mundos, to name just a few) are practically attractions in their own right, and worth a quick visit on any walking tour.

One of the prime attractions in La Habana Vieja is the expansive daily street market of arts and crafts [SS], open from 9am until around 6pm, from Wednesday to Sunday, on Calle Tacón, facing the Harbor Channel.

Strolling Calle Obispo -- Calle Obispo is one of the most charming and distinctive streets in La Habana Vieja. This bustling pedestrian-only boulevard conveniently connects Parque Central and the nearby Capitolio with the Plaza de Armas and its many surrounding attractions, making it a classic route for any walking tour of La Habana Vieja.

A Quick Key to Havana's Parks and Plazas

Any tour of La Habana Vieja will be oriented around the several colonial plazas or squares, and the Parque Central (Central Park). Although relatively close together, each is almost a world of its own.

The smallest, Plaza de la Catedral, is probably the most visited. Named for the cathedral that defines its northern boundary, this compact cobblestone square is surrounded by a series of stunning, colonial-era buildings and former palaces. With the cathedral's bell towers lit up each night, this is a great plaza to visit after dark. Within a 1-block radius in any direction, you will find La Bodeguita del Medio, the Centro Wifredo Lam, the Museo de Arte Colonial, and the lively Calle Tacón street market.

The Plaza de Armas probably has the most dense concentration of historic buildings and attractions. Surrounding the shady urban park that now takes up the plaza, you'll find the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales and Museo de la Ciudad, the Castillo de la Real Fuerza, El Templete, and the Hotel Santa Isabel, housed in the former palace of the Count of Santovenia. Most days, the square is lined with stands set up by scores of used-book sellers.

The oldest plaza, Plaza Vieja, was first laid out in 1599 and was dubbed "Plaza Nueva" (New Square). It soon lost prominence to the better located Plaza de Armas and Plaza de la Catedral. In fact, for most of the last half of the 20th century, it served simply as a parking lot. However, it has recently been meticulously restored. At the center of the broad open square is a replica of an 18th-century fountain. Surrounding it are historic buildings representing 4 centuries of construction.

Near the waterfront, you'll find the Plaza de San Francisco. Asymmetrical in shape, this is the most open and uncluttered plaza in La Habana Vieja. Facing the Sierra Maestra ship terminal, it is anchored by the Fuente de los Leones (Lion's Fountain), which was carved in 1836 by Italian sculptor Giuseppe Gaggini, modeled after a sister fountain in the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. The area's former importance as a business center is quickly noted in the imposing facades of the Lonja de Comercio (Stock Exchange) and a couple of large banks and money exchange houses that dominate the northern side of the plaza. The southern edge is defined by the lovely, 16th-century Basílica Menor de San Francisco de Asís. Be sure to climb the bell tower here, the tallest church tower in Havana, for a wonderful view of La Habana Vieja and its harbor.

Parque Central marks the western boundary of La Habana Vieja. This is a popular local gathering spot, particularly known for its heated conversations about baseball. It is bordered on the west by the Paseo de Martí, or Prado, featuring El Capitolio and the Gran Teatro de la Habana. On the eastern edge, you'll find the Palacio del Centro Asturiano, which now holds the international collection of the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. Classic hotels that ring the park include the Hotel Inglaterra, Hotel Plaza, and the Hotel Telégrafo, as well as the modern Hotel Parque Central. A short stroll down the Prado will soon bring you to the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Museo de la Revolución, and the Memorial Granma; while just 1 block in the other direction, heading toward La Habana Vieja on Calle Obispo, you'll hit El Floridita.

Imagine -- Beatles fans will want to stop by the little Parque Lennon (Lennon Park) at Calles 17 and 6 in Vedado, where you'll find a life-size statue of John Lennon seated on a park bench. The "smart Beatle" is quite revered here, and there is an annual open-air concert in this park every December 8, featuring a wide range of prominent Cuban musicians, singing his songs and commemorating his assassination on that day.