- Ropa vieja in a paladar (private restaurant): book ahead.
- Coppelia ice cream at the Vedado flagship: join the queue.
- A cafecito from a ventanita (street window): sweet, strong, 60 cents of joy.
Havana City Guide
Classic cars on the Malecon at sunset, Havana, Cuba. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Havana is the Caribbean's most cinematic city: the Malecón's spray, the 1950s Chevrolets, the baroque plazas of Habana Vieja, and music spilling from every doorway. Five centuries of history are written in the crumbling facades and the restored squares.
The essentials: the four plazas of Old Havana, the Malecón at sunset, the Capitolio, and a night at the Fábrica de Arte Cubano. Stay in a casa particular; eat in a paladar.
What to do in Havana
Habana Vieja
- 1
Plaza de la Catedral The baroque cathedral square: the city's most beautiful. - 2
Plaza Vieja The old square: the camera obscura, arcades, cafés. - 3
El Capitolio The restored 1929 capitol: the dome, the great halls. - 4
Castillo del Morro The fortress across the bay: the cañonazo ceremony at 9pm.
Centro and Vedado
- 1
The Malecón The 8km seafront: Havana's living room at sunset. - 2
Fábrica de Arte Cubano The art-and-music factory: Havana's essential night out. - 3
Museo de la Revolución The former presidential palace: the Granma memorial behind. - 4
Callejón de Hamel The Afro-Cuban alley: murals, rumba Sundays.
Havana Hotel Guide
How to choose the best places to stay in Havana. Verified properties below; for the full list, search live availability on Booking.com.
Luxury
Hotel Nacional de Cuba
The 1930 landmark on the Malecón: the Hall of Fame bar, the gardens.
View on Booking.com
Where to eat
Getting there and around
José Martí International (HAV) is 25 minutes southwest. Official taxis are fixed-price; agree the fare first. The HabanaBusTour open-top bus loops the sights. US cards do not work: bring cash.
Eating in Havana
Fledge Food has a full guide to how Havana eats: its defining dishes and how to order them, street food decoded, the markets, and the neighborhoods to eat in.