Introduction to Havana, Cuba

Founded on the western banks of a fabulous natural harbour, what was once the entire city of HAVANA now forms the most captivating part of Habana Vieja, the old city and the capital's tourist centre. This UNESCO-declared World Heritage Site is one of crumbling magnificence and restored beauty. Any sight seeing you do will fan out from here, taking in the fine museums, colonial buildings, elegant plazas, sweeping boulevards and narrow, atmospheric streets bristling with life.

Most visitors restrict themselves to Habana Vieja and Vedado, where many of the post-colonial mansions have been converted into public works and ministry offices or museums. The best way to appreciate Vedado's compact, quiet suburban streets is on foot. From here, you could walk the couple of kilometres to the famous Plaza de la Revolución, where giant monuments to the two most famous icons of the Cuban struggle for independence, Che Guevara and José Martí, present unmissable photo opportunities. Beyond Vedado to the west, on the other side of the Río Almendares, Miramar – modelled on mid-twentieth-century Miami – ushers in yet another change in the urban landscape. A commercial district is emerging on its western fringes, accompanied by a number of luxury hotels, whilst some of Havana's most sophisticated restaurants are scattered around Miramar's leafy streets.

Information by Rough Guides

Back to Havana, Cuba Overview