What to see in Havana, Cuba? Sightseeing places

Getting to know the city will require a little more than a simple vacation, but here are some suggestions that will make your trip easier. Therefore, for this trip we recommend comfortable shoes and a lot of disposition to start your adventure.

In Old Havana you will discover places as interesting as Obispo Street, one of the most populous for its shops that extend from Bernaza Street to the Square of Arms. This street is closed to the traffic of vehicles so that the flow of people is continuous and has become an exponent of Cuban commercial art. Hence, galleries, bookstores, craft shops, shops and music bars are very common.

On your tour you can start at Avenida del Puerto (Port Avenue) in the direction of Zulueta street and continue through the doors of the Universal Art building of the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (National Museum of Fine Arts) or end up drinking a daiquirí in Floridita and taking a photo next to the sculpture of Hemingway.

The architecture of Old Havana is very peculiar. Discover four of its most important squares:

• The Plaza de Armas (Square of Arms), frequently converted into a refuge for appointments and meetings, once the hustle and bustle of the sellers of antique objects and books ceased, given its proximity to the bay and the vitality of Obispo Street, with bars and small restaurants.
• The Plaza de San Francisco de Asís or Plaza de las palomas (Square of Saint Francis of Assisi), one of the most photographed places, has a sculptural piece of great value, the fountain of the lions, conceived as a representation of the Spanish empire; during the weekends you can enjoy concerts of chamber music.
• The Plaza Vieja (Old Square) is one of the busiest places in the city. In the surrounding area you will find breweries, restaurants and cafés. It counts in its surroundings with some of the best exponents of Cuban eclectic architecture.
• The Cathedral Square combines the monumentality of its buildings with the intimacy generated by relatively small spaces. Don’t miss the opportunity to visit the Cathedral and the Casa del Márquez de Arcos.

Making suggestions of what to enjoy in terms of arts without incurring in mistakes would be impossible, because Cuba is a country of great musicians, dancers, painters… Nevertheless, we put on your list a formal way out to enjoy a classic moment: a visit to the Alicia Alonso Grand Theatre of Havana to enjoy the National Ballet of Cuba troupe; and an excursion to the place where the best exponents of modern art converge: the Cuban Art Factory.

If your holidays coincide with the International Ballet Festival of Havana, generally held between the end of October and the beginning of November, it will be an excellent opportunity to enjoy performances by prestigious figures from the world of dance.  If this is not the case, it has the National Ballet of Cuba company, which is active throughout the year and makes it possible to enjoy great world classics such as Giselle, Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Oedipus King, among many others.

For its part, the Cuban Art Factory currently exhibits the best of Cuba’s contemporary art by idea of musician and composer X-Alfonso. All artistic manifestations coexist harmoniously in the building of an old oil factory, located in the Vedado district. The project has already reached a great socio-cultural impact due to its community work and the quality of the works that are presented, in manifestations such as film, music, dance, theatre, plastic arts, literature, photography, fashion, graphic design or architecture. Undoubtedly, a different option that should not be missed.

These are more than just a few places of interest that you can include on your list, in which you could also mention the Malecón seawalk, the Callejón de los Peluqueros (The Hairdressers alley) in Aguiar street, the Revolution Square, La Bodeguita del Medio bar-restaurant, the Decorative Arts Museum, the Callejón de Hamel, the San Jose Warehouse in the Port Avenue, the Brewery at the Paula Promenade, and the Tropicana cabaret.