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La Habana Vieja
Cuba's Cervantes Prize–winning novelist, Alejo Carpentier, may have borrowed from St. Augustine when he described the city's cathedral as "music made into stone," but the words—like the bells in the structure they describe—ring true and clear. Work on the church was begun by the Jesuits in 1748, who weren't around to see it finished in 1777. (King Carlos III of Spain expelled the Jesuits from the New World in 1767). The facade is simultaneously intimate and imposing, and one of the two towers is visibly larger, creating an asymmetry that seems totally natural. The two bells in the taller, thicker tower are said to have been cast with gold and silver mixed into the bronze, giving them their sweet tone. In Our Man in Havana, Graham Greene describes the statue of Columbus that once stood in the square as looking "as though it had been formed through the centuries underwater, like a coral reef, by the action of insects." This is, in fact, exactly the case: coral, cut and hauled from the edge of the sea by slaves, was used to build many of Havana's churches. Look carefully and you'll see fossils of marine flora and fauna in the stone of the cathedral.
Plaza de la Catedral, Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Weekdays 10–4:30, Sat. 10–2, Sun. 9–12:30; Mass weekdays 6 pm, Sat. 3 pm, Sun. 10:30 am
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La Habana Vieja
Housed in an elegant 18th-century mansion, this is one of Havana's best museums. A stop here provides a look at the history of Cuba's sugar industry, as well as the insides of a rum distillery—including a model central (sugar mill) with miniature steam engines—and the craftsmen (such as the coopers, or barrel makers) who were a part of it. Your ticket includes a guided tour, rum tastings, and the opportunity to take photos. The Havana Club shop is a good place to stock up on a few bottles, while the attached bar is great for an after-tour mojito.
Calle San Pedro 262, Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
Sight Details
Rate Includes: CUC$7, Museum: Mon.–Thurs. 9--5:30, Fri.–Sun. 9--4.30; Havana Club Bar: Mon.--Sun. 9--9
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La Habana Vieja
The restored San Francisco de Paula Church stands in a plaza at the edge of the harbor at the southern end of the Alameda de Paula. Built between 1730 and 1745 as part of what was then a hospital for women, its facade is described as "pre-Churrigueresque," meaning that it was done prior to the popular exuberant baroque style for which Spanish architect José Benito Churriguera is known. The church fell into disrepair in the 20th century, when the adjoining hospital was moved far from the uproarious port. Restored in early 2001 and filled with Cuban art (including a series of crosses by prominent contemporary painter Zaida del Río), the church is now often used as a concert hall and art gallery.
esq. de Calle San Ignacio, Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Mon.–Sat. 9–5, Sun. 9–1
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La Habana Vieja
This newly opened café, housed in a beautiful old colonial building, complete with original tiles, is quickly becoming one of Havana's best coffeehouses. The rich coffee aromas waft halfway down the street, and inside the sound of bubbling percolators is complemented by cloth coffee bags, old coffee trade maps, and photos of coffee farmers covering the walls. As well as coffee anyway you want, the café also serves snacks such as sandwiches, ice creams, and salads. This is a great place to buy some freshly roasted Cuban coffee beans to take back home with you.
Calle O'Reilly 203, Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
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La Habana Vieja
On the northwestern corner of Plaza Vieja, located on the top floor of the early 20th-century Villa Gómez, you'll find the city's fascinating Camera Obscura, gifted to Cuba by Spain's Council of Cadiz. Housed in a darkened room, with a small hole in the ceiling, visitors can watch the real-life scenes on and around Plaza Vieja being played out in a large dish right in front of them. The camera is the only one of its kind in Latin America and the Caribbean and one of only 74 in the world today.
Calle Mercaderes, Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
Sight Details
Rate Includes: CUC$2, Daily 9–5:30
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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La Habana Vieja
This museum showcases a collection of art and various cultural artifacts from all over Africa. There's also a room dedicated to the orishas (Yoruban deities) upstairs. Look out for the interesting collection of African instruments upstairs. Live Afro-Cuban music is played here from 3 to 5 pm on the first Saturday and second Tuesday of every month.
Calle Obrapia 157, Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Tues.–Sat. 9:30–5, Sun. 9:30–1
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La Habana Vieja
Housing an array of cultural treasures from all over Asia, this two-floor museum is well worth a look. It showcases a collection of exquisite Japanese kimonos, intricately carved Chinese cabinets, Cantonese porcelain from the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as various stone statues, ancient swords, and instruments.
Calle Mercaderes 111, Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Tues.–Sat. 9:30–5:30, Sun. 9:30–1
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La Habana Vieja
This house is named for the obra pía (pious work) with orphans that was carried out here in colonial times. Its elaborately wrought Baroque doorway is thought to have been carved in Cádiz around 1686. The architecture of the interior patio is based on North African fondouks (inns) and, later, of Spanish corralas (patios). There's much to see here: arches of different sizes and shapes, vases decorated with paintings by Spanish painter Ignacio Zuloaga, as well as a collection of old sewing machines and needlecraft paraphernalia. The Alejo Carpentier artifacts (including the car he used in Paris) are still there, but locked up in a special room that you must get permission ahead of time to see.
Calle Obrapía 158, Havana, La Habana, Cuba
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Tues.–Sat. 9:30–5, Sun. 9:30–12:30
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La Habana Vieja
On January 28, 1853, Cuba's padre de la patria (father of the nation), José Martí, was born of Spanish parents in this humble house. When a child he prophetically announced, "Five generations of slaves must be followed by a generation of martyrs." At age 15 he wrote a newspaper piece judged treasonous by the Spanish governors, and after time in a Havana prison followed by exile to the Isla de la Juventud, he was exiled to Spain, where he later studied law. Martí then spent 14 years in the United States, working as a newspaper reporter. Three volumes of poetry and several books of essays established him as the most brilliant Latin American writer and political analyst of his day.
Martí's words stirred both moral and financial support for Cuban independence. In mid-April 1895, as part of a revolutionary plan that was months in the making, Martí joined General Máximo Gómez on Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic). The two set out for Eastern Cuba, where General Antonio Maceo awaited them. A month later, on May 19, 1895, Martí became one of the first casualties of the Second War of Independence, when he charged, mounted on a white steed, into a Spanish ambush during a battle at Dos Ríos. His lyrics in "Guantanamera," are premonitory: "Que no me entierran en lo oscuro / a morir como un traidor / yo soy bueno y como bueno / moriré de cara al sol." ("May they not bury me in darkness / to die like a traitor / I am good, and as a good man / I will die facing the sun.") The memorabilia in this museum range from locks of the young Martí's hair to the shackle he wore around his ankle as a prisoner to letters, books, and poetry. Look for the martyr's spurs and ammunition belt, a rare 1893 photograph of Martí with Máximo Gómez in New York, and another of the Manhattan office on Front Street where he worked on the Cuban independent newspaper Patria.
Calle Leonor Pérez (Paula) 314, Havana, La Habana, Cuba
Sight Details
Rate Includes: CUC$1.50, Tues.–Sat. 9:30–5, Sun. 9:30–1
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La Habana Vieja
Housed in an elegant colonial mansion, this museum is dedicated to the life of Simón Bolívar, a Venezuelan military leader who was instrumental in the revolutions against the Spanish Empire. He was credited with helping to liberate Bolivia and was also president of Gran Colombia, as well as dictator of Peru. The museum houses a range of paintings, photos, and documents pertaining to Bolívar, as well as a selection of his medals. There's also a section of the museum dedicated to Venezuela, showcasing indigenous art and ceramics, and an exhibition about the life of former president Hugo Chávez.
Calle Mercaderes 160, Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Tues.–Sat. 9:30–5, Sun. 9:30–1
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La Habana Vieja
Constructed in 1558 by order of Spanish king Felipe II three years after an earlier fortress was destroyed by the French pirate Jacques de Sores, this classic, moat-enclosed fortress was the residence of the local military commanders until 1762. The tower, added in 1632, is topped by the famous Giraldilla (weather vane), a nod to the one atop the Giralda minaret in Seville, the city whose Casa de Contratación (House of Trade) oversaw financial and shipping operations between Spain and its territories in the Americas. Havana's favorite symbol—it's even on the Havana Club rum label—the Giraldilla honors Doña Inés de Bobadilla, Cuba's lone woman governor, who replaced her husband, Hernando de Soto, when he left to conquer Florida (and search for the Fountain of Youth) in 1539. De Soto and his expedition went on to explore much of North America and were among the first white men to cross the Mississippi River. He died in 1542, but Doña Inés spent years scanning the horizon, awaiting his return. The current Giraldilla is a copy of an earlier bronze one toppled by a hurricane and now on display in the Museo de la Ciudad de La Habana. Today the museum houses an exhibition on Cuban navigation, dating from 1577 to today. On display are miniatures of the galleons that once passed through the island with gold coins, treasures, and documentation of maritime life over the centuries.
e/Calle O'Reilly y Av. del Puerto (Calle Desamparado/San Pedro), Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
Sight Details
Rate Includes: CUC$3, Tues.–Sun. 9:30–5
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La Habana Vieja
Dedicated to and named for the great Cuban Surrealist painter Wifredo Lam, who was known as the Cuban Picasso, this gallery and museum is just behind the Catedral de la Habana in the elegant, 18th-century Casa del Obispo Peñalver. The center hosts temporary shows with works by contemporary Cuban and South American artists. Lam, born in 1902, studied in Spain and fought with the republic against Franco. He later fled to France, where he was influenced by Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, and the poet André Breton, among others. He returned to Cuba to support the Revolution, and later returned to Paris, where he died in 1982. His best works hang in the Cuban collection of Havana's Museo de Bellas Artes.
Calle San Ignacio 22, Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Mon.–Sat. 10–5
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La Habana Vieja
Down the small side street of Callejón del Chorro, just off the Plaza de Catedral, you'll find the cute Bianchini café and bakery. With its funky red walls, glass chandeliers, and mismatched shabby-chic furniture, it's the perfect stop to refuel with a coffee and a sweet treat. Very different from Havana's usual fare of sponge cakes laden with layers of multicolor cream, owner Katia Bianchini has taken inspiration from her Swiss and Italian ancestors to create a range of homemade cookies, cakes, and muffins. The chocolate soufflé is a must-try. Another branch of the café is at Calle Sol 12.
Calle San Ignacio 68, Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
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La Habana Vieja
This Neoclassical, faux-Doric temple was built in 1828 on the site of the city's first Mass and its first cabildo (city council) meeting. The cabildo took place under a massive ceiba (kapok) tree, which was felled by a 19th-century hurricane. The present tree—planted in the little patio in front of El Templete in 1959, the year of the Revolution—is honored each November 19, the day celebrating Havana's founding. It's said during a special ceremony, if you walk three times around the tree and toss a coin toward it, you'll be granted a wish—provided, of course, that you keep your wish secret. El Templete is also the site of a triptych by French painter Jean-Baptiste Vermay portraying the first Mass, the first cabildo, and the municipal personalities who participated in the building's opening ceremonies. It's also home to the ashes of the painter and his wife, who—along with 8,000 other habaneros—were victims of the 1833 cholera epidemic.
Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
Sight Details
Rate Includes: CUC$1.50, Tues.–Sun. 9:30–5
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La Habana Vieja
Havana's oldest church (circa 1638) was built by Afro-Cubans who were brought to the island as slaves but who later bought their freedom, a common phenomenon in Cuba. Fittingly, today it's the only church in the city authorized to grant political asylum. Its interior has several notable paintings; notice especially the representation of a seated, post-Crucifixion Christ on the right wall. The crypt under the left of the altar contains catacombs. The three-story belfry to the left of the church is one of La Habana Vieja's tallest towers.
Calle Acosta 161, Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Weekdays 8:30–4
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La Habana Vieja
Although originally founded in 1640 as the Ermita de Nuestra Señora del Buen Viaje, the present church was built in 1755. The advocation to the buen viaje (good voyage) was a result of its popularity among seafarers in need of a patron and a place to pray for protection. The Baroque facade is notable for the simplicity of its twin hexagonal towers and the deep flaring arch in its entryway. Traditionally the final stop on the Vía Crucis (Way of the Cross) held during Lent, the church and its plaza have an intimate and informal charm. This is the plaza where Graham Greene's character Wormold (the vacuum-cleaner salesman/secret agent) is "swallowed up among the pimps and lottery sellers of the Havana noon" in Our Man in Havana. Don't miss the view from the corner of Amargura: you can see straight down Villegas to the dome of the old Palacio Presidencial (Presidential Palace).
Plaza del Cristo, Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, During Masses (daily at 10 and 5)
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La Habana Vieja
Although it was begun in 1755, this church and convent complex wasn't completed until the 19th century. Hence you can clearly see a progression of architectural styles, particularly in the facade, with its six starchy-white pillars and its combination of late-Baroque and early-Neoclassical elements. Inside are numerous works by 19th-century Cuban painters.
Calle de Cuba 806, Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Mon.–Sat. 8–noon and 3–5, Sun. 8–2
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La Habana Vieja
The Latin inscription over the main door of this church and convent dedicated to St. Francis reads: "non est in toto sanctior orbe locus" ("there is no holier place on earth"). As it's now a museum and concert hall, it may no longer be earth's holiest place, but it certainly is one of the loveliest. Built in the 16th century, in 1730 it was restored in a baroque style, resulting in a richly adorned facade with fluted conch-like tympanums over the doors and windows. Just inside the door you'll see tombs beneath a glass floor panel. Churches were used as cemeteries until Bishop Espada founded what is now the Necrópolis Cristóbal Colón in 1868, a detail all Cubans seem to know and cherish. Note also the 19th-century grandfather clock made by Tiffany. The rooms to the right of the nave house archaeological finds and art exhibits. Precisely 117 steps lead to the top of the 141-meter (463-feet) tower, the tallest in Havana.
Plaza de San Francisco, Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
Sight Details
Rate Includes: CUC$2 (includes entrance to museum inside), Mon., Tues., Thurs., and Fri 9–4:30, Wed. and Sat. 9–6, Sun. 9–2
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La Habana Vieja
This old gun shop, and now gun museum, contains the vast personal arms collection of Fidel Castro, as well as other weapons used during the Revolution. There is also a small permanent exhibition detailing the events of April 9, 1958, when Castro and his people attempted a general strike.
Calle Mercaderes 157, Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Tues.–Sun. 9:30–5, Sun. 9:30–2:30
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La Habana Vieja
Directly across the square from the Catedral de la Habana, the museum's rich collection of colonial objects ranges from violins to chamber pots. It's in the Casa de Luis Chacón—also known as Casa del Conde de Bayona after the son-in-law of the original owner—which dates from the 17th century and which saw its first restoration in 1720.
Calle San Ignacio 61, Havana, La Habana, Cuba
Sight Details
Rate Includes: CUC$5, Tues.–Sun. 9:30–5
