Havana Things To Do

Once you’ve snapped your obligatory photos of old cars, old musicians and bottles of Havana Club rum, be sure to schedule some time to visit these must-see places in Havana, Cuba.

Castillo del Morro

Visitors who have frequented Havana’s Caribbean cousins, Old San Juan or Santo Domingo, or other coastal Latin American cities, including Veracruz, may sigh and think “Another fort?” Throughout the region, castle-like fortifications were constructed throughout the 16th century by the Spanish to protect their colonial holdings and to store treasure before moving it on to the next stop along the route back to the empire.

These details remain fairly static from one fort to another, but what should keep you moving from one to the next during your travels is the view: From the top of El Morro (as it’s known locally), you’re treated to an unobstructed view of the city and the bay. Though you’ll want to visit during the day for the best views, nighttime visits offer a special attraction: every night at 9 o’clock sharp, a cannon at El Morro is fired to signal the time. Though it can be heard throughout the city, visitors at the site will get to see the cannon ceremony in action.

 

• El Morro dates back to 1589.

Paul Mannix

Malecón

If you’re looking for a fun, authentic experience that doesn’t cost a cent, then strolling along the Malecón, Havana’s famous seawall, is highly recommended. Running from Old Havana (Habana Vieja) about four miles to the tunnel that leads to Miramar (a formerly upscale seaside neighborhood), the Malecón is Havana’s people magnet. Here, locals fish, jump off rocks to go for a swim, gather to play music and sing, share a bottle of rum, romance one another and just hang out. It’s the perfect place to get a sense of how people enjoy their leisure time in Havana and offers a number of interesting sights along the walk.  

U.S. Interest Section

It’s not a place where you should stop in to say “Hi” if you’re a U.S. citizen, but passing by the U.S. Interest Section (USINT) (America’s pseudo-embassy/consulate in Havana) offers some interesting photo opportunities. The Castro administration never fails to miss an opportunity to stick its thumb in the eye of the United States, and in 2006, erected a piece of installation art consisting of numerous black flags, each marked with a single white star, atop flag poles of varying heights right in front of the USINT. The flags were intended to obscure messages scrolling along the USINT’s electronic screen, which broadcasts its own brand of propaganda to passersby.

 

• A view of El Morro Fortress from the Malecón.

Julie Schwietert Collazo

The stage outside the USINT is the centerpiece of the Anti-Imperialist Plaza, named for Cuban hero José Martí, where demonstrations and speeches are held to protest U.S. actions around the world. The popular band Audioslave also held its 2005 “Live in Cuba” concert here.

Bacardi Building 

Cuba was the birthplace of Bacardi rum, and while its operations moved abroad after the 1959 Cuban Revolution—it’s currently headquartered in Bermuda—the Bacardi Building is a worthwhile stop, particularly for architecture aficionados. Constructed in 1930, it’s a spectacular example of the Art Deco style and remains in excellent condition.

Finca Vigia

Skip the guidebooks’ recommendations about bar hopping Hemingway’s favorite haunts—they’re overrated and overcrowded. Instead make your way to Havana’s outskirts for a guided tour of Finca Vigia, Hemingway’s Havana home, which was restored and is maintained by the Cuban government.

 

• Finca Vigia, the former home of Ernest Hemingway, is a not-to-be-missed Havana attraction.

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Hemingway, who lived here for more than 20 years, wrote most of his classic works (such as The Old Man and the Sea and For Whom the Bell Tolls), in this house. Though the guided tour does not involve walking through the house, you’ll be able to peek in through various doors and windows, catching glimpses of Hemingway’s extensive book and record collections, as well as the menagerie of stuffed animals he bagged on safaris abroad. You’ll see the table where Hemingway liked to write—standing up—and the spot on the bathroom wall where he made meticulous, almost obsessive notations about his weight.

Next: Capitolio, Tobacco and Revolution Monuments