Travel to Havana

Hotels of Havana

La Havane: Historical and cultural treasure of Cuba



La Havane, Cuba’s iconic capital, is a must-see destination for any vacation to Cuba. Less touristy than some Caribbean islands like Antigua, it offers an authentic experience blending history, culture, and relaxation. With its private beaches, colonial fortresses, and lively nightlife, the city attracts travelers seeking authenticity and discovery.

The iconic fortresses of La Havane

Castillo de la Real Fuerza

Built between 1558 and 1577, the Castillo de la Real Fuerza is the oldest stone fortress in the Americas. Located near the Plaza de Armas, it now houses a maritime museum and illustrates the city's rich defensive past.

Forteresse de San Carlos de la Cabaña

Constructed between 1763 and 1774 to protect the city, this imposing fortress overlooks the bay. It served as Che Guevara’s headquarters in 1959. Today, it hosts museums and presents the famous 9 PM cannon ceremony every evening.

Fort El Morro

The Castillo de Los Tres Reyes del Morro, built between 1589 and 1630, guarded the entrance to the harbor against naval attacks. Its iconic lighthouse, still operational, remains one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks and a beacon for seafarers.

The historical plazas of the city

Plaza de la Catedral

Nestled in the historic heart of the city, this charming square is dominated by the baroque San Cristóbal Cathedral. It is lined with colonial palaces and lively restaurants, attracting both locals and travelers enjoying their vacation to Cuba.

Plaza de la Revolución

A landmark of Cuban politics and identity, Plaza de la Revolución is a vast open space dominated by towering portraits of revolutionary icons Che Guevara and Fidel Castro. The impressive José Martí Memorial rises at its center, making the plaza a powerful symbol and an essential stop for visitors exploring La Havane.

Plaza de Armas

Regarded as the historical heart of La Havane, Plaza de Armas is encircled by majestic colonial architecture. The square is home to the Palace of the Captains General, now the City Museum, which showcases Havana’s past. Its shaded walkways host a lively secondhand book market, adding cultural charm to this historic gathering place.

The city’s iconic monuments

El Templete

El Templete, a graceful neoclassical temple built in 1827, commemorates the location of the first Catholic mass in La Havane. Inside, it features notable paintings by Jean-Baptiste Vermay. Outside, a revered ceiba tree attracts locals and visitors who perform the ritual of circling it three times while making silent wishes.

Capitolio de La Havane

This monumental building, inspired by the American Capitol, was the seat of Congress until the Revolution. Its immense white dome dominates the cityscape. It embodies both the city’s architectural grandeur and its complex political history.

Museum of the Revolution

Housed in the former presidential palace, this essential museum retraces the key moments of the Cuban Revolution. It features personal belongings of Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, and other historical figures. It is a crucial place to understand the city’s political identity.


La Havane: A vibrant culture and enchanting landscapes



The iconic neighborhoods of La Havane

La Habana Vieja

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, La Habana Vieja is an architectural treasure. Its cobbled streets, flowered balconies, and baroque churches transport visitors to the colonial past. It is the historical and cultural heart of the city, ideal for authentic exploration.

Vedado

A lively and modern district, Vedado represents the contemporary face of La Havane. It features wide avenues lined with art deco buildings, cinemas, trendy restaurants, and the famous Hotel Nacional. At night, its clubs and bars offer a unique and vibrant nightlife.

Centro Habana

Located between La Habana Vieja and Vedado, Centro Habana embodies the capital’s popular soul. Its bustling streets, colorful façades, and lively markets overflow with life. This authentic neighborhood offers insight into the daily life of locals in all its spontaneity and warmth.

The beaches and natural areas of the city

Eastern beaches

Only twenty minutes from the center, the Eastern Beaches such as Santa María del Mar and Guanabo are prized for their white sand and clear waters. These private beaches are perfect for a sunny and peaceful getaway during a vacation to Cuba in La Havane.

City forest

Nestled in the very heart of La Havane, the city forest is a lush sanctuary where nature and tranquility thrive. Crisscrossed by the serene Almendares River, it features shaded trails, romantic stone bridges, and secluded nooks ideal for reflection, meditation, or leisurely picnics perfect for escaping the city’s busy rhythm.

Malecón

The Malecón, La Havane’s iconic seafront promenade, stretches gracefully for 8 kilometers along the Atlantic. Lined with historic buildings and ocean breezes, it becomes a social hub at sunset. Locals gather here to chat, play music, fish, or simply unwind while watching the waves crash and the horizon burn with color.

The cultural and artistic life of La Havane

Callejón de Hamel

An artistic alley in the city, the Callejón de Hamel is dedicated to Afro-Cuban culture and Santería. Murals, sculptures, and performances bring this unique place to life, especially on Sundays when drums, dancing, and traditional chants fill its colorful walls.

Historic bars

The city is home to two legendary bars: La Bodeguita del Medio and El Floridita. Frequented by Hemingway, these iconic spots serve mojitos and daiquiris in a retro atmosphere. They embody the elegance and legend of La Havane’s nightlife over the decades.

Colón Cemetery

The Colón Cemetery, a masterpiece of funerary architecture, impresses with its mausoleums, sculptures, and grand avenues. It tells the story of the city through its famous graves, making it an open-air museum rich in memory and beauty.

Conclusion

La Havane, Cuba’s captivating capital, enchants with its rich colonial heritage, vibrant culture, and breathtaking landscapes. Far less touristy than destinations like Antigua, it guarantees an authentic immersion into the Cuban soul. Its impressive fortresses, lively old town streets, and historic plazas reveal a fascinating past. Relaxation seekers will love the private beaches with turquoise waters just outside the city center. Between mesmerizing music, colorful architecture, and warm hospitality, the city offers a truly unique experience. It’s an invitation to travel, to meet a welcoming people, and to explore a city where every corner tells a story.


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Havana

A trip to Havana, the capital of Cuba, is more than interesting, as the Cuban city is an essential stop on this inexpensive southern trip. On an all-inclusive travel plan, access the particularly welcoming Habana hotel with its comfortable rooms. Go in search of a culture rich in its diversity from Spain and Africa.

Built on the northwest coast, Havana is an urban center bringing together all the classic activities between industries, services and shops. Thanks to fifteen kilometers of fine sandy beach, it is perfect for relaxing and swimming. With an all-inclusive package, also focus on history since the city's founding dates back to 1519.

Points of interest:

Strongholds

Real Fuerza Castle

Built between 1558 and 1578, it is the oldest fortress in Havana. It was the fortress of the Spanish governors. Located near Plaza de Armas and Avenida Puerto, the Ceramics Museum is located there.

San Salvador de la Punta Castle

Built between 1590 and 1600, its purpose was to protect the entrance to the port from attacks by privateers and pirates. It lies to the west of the mouth of the entrance channel to the bay.

Castle of the Three Reyes del Morro

Located at the entrance to the access channel to the bay, it was built between 1589 and 1610. It was considered impregnable until it was taken by the English in 1762. It was added in the 19th century. the lighthouse which signals the entrance to the port and serves as an orientation point for navigators. Today it is part of the Morro-Cabaña Historical and Military Park.

Fortress of San Carlos de la Cabaña

Located behind the Château du Morro, it was erected between 1763 and 1774 in order to strengthen the defenses of Havana which had been taken by the English in 1762 from this advantageous height. This gigantic fortress is enclosed in a hill which dominates the city.

Cojimar Fort

It is a unique construction, designed as part of the city's defense plan, with the aim of defending the eastern part of the bay against attacks by privateers and pirates.

Large historical and military park Morro-Cabaña

It is a tourist complex that offers the possibility of taking a trip through 5 centuries of Havana history. These fortresses, witnesses of the era of privateers, pirates and the attack by the English armada, are particularly well preserved. Visitors will be able to admire the solid structures, the very old batteries, powder magazines and ditches. The complex has very recent restaurants, bars and cafeterias. At 9:00 p.m., you can enjoy the cannon firing ceremony (Cañonazo), an event that formerly announced the closing time of the gates of the walls that surrounded the city and the chain of the mouth of the port.

Fragments of the walls

In the past, in order to preserve their city against the attacks of privateers and pirates, the inhabitants of Havana found no better way than to surround it with this stone enclosure which became the wall of Havana. Built between 1674 and 1797, the development of the city implied the choice to demolish it in 1863. Only a few fragments remain, silent witnesses of the past.

Fortress of San Carlos de la Cabaña

Located behind the Château du Morro, it was erected between 1763 and 1774 in order to strengthen the defenses of Havana which had been taken by the English in 1762 from this advantageous height. This gigantic fortress is enclosed in a hill which dominates the city.

Cojimar Fort

It is a unique construction, designed as part of the city's defense plan, with the aim of defending the eastern part of the bay against attacks by privateers and pirates.

Large historical and military park Morro-Cabaña

It is a tourist complex that offers the possibility of taking a trip through 5 centuries of Havana history. These fortresses, witnesses of the era of privateers, pirates and the attack by the English armada, are particularly well preserved. Visitors will be able to admire the solid structures, the very old batteries, powder magazines and ditches. The complex has very recent restaurants, bars and cafeterias. At 9:00 p.m., you can enjoy the cannon firing ceremony (Cañonazo), an event that formerly announced the closing time of the gates of the walls that surrounded the city and the chain of the mouth of the port.

Fragments of the walls

In the past, in order to preserve their city against the attacks of privateers and pirates, the inhabitants of Havana found no better way than to surround it with this stone enclosure which became the wall of Havana. Built between 1674 and 1797, the development of the city implied the choice to demolish it in 1863. Only a few fragments remain, silent witnesses of the past.

Bacuranao Dungeon

Declared a National Monument, it was one of the complementary fortifications built in 1650 to defend the northern coast of Havana. It is located near the Bacuranao River, on the beach of the same name, east of the city. This is where the landing of the English troops began in 1762 during the attack on Havana.

Bacuranao beach

Dungeon of San Lázaro

It is a watchtower which allowed to observe the approach of privateers and pirates. It was built in the 16th century, in the old cove of San Lázaro (outside the walls of the historic center).

Near Antonio Maceo Park, in Malecón and Marina, central Havana.

Keep of La Chorrera

Erected in 1646, it defended the entrance to the Almendares River, then navigable. It was taken by the English in 1762.

In Malecón and on 20th Street, Vedado, Revolution Square.

El Templete

Small neoclassical building. It was erected in 1828, on the site where, in the shade of a kapok tree, the first mass and the first municipal council were celebrated after the transfer of Havana to its current site. Inside, 3 remarkable and gigantic commemorative canvases, work by the French painter Jean Baptiste Vermay, founder of the Academy of Fine Arts of San Alejandro. The current kapok tree was planted in 1959. Like all those of this variety, it is a sacred tree, which, according to tradition, allows a wish to be granted to which it silently formulates while it performs three turns around it. from the trunk of the tree.

Plaza de Armas.

Palace of the Capitanes Generales

One of the most representative sites of the Cuban Baroque era. Built between 1776 and 1791 as the official residence of the Spanish governors general. It also housed Havana City Hall and the prison. Headquarters of the City Museum.

Plaza de Armas.

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All inclusive packages - Havana, Cuba

Frequently Asked Questions

All durations are good, but generally a 2 or 3 nights depending on the purpose of the stay is sufficient.
The distance between the capital, Havana, and Varadero is about 2 hours by road, or 145km.
Taxis, buses or vehicle rentals are the most popular means of transportation between Havana and Varadero.
The famous La Malecon promenade, Fort El Morro, the Capitol, the charm of the colonial old town and its architecture, the people of Centro Habana, the Museum of the Revolution, the small cafes, sit in the heart of the old town to see the local people and the atmosphere there and learn about the history of Havana.
Havana is quite safe for all members of a family; but as in all major cities, it is necessary to take general security measures. For more information: www.voyage.gc.ca
Nightlife in Havana starts around 10 p.m. and ends around 3 a.m.
Several tourist attractions must be seen in Havana, the capital of Cuba. Whether it is the Cathedral, the National Museum, the Grand Theater, the cigar factory, nightlife, small cafes.
In general, the driest months are January, February, March, April, May, October, November and December; while the rainy season is from June to September.
The 'Old Havana' and 'Centro' neighborhoods are the best places to be in the heart of the action in Havana.
The 7 Playas del Este are located about 18km east of Havana, technically in a single long beach some 10km long. Playa Santa Maria del Mar is the most popular.
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