Things to do: Havana, Cuba

If Havana isn’t on your travel list yet, let me tell you why it needs to be. The capital city of Cuba has more to offer than just Vintage cars and Rum! Here is my list of the top 10 things to do/see/experience:

1. Explore Havana Viejo: It’s chaotic, colourful, cramped and best enjoyed on foot. Explore the sights and sounds of the old neighbourhood of Havana as you take in the gorgeous spanish architecture, vintage cars and delicious food & drinks.
2. Dine at some of the best restaurants: I think I had the best Lobster of my life in Havana and almost every meal was a delight! See this post about more on the food & drinks in Havana
3. Explore Habana’s past at the Museums: I personally really enjoyed two museums – 1. The Museo de la Revolution (Revolution Museum) to learn more about the Cuban Revolution and get some Cuban perspective on things. 2. Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (National Arts Museum) is a gorgeous building dedicated to the arts, you can’t go wrong with this one
4. Cross the bridge and hear the cannon fire: The evening spent at Fortaleza de San Carlos is one of my best memories of Habana. The fort gets quite festive with little shops selling local goods & food, the view is quite nice of the city & it’s quite breezy. The cannon fires every evening at 9pm and while the entire ceremony isn’t something to rave about, the experience is pleasant and fun. PS: If someone invites you to take a picture inside one of the fort ‘jails’, know that you WILL be asked to pay to get out.
5. Walk along the promenade & head to Hotel Nacional: This is something for the books, sipping mojitos sitting in the front lawn of Nacional is definitely top of the list for almost all tourists. While the hotel is of historic and national significance, the mojitos don’t disappoint either
6. Take a walk around Capitol (explore it as well) and Parque Central
7. Take a Vintage car ride: But of course 🙂 Read more about this on my other post here
8. Explore the jazz culture: Jazz and Libre’s, they go hand in hand and the jazz club culture in Havana is thriving. From secret jazz bars to music buzzing through the streets, Havana has it all. The La Zorra Y El Cuervo was my favourite with it’s strong Libres and local Jazz scene!
9. Visit Fusterlandia (or not): I’m quite split about whether I loved it or didn’t. It’s definitely a fun colourful spot to explore but it may not be worth the trip out unless it’s part of a larger tour itinerary you have planned with a vintage car driver or otherwise. Fusterlandia is home to some of the most gorgeous (and colourful) mosaic sculptures by Foster and is heavily inspired by Gaudi
10. Head to the José Martí Memorial- or maybe just drive by it! Most vintage car tours will happily drive you by the likes of the memorial, Christ of Havana, Che Guevara’s House and more.
11. Have a beach day at Playa del Este or Santa Maria del Mar: You can rent a taxi cab in the city to take you here and stay with you for 4-5 hours while you relax on the beach and have some of the best mojitos! The beach isn’t as amazing as other Caribbean islands but the water is light blue & clear and the sand, while being a little rough, is white!
12. Take a mini Coco taxi tour: Because why not! They drive you through old town and show you the squares of Havana. Which leads me to my next one –
13. Explore the many squares of Habana, they are beautiful, full of life and all kinds of good vibes.

14. Lastly, Cigars! It’s okay if you don’t smoke, you still need to go explore the cigar culture in Havana and if not smoke – then just smell them. You can also do a day trip to Viñales Valley from Havana.

Read more, here, about Cuba and things to keep in mind when travelling to this beautiful Island Country!

Tell me what your favourite spots in Havana are 🙂