12 Best Sights in Habana del Este, Havana

Even those convinced that they've outgrown their thirst for Hemingway will feel a flutter of youthful romanticism on a visit to Finca Vigía (Lookout Farm), the American Nobel Prize–winner's home from 1939 to 1961. The excellent guides will show you his weight charts—faithfully kept on the bathroom wall and never varying much from 242.5 pounds—a first edition of Kenneth Tynan's Bull Fever by the toilet; the lizard preserved in formaldehyde and honored for having "died well" in a battle with one of Hemingway's five-dozen cats; the pool where Ava Gardner swam naked; Hemingway's favorite chair (ask about what happened to people who dared sit in it); his sleek powerboat, El Pilar; and much, much more.

Begun in 1589, Havana's landmark fort is named for the Reyes Magos—the Magi or Three Kings of Bethlehem, who are the patrons of its chapel—and for the fact that it occupies a morro (promontory) at the harbor entrance. It and its sister fort across the way, La Punta, made Havana the safest port in the Americas at a time when both pirates and imperialists helped themselves to whatever could be had. Built into cliffs, El Morro was furnished with a battery of 12 cannons christened La Batería de los Doce Apóstoles (The Battery of the Twelve Apostles) facing the sea and another dozen, called Las Pastoras (The Shepherdesses), nearer the ramparts. The active lighthouse flashes its beam over Havana every 15 seconds. Inside the castle, across a moat and drawbridge, are stables, the chapel, dungeons, and a wine cellar. You'll also find the fortified vaults, which contain the Museo del Morro, with displays on the fortress itself; the Museo de la Navegación, with navigation and seafaring artifacts; and the Museo de Piratas, with exhibits and bits of folklore on pirates. The armory displays weapons from around the world.

In 1762 Lord Albemarle took El Morro for the English after a 44-day siege. A year later, Carlos III recovered Cuba in exchange for Florida and promptly ordered the construction of what was then the largest fort in the Americas. Sprawling across the hill east of El Morro, the fortress was named for the Spanish king and for the typical Cuban cabanas or bohíos (cabins) that once occupied the site. With the capacity to house 1,000 troops, this immense bastion was said to be so big that Carlos was given a telescope with which to admire it from Madrid.

The infamous Foso de los Laureles (Graveyard of the Laurels) was the execution wall where hundreds died during the wars of independence. The 9 pm ceremonia del cañonazo (ceremony of the cannon shot) is a must-see event filled with nostalgia and mystery. First, a lamplighter lights the gas lanterns. Then, a crier (a recruit with a voice so good he's been signed on permanently even though his military service ended years ago) begins an eery plainsong chant that reverberates throughout the fortress and, when the wind is right, across the bay to La Punta: "Silencio; ha llegado la noche / Las luces están encendidas / Nuestro cañon se llama Capitolino / A las nueve sonará" ("Silence; night has fallen / The lanterns are lit / Our cannon is named Capitolino / At nine it will sound"). Finally, a detail of some half-dozen soldiers dressed in scarlet 18th-century uniforms marches in and loads and fires the cannon, which makes a deafening noise (cover your ears).

La Cabaña's two museums are of moderate interest. The Museo de la Cabaña documents Cuba's military history, and the Museo del Che is dedicated to the life of Ernesto "Che" Guevara, who ranks alongside José Martí as one of Cuba's national martyrs.

On a point (hence, the name) directly across from El Morro, La Punta took 11 years to build (1589–1600), under the supervision of the same Italian military engineer—Juan Bautista Antonelli—responsible for its sister fortress. The two forts are so close, it's said that voice communication is possible in calm weather. In the early 17th century, a heavy chain was stretched between them, sealing the port at night and during attacks. Today the fortress has an even more romantic role in the city's unfolding drama: it's a favorite spot for lovers. At the time of writing, it was closed to the public due to ongoing renovations, but walking around the outside still makes for an impressive view.

The fishing village Hemingway described in The Old Man and the Sea is modeled after this sleepy maritime hamlet where the author's wooden sportfishing craft, El Pilar, was berthed. El Torreón, the small fortress built here after the English used Cojímar as a landing point in their 1762 attack on Havana, is the site of a Hemingway bust made of brass boat propellers donated by Cojímar fishermen.

Wander around town; Gregorio Fuentes—Hemingway's skipper and pal from 1935 to 1960—once lived at Calle Pezuela 209. Gregorio provided Hemingway with a great deal of inspiration. The writer, having based the novel on the then thirtysomething Gregorio, was at a loss for a title until Gregorio shrugged and commented that, as far as he could tell, it was just about "un viejo y el mar" ("an old man and the sea").

Sometimes referred to as El Cristo de Casa Blanca for the eastern Havana municipality above which it stands, the 18-meter (59-foot) Carrara-marble colossus by Cuban sculptress Jilma Madera is said to be the largest open-air sculpture ever created by a woman. It was unveiled in 1958, a year before the Revolution and a year after the student assault on Fulgencio Batista's Palacio Presidencial. It's said that Batista's wife, praying for her husband to escape the shootout alive, vowed to erect a statue of Christ like that in Rio de Janeiro if her prayers were answered. Batista survived, and the statue was built while he tortured and murdered political opponents—especially students—with renewed brutality. For this reason, there's a certain official coldness toward the site. Certainly the sculpture itself is less interesting than the views (from its base) of the harbor and La Habana Vieja and the ambience of the park—a popular local picnic spot—that surrounds it.

Once a small sugar and tobacco center, Guanabacoa is inhabited primarily by the descendents of slaves who worked the fields here. Though the town, which is full of colonial treasures, is now part of sprawling Havana, its old Afro-Cuban traditions and religions have been kept alive.

Cojímar would merit a visit even without its literary significance as home of La Terraza. From the opening curaçao—a frozen daiquirí made with a blue bitter-orange liqueur—and majuas (tiny deep-fried fish) through the ranchito de mariscos (fish, lobster, and shrimp stewed in tomato, onion, and peppers), everything is very good here. The graceful mahogany bar dangerously dignifies the act of drinking, and the Hemingway memorabilia aren't overdone.

Installed in a handsome, if somewhat rundown, colonial mansion, this museum exhibits a comprehensive history of Guanabacoa, with emphasis on its ethnic and religious traditions. For a deeper understanding of Santería as well as of the Palo Monte and Abakua sects that have been so important in Afro-Cuban sociology and history, this is an important visit.

This museum offers insight into Regla's history. During the Revolution, this area was a rebel stronghold known as La Sierra Chiquita (The Little Sierra; as opposed to the Sierra Maestra where Fidel and his forces operated). Close to but outside and largely separate from Havana, Regla was a convenient place for clandestine activity. Photographs of the Regla heroes and heroines (such as Lidia Doce) who were tortured and murdered by the Batista regime line the walls. Also on display is a copy of the first edition of Eduardo Facciolo's La Voz del Pueblo Cubana, dated June 13, 1852, as well as a room dedicated to the orishas (deities of the Santaría religion). The museum can also organize guided tours of Regla for CUC$5 per person.

This vast amusement park was popular with Cubans before the 1992 collapse of the Soviet Union. The penury of the Special Period, however, has caused the carousels and other fairground attractions to be shut down. Developed on what was once a farming estate 20 km (12 miles) southwest of Havana, the 745-hectare (1,841-acre) park contains rolling meadows, small lakes, and woodlands. Look for the Monumento Lenin, a mammoth granite sculpture of the Russian Revolutionary. The Monumento a Celia Sánchez has photographs and portraits of Cuba's unofficial First Lady. The park's offerings also include art galleries, ceramics workshops, and a movie theater, although keep in mind that much of it is rundown. Horseback riding, boating, and swimming are options here as well. You can have a good meal in Las Ruinas and stay overnight in the comfortable motel.

Probably named for a West African Yoruba deity, this seafarers' and fishermen's enclave retains a rough vitality. Originally a camp for black slaves—especially of the Ibibio, Bantu, and Yoruba tribes—Regla's Afro-Cuban roots are strong.

The waterfront Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Regla, the first stop as you leave the ferry, was built in 1810. It's famous as the home of La Virgen de Regla (The Black Virgin of Regla), a black Madonna who cradles a white infant. Identified with Yemayá, the Yoruban orisha of the sea, the Virgin is the patron saint of motherhood and of sailors. On September 8 both Catholic and Santería celebrations honor her. There's a procession through the streets to the wailing of dirge music. The faithful also fill the church—dressed in their finest and wearing something blue, the color of the sea and of Yemayá—waiting their turn to touch the virgin or their favorite icons and crucifixes in side chapels. At the water's edge, women standing ankle-deep in the harbor's oily waters sing or pray to Yemayá, sometimes tossing in a coin or launching offerings of flowers, oranges, or melons. A branch of the Museo Municipal de Regla, just to the right of the church, has a display of Afro-Cuban orishas. There's also a shrine to Yemayá in the entryway of a private house, two doors up at No. 15.