30 Best Sights in La Habana Vieja, Havana

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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'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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

This still functioning Art Nouveau pharmacy may sometimes be short on drugs, but it is certainly long on design. Founded by a Catalan apothecary in 1874, it was built in the elaborate Modernist style universally favored by 19th-century pharmacies. The carved wooden racks and shelves backed by murals painted on glass are especially ornate, and the ceramic apothecary jars, though probably empty, are colorfully painted. Also known as La Reunión (note the inscription on the wall behind the counter), this pharmacy was a famous meeting place, a sort of informal neighborhood clubhouse.

At the western end of the Plaza de Armas is the former residence of the men who governed Cuba. A succession of some five-dozen Spanish captain-generals (also called governors) lived here until 1898, and the U.S. governor called it home prior to the Revolution. The wooden "paving" on the plaza in front of it was installed on the orders of a 17th-century captain-general, who wanted to muffle the clatter of horses and carriages so he could enjoy his naps undisturbed. Today the palace is the Museo de la Ciudad de la Habana, with such unique treasures as a throne room built for the king of Spain (but never used); the original Giraldilla weather vane that once topped the tower of the Castillo de la Real Fuerza; and a cannon made of leather. Groups of pioneros often gather in the gallery here for art-history classes, and you can buy art books in the on-site shop. Inside it to the right is a plaque dated 1557; it commemorates the death of Doña Maria de Cepeda y Nieto, who was felled by a stray shot while praying in what was then Parroquia Mayor, Havana's main parish church. The tomb in the pit to the left holds the remains of several graves discovered in the church cemetery.

Built in 2010 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Galileo's astronomical discoveries, the modern planetarium doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of Plaza Vieja's colonial grandeur; nonetheless, it makes for an interesting visit. Inside there's a scale model of the solar system, as well as a range of interactive games and a large viewing theater, which currently only has audio descriptions available in Spanish.

Reservations must be made in advance.

So-called for its use as a drill field by colonial troops, this plaza was the city's administrative center and command post almost from the beginning. The statue in the center is of Manuel de Céspedes, hero of the Ten Years War, Cuba's first struggle for independence from Spain. Today, this is the city's most literary square; an army of erudite secondhand booksellers encircles it during the day.

Nearby is the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, across from which are El Templete and the Castillo de la Real Fuerza. Note that there are often concerts in the plaza on Sunday evenings—events not to be missed.

On the northwestern corner of Plaza de Armas is the Palacio del Segundo Cabo, which at the time of writing was undergoing renovation. When complete, it will become the Center for Interpretation of the Cultural Relations between Cuba and Europe. Opposite this, on the other side of the plaza, you'll find the Museo Nacionale de Historia Natural de Cuba (Cuba's Natural History Museum), which is home to a rich collection of Cuban flora and fauna, as well as various mineral samples and fossils.

The square that surrounds and is named for the Catedral de la Habana is one of La Habana Vieja's most beautiful spots. In addition to the cathedral, you'll find several elegant mansions that once housed the city's aristocrats.

The Casa de los Marqueses de Aguas Claras (1751–75), in the square's northwestern corner, was built by Antonio Ponce de León, the first Marquis of Aguas Claras and a descendent of the discoverer of Florida, Juan de Ponce de León. Today the building contains the Restaurant Paris, a stylish eatery whose tables fill a verdant interior courtyard as well as the upper floors. On the square's western edge is the 19th-century Casa de Baños (Bath House), which was built on the spot where an aljibe (cistern) was constructed in 1587. It served as the main municipal water supply and as a public bathing house. The narrow cul-de-sac next to the Casa de Baños is the Callejón del Chorro (Alley of the Water Fountain), named for an aqueduct that ended here in Havana's early days.

Wander along the square's eastern edge for a look at the early 18th-century Casa de Lombillo, which today houses a number of changing art exhibitions.

What is now called the Old Square was originally Plaza Nueva (New Square), built as a popular alternative to Plaza de Armas, the military and government nerve center. Later called Plaza del Mercado (Market Square) as Havana's commercial hub, Plaza Vieja was the site of executions, processions, bullfights, and fiestas—all witnessed by Havana's wealthiest citizens, who looked on from their balconies. The original Carrara marble fountain surrounded by four dolphins was demolished in the 1930s when President Gerardo Machado (1871–1939) built an underground parking lot here. Today the square's surrounding structures vary wildly in condition, though all of them are noteworthy. Don't miss the splendid view west down Calle Brasil (Teniente Rey) to the Capitolio.

The impressive mansion on the square's southwestern corner is the Casa de los Condes de Jaruco (1733–37), the former seat of the Fondo Cubano de Bienes Culturales (BFC; Cuba's version of the National Endowment for the Arts). Its lush main patio is surrounded by massive, yet delicate, pillars. Look for the ceramic tiles along the main stairway and the second-floor stained glass windows. Today the building houses members of the Génesis Galerías de Arte and an upstairs restaurant. On the second floor La Casona Galería de Arte displays the works of contemporary Cuban and international artists, while on street-level Diago Galería de Arte shows the works of native Cuban painters. To your left as you exit is the interesting 1762 Elias Durnford painting A View of the Market Place in the City of the Havana [sic].

On the square's southeastern corner, the Palacio Viena Hotel (also known as the Palacio Cueto) is a 1906 Art Nouveau gem that was occupied by several-dozen families after the Revolution. The intense floral relief sculpture and stained-glass windows are still intact, if a little sooty, on all five stories. This building has perennially been under renovation, and it's anybody's guess when the grand structure will once again take its place in the square.

On the square's western edge is the 1752 Casa de Juan Rico de Mata (Calle Mercaderes 307), now housing the Fototeca de Cuba, a contemporary photography gallery that has rotating temporary exhibitions of Cuban and international photographers. Also along the western edge, heading north, you'll see the planetarium, housed in an old cinema, and the Camera Obscura, located in the 20th-century Villa Gómez. The Casa de las Hermanas Cárdenas (Calle San Ignacio 352), on the square's eastern side, was once used by Havana's first philharmonic society. It's now home to the Centro de Desarrollo de Artes Visuales (Center for the Development of Visual Arts), which hosts temporary exhibits.

In the 18th-century Casa del Conde San Estéban de Cañongo (Calle San Ignacio 356), you'll find the Artesanías para Turismo workshop. Strangely, a permanent exhibition here presents Wallonia, French Belgium, and its industry and agriculture, as well as its most noteworthy comics like Tintin. Apparently the exhibition was granted after Belgian interests put up the money to restore the building. There would probably be much more exciting ways to use this prime property than a pedantic exhibit that ultimately gives little to the creative life of the community.

While wandering along San Ignacio, notice the faded "vapores cuba–españa" ("steamboats cuba–spain") sign on the wall inside the entryway of No. 358. The 18th-century Casa del Conde de Lombillo (Calle San Ignacio 364; not to be confused with the Conde de Lombillo house in the Plaza de la Catedral) has lovely original murals in amber hues with faded blue and green floral motifs decorating its facade. Today it houses the charming Café Bohemia, which has upstairs suites for rent. The restoration of the 17th-century Colegio del Santo Angel (Calle Brasil/Teniente Rey 56, esquina de Calle San Ignacio) almost a decade ago. It was originally the house of Susana Benitez de Parejo, a wealthy young widow who departed for Spain in the mid-19th century; it was later used as an orphanage for boys under 12 years of age and then as a music conservatory until it collapsed in 1993, leaving only the facade standing. Now housing an excellent restaurant and 11 luxury apartments, this is one of the finest triumphs of the restoration work in Plaza Vieja.