Havana

About Havana

Havana, the captivating and contradictory capital of Cuba, is one of the most unique and atmospheric travel destinations anywhere in the Americas — a city that feels genuinely unlike anywhere else on Earth and continues to enchant every traveler who crosses its threshold. Recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site for its extraordinary concentration of colonial architecture, Havana's historic center — Habana Vieja — is a living museum of Spanish baroque and neoclassical buildings in every state of magnificent decay, where the peeling facades and crumbling grandeur of centuries past create an atmosphere of haunting, melancholic beauty that no photographer can resist. The streets of Havana are famous worldwide for their fleet of lovingly maintained 1950s American automobiles — Chevrolets, Fords, and Buicks in candy colors — that serve as both taxis and time machines, transporting visitors back to the era before the 1959 Cuban Revolution froze the island in a moment of automotive history. The soundtrack of Havana is equally captivating: son, salsa, jazz, and rumba pour from doorways and courtyards at all hours, and the legendary live music scene — from the atmospheric Buena Vista Social Club tradition to the jazz bars of Vedado — is among the most vibrant and authentic in the Caribbean. The Malecón, Havana's famous five-kilometer seafront promenade, is the soul of the city, where locals gather at sunset to fish, flirt, play music, and watch the Caribbean waves crash against the seawall. Mojitos at La Bodeguita del Medio, daiquiris at El Floridita, and slow evenings on the roof terrace of a casa particular complete the quintessential Havana travel experience. As Cuba continues to open cautiously to international tourism, Havana remains one of the most affordable and genuinely fascinating cultural city break destinations in the world.

Highlights