Arms Square Located at Havana

The oldest space of the city surrounded by the most important political, military, religious and civil buildings of the town: la Real Casa de Correos (1772-90), Palacio del Segundo Cabo and Palacio de los Capitanes Generales (1776-91). In 1955, a statue of the Father of the Homeland, Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, stands in the center of the square.

Capitanes Generales Palace Located at Havana

Currently the venue of the Office of the Historian of Havana, the palace was built in 1776 and has been given several functions: official residence of the Spanish governors, Presidential Palace and Municipal Palace of Havana. The City Museum currently occupies part of the sumptuous halls that exhibit valuable treasures such as: the first Cuban flag, personal effects of the heroes of Cuba: Jose Martí, Máximo Gómez and Antonio Maceo together with a priceless collection of colonial furniture, carriages and other works of art.

Capitolio Nacional Located at Havana

The National Capitol, one of the most emblematic buildings of the Havana skyline, occupies an area of 38 875 m² It was the seat of the legislative body of the Republic since its inauguration on May 20, 1929. At the moment, it is the venue of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment.
Inside is the diamond that marks kilometer zero of the Central Highway, at the entrance to the majestic Salon de los Pasos Perdidos (Hall of the Lost Steps) and directly in front of the colossal Statue of the Republic (17,54 m) by the Italian sculptor Angelo Zanelli, which is considered the third highest indoor statute in the world.

Cathedral Square Located at Havana

The internationally renowned Cathedral Square, originally called Plaza de la Ciénaga (Swamp Square) was built on a marshland plagued with underground streams and very close to the bay, whose waters also penetrated the area. Work on the buildings began in the last quarter of the 18th Century. The church of the Jesuits was granted the category of cathedral in 1789. No one has ever referred to it as Swamp Square since. The two hundred year old cathedral stands in a beautiful square. It is open for services and was declared National Monument.

El Templete Located at Havana

This small neo-classical style construction was built in the second half of the 18th Century. It is located in Plaza de Armas on the site where the first public mass was celebrated and also the site of the first town council of the nascent town of San Cristóbal de La Habana. The Templete resembles a Doric temple and houses three commemorative canvasses by the famous French painter Juan Bautista Vermey. One of the walls exhibits the plate that declares Old Havana a World Heritage Site.

José Martí Memorial Located at Havana

Located in historical Revolution Square in the center of Havana. This site offers visitors a view of the life and works of the National Hero of the Republic of Cuba. The base of the monument consists of four exhibition halls. The viewpoint on the last floor of the obelisk (138 m), also the highest point in the city, offers a magnificent panoramic view of Havana.

Malecón Located at Havana

The Malecón is the largest bench in the world and also one of the most popular sites of Havana. The first project for the construction of this magnificent seawall dates back to the beginning of the 19th Century. The wall borders 7 Km of the northern coastline of the city, from the entrance to the bay (Castillo de La Punta) all the way to La Chorrera fort at the entrance to the Almendares River.

Museum of the Revolution Located at Havana

Located in the former Presidential Palace, the museum exhibits a large number of objects of extraordinary historical importance related to the struggle for independence of the Cuban people. The Granma memorial is situated in the surrounding area and exhibits the boat, protected by a glass case, that Fidel Castro and 82 revolutionaries used to return to Cuba from exile in Mexico and thus initiated the final struggle for the independence of Cuba.

Nine o'clock Cannon Blast Ceremony Located at Havana

The Cannon Blast ceremony is one of the oldest and attractive traditions of Havana. In colonial days, the shots signalled the closing and opening of the gates of the walled city and the rising of the chain across the entrance to the harbour. The tradition of firing a cannon every night at 9:00 pm was kept even after the wall was torn down and is still used for checking your watch.

Old Square Located at Havana

Towards the end of the 16th Century, the square was known as the Plaza Nueva (New Square), however after the construction of the Plaza Nueva del Cristo (New Square of Christ) in the 18th Century, it was then called Plaza Vieja (Old Square). The buildings that surround this open space are of unquestionable architectural and artistic importance and typify Cuban architecture of the 18th Century. After the complete refurbishment of the central fountain, the square has recovered its original splendour.

Real Fuerza Castle Located at Havana

The castle is located in Old Havana, in an attractive area of important architectural, urban, cultural and social values. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and is also the oldest fortress of the former fortification system of Havana. A replica of the La Giraldilla, the symbol of the city, can be seen on the highest tower of the castle (the original is in the Museum of the City).

San Carlos de La Cabaña Fortress Located at Havana

The construction of the largest of all the Spanish military fortresses concluded in 1774 and its presence exerted a deterring effect on the enemies of the country. It occupies an area of 10 hectares and consists of bulwarks, barracks, moats, covered roads, squares and warehouses. On January 3, 1959, Commander Ernesto Che Guevara militarily seized the fortress and established his headquarters there, which is now a museum that exhibits personal documents and valuable testimonies of the Heroic Guerrilla. Every evening the Cannon is Blast Ceremony is held in one of its squares at 9:00 pm.

San Francisco de Asis Church and Convent Located at Havana

The San Francisco de Asís Church and Convent is the current scenario of the richest cultural traditions. As the City Historian has said: “to collect, restore, conserve and exhibit are the classic principles that govern there.... so as to save from the offenses of time the endangered heritage.” The construction of the current set dates from 1738, and it replaced a more modest one completed in 1591. Since it was closed to worship in 1841, the building has seen the most diverse uses. After a restoration that brought back its original values in the nineties, the architectural group has harbored, also, a concert hall and the Holy, Sacred and Religious Art museums.

San Francisco de Asis Square Located at Havana

The origin of this beautiful popular square, situated between San Pedro, Oficios y Amargura streets, goes back to 1628. Two buildings of significant importance flank its large cobbled space: the Convent and the Lesser Basilica, whose tower for many years was considered the highest point of the town. Given its location very close to the bay, it soon became a commercial square and a source of livelihood for the people of Havana. The Covent and the Basilica are now a concert hall and the Museum of Religious Art.

Tres Reyes del Morro Castle Located at Havana

The Castillo de los Tres Reyes del Morro is perhaps the most emblematic of all Cuban fortresses. Its construction began in 1589 and concluded in 1630. In its day it was considered a fundamental piece for defending Havana against corsairs and pirates. The lighthouse was added a few years after its construction (45 m), and is considered the unequivocal distinctive seal of Havana.

Tropicana Nightclub Located at Havana

After more than fifty years of existence, this famous Cuban nightclub is internationally renowned for the virtuosity of its dancers, experience of its artistic directors and skill of its cast (made up by more than 200 professionals) and also because the performance is not presented in a theatre but rather, and true to its slogan, in a "Paradise under the Stars". Numerous prominent Cuban and American artists as well as countless of famed actors, actresses, businessmen and politician were regulars at this cabaret. Its show has toured the leading capitals of the Caribbean, Europe and the Americas.