Where to stay in Havana

See

The Old Town of Havana, La Habana Vieja, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and strolling along its streets and enjoying the beautiful buildings is a must for any visitor. Some parts of the Old Town are quite dilapidated with crumbling buildings but many others have been restored to their former glory. An evening walk along the Prado is a great way to sip in the street life and enjoying the hums of numerous cafes and restaurants. The street is however not illuminated at night. Another favorite stroll for tourists and locals is along El Malecón, Havana's waterfront with stunning views of the city.

• Museum of the Revolution
• National Capitol Building
• Partagás Cigar factory
• Havana Club Rum Museum
• Plaza de la Revolución
• Lennon Park
• US Embassy
• Hotel Habana Libre
• Fabrica de Arte Cubano
• Cámara Oscura
• Havana Cathedral
• Plaza de Armas

Do

• Walk along the Malecón
• Walk down the Paseo del Prado
• Latin American New Cinema Festival
• Bike tour, Discover Havana by bike
• Take a tour in an old car
• Go to the eastern beaches
• National Theater
• Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes
• Hotel National
• La Zorra y el Cuervo, La Rampa
• La Tropical
• Casa de la Musica de Centro Habana

Eat

Whilst restaurants can be quite expensive at the top end for rather mediocre food, some such as the Café de Oriente have a splendid ambiance. The average government-run restaurants are about US$20 for two. Peso stalls are all over the city, particularly on Prado Marti. Some restaurants like Hanoi, in Calle Brasil, offer generous meals for the equivalent of US$5. You can get ice cream in small street booths scattered around the city. You can also get a filling bocadito (small ham sandwiches) or a cajita (small meal in a cardboard box), or a "pizza". Particularly, the Terminal de Omnibus, by the Plaza de la Revolucion, has a very good cafe with offerings as fried chicken.

Drink

There are two types of establishments you can go to drink in Havana: Western-style bars with near-Western prices, good selection of quality drinks (and sometimes food), nice decorations, semi-motivated staff and often live music, typically found around tourist hot-spots such as Old Havana and tourist hotels. Here you will mostly meet other tourists, expats and a few Cubans with access to hard currency, but don't expect a 'local' experience. Bars with a sign saying "Hemingway drank here" will be pricier than others.

Stay safe

Havana is quite safe for a large city. Heavily dependent on tourism, Cuban police are everywhere and pay particular attention to spots where travelers congregate (Habana Vieja, El Malecón, etc.), so you don't have to be afraid of being accosted in the daytime. Prison sentences for crimes involving tourists are extremely harsh, a fact which residents are well aware of, which adds an extra layer of deterrence. At night, however, there have been muggings in the dark streets of Centro Habana. While this part of town is perfectly safe to explore in the daytime, and can be crossed safely while going to Habana Vieja or Vedado, it's best not go there at night.