Habana Vieja
Four restored colonial squares, and all around them a city that is not.
Duration
3 hrs – 5 hrs
Best time
Early morning
Open
Every day
Entry price
Free
Havana was founded in 1519 and its centre is organised around four squares: Plaza de Armas, Plaza Vieja, Plaza de San Francisco and Plaza de la Catedral, the latest, with an asymmetrical baroque façade — its two towers match neither in width nor in height.
The quarter was listed in 1982 and the city historian's office runs the restoration, funded by the tourism it generates. The result is a gradient: the squares are done, Obispo street holds up, and two streets further the buildings are shored. Both states coexist a block apart, and that is the city.
Getting there
East of the centre, between the harbour and the Paseo del Prado. All on foot; shared taxis run along the Malecón from Vedado.
Rules on site
Two currencies circulated until 2021 and the confusion persists in quoted prices: have the currency stated. Cards issued by American banks do not work, and the network often goes down — bring cash in euros.
