Best Places to Visit in Havana

If you asked me a few years ago if I ever dreamed of going to Cuba, I would have told you a big NO. The idea presented itself as I had a trip to Florida and instead of going to South Beach Miami, I opted to visit somewhere new and different, Havana! Below are the best places to visit in Havana, Cuba:

GETTING THERE

Check your country of origin to determine if you’re able to visit Cuba. For Americans, you need a tourist visa which is valid for 30 days. The tourist visa can be obtained under one of the 12 permitted categories such as people to people (group travel), educational activities, support for the Cuban People, etc. I obtained my visa via Cuba Visa Services and it costs around $100.

Travel Tip: Cuba only takes cash and in local currency (CUC). I suggest contacting your bank before departing the U.S. and exchange currency in advance. Also, make sure you exchange it back to dollars when you’re in Cuba. Otherwise, you are stuck with the currency as most (if not ALL) U.S. banks do not exchange it back based on my experience.

ACTIVITIES

Museum of the Revolution is exactly what it sounds like, a military museum. This is housed in what was the Presidential Palace for all Cuban presidents until Fulgencio Batista. You can even see bullet holes in the walls/buildings. Additionally, you are able to view the old boats, aircraft, etc. used in the revolution. Quite interesting!

Gran Teatro de la Habana, a famous theatre in Havana and it looks amazing, probably one of a few nice/modern buildings in Havana. I did not have tickets ahead of time for the ballet but I was able to grab a couple of tickets during the day. There were plenty of seats tho. I recommend arriving early since there’s cocktail hour and you get to meet a few Cuban people and fellow visitors.

Cathedral de la Habana  is one of the catholic churches in Havana. This architecture reminds me of churches in Spain or France. It is absolutely beautiful and unique.

El Capitolio or the National Capitol Building was closed when I was there. The Capital building was across from my hotel so I was able to see it from the rooftop of my hotel. You can’t miss it! Don’t you just love seeing domes?

Drive around Havana is one of my fave memories on this trip. I requested a vintage car driver to give me a tour of Havana. He spoke a little English but enough to where we understood each other. He took me to places like the Plaza de la Revolucion (Jose Marti Memorial),  Havana neighborhoods, and just all over the city and its history.

What I liked about driving around with a local is that you get to know them, a little bit of their life. My driver even had his boy drive around with him which was sooo cute! The same driver took me to the airport the next day with his wife and little girl so I basically met his entire family. I loved it!

Walking tour in Old Havana is another one of my fave things to do in Havana. I like strolling through the streets of Havana and meeting the Cuban people. There are so many things to see/do such as unique Cuban houses, stores, restaurants, the famous Ernest Hemingway bar and buying cigars. Although, I recommend you purchase cigars in an actual store since there are a lot of fake cigars out there.

FOOD AND DRINKS

La Guarida, I must say this is one of my fave worldwide dining experiences EVER. Make sure you have a reservation way in advance as this place is booked for weeks! While waiting for my table, I had some mojitos in their rooftop bar which has a panoramic view of the city. I would say what a view (normally!) but Havana looks very old, unkempt, and destroyed. Nonetheless, it was still an amazing experience and meal was relatively cheap compared to what it would have cost in the U.S.

I was seated outside with the view of the city at night which was beautiful. The weather was perfect and the table was an old Singer sewing machine. What a brilliant idea! I loved it. I had taco, ravioli, lobster and pork dish, plantains—all delicious! This restaurant is also where the celebrities dine while in Cuba (Rihanna, Beyonce, etc). It is sooo WORTH it tho.

San Cristobal Paladar,  this is one of the famous restaurants as well since the Obamas had dined here. I had a reservation but I still had to wait more than an hour to get seated. I think the restaurant approved all these reservations and replaced it with the tour (big group) reservation. I’m sure that resulted in more money in their pocket so those with the other reservations just had to wait.

The funny thing was seeing all these foreign people complain every few minutes like we were in the U.S. It was obvious that the host didn’t care. haha! Since I was on my good behavior, I was rewarded with a free mojito which was the best one I’ve had in Havana! The meal here was good but not better than La Guarida (order: lobster meal and a flan).

Hotel National de Cuba,  this is one of my fave lunch places in Havana. I dined in one of their restaurants called La Barraca with an ocean/Malecon view. I’m obsessed with lobster and since it’s VERY cheap in Cuba, I ordered another one here as well. Yum!

HOTEL

Saratoga Hotel, I chose this hotel because of the location and the rooftop view. I also came across articles where various celebrities stayed here so it can’t be that bad, right? Anyway, the rooftop view was as advertised. It looked great. However, the room was just okay. I didn’t have a view of the city and has an old feel to it. Would I recommend this place? Yes, the service was great and everything else worked. I think the only expensive thing about Cuba was this hotel’s nightly rate. haha!

Overall, Cuba is such an interesting place to visit. It’s unlike any other place I’ve been to and I’m glad I got to experience it. If you like more travel ideas, read my blog on Best Places to Visit in Paris, click here.

Have you visited Cuba? What are your best places to visit in Havana? Comment below. 

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