Tour Highlights
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This gem of Eclecticism opened in 1930 and became famous for excellent service and a long list of illustrious guests such as Nat King Cole, Winston Churchill, Frank Sinatra, Walt Disney, Marlon Brando, and several American Mafiosi as Meyer Lansky, Lucky Luciano. It stands where in the 18th Century the Santa Clara Battery was emplaced, part of the old city´s defense system, of which two cannons remain in the hotel´s garden. It was declared in 1998 as National Monument. -
This construction was conceived in 1953 as Civic Square, on the 100th anniversary of the Cuban national hero´s birth and finished in 1959 when it was renamed as Revolution Square. It consists of a 142 meters tower representing a five pointed star and a huge statue of José Martí whose Memorial is in the interior of the base. Since 1959 it has been Cuba´s political and administrative center and the main venue for political rallies and official celebrations. Pope John Paul II in 1998 and Pope Benedicto XVI in 2012 celebrated masses together with thousands of worshipers. -
Construction
of this fortress was designed by Bautista Antonelli and built between
1589 and 1630. The original lighthouse was rebuilt many times, the one
that still stands today is from 1845 and has its original lamp. Havana
was a highly prized target for enemies and pirates for its extremely
favorable strategic position in the Caribbean and became the most
fortified city in any Spanish colony. It was declared a UNESCO site as
part of the city´s defense system along with other fortresses as
La Cabaña, La Real Fuerza, La Punta, etc. -
It was designed by Belgian architect Paul Belau to host the social activities of Havana´s large and affluent Spanish community. The magnificent façade is decorated with four sculpture groups depicting Charity, Education, Music and Theater. It was built over the foundations of the Tacón Theater which opened on November 1837. The present building was inaugurated on 1915 and has witnessed world famous artist as Fanny Essler, Verdi, Sarah Bernhardt, Arthur Rubinstein, Anna Pavlova and Alicia Alonso, etc. Today, it houses the National Ballet of Cuba. -
The Cuban
Capitol, Inaugurated on May 20th, 1929 was the seat of the House of
Representatives and the Senate until 1959. It marks the 0 kilometer of
Cuba’s highways system. Its almost 92 meters high dome, the Chamber of
Deputies, the Hall of Lost Steps and the statue “the Republic”, made by
the Italian artist Angelo Zanelli, the third largest indoor statue in
the world are among its many attractions. Today, it houses the Ministry
of Science, Technology and Environment. -
Ernest Hemingway’s favorite place to enjoy his daiquiri. In 1953 it was
considered one of the seven most famous bars in the world, and in 1992,
the American Academy of Gastronomical Science presented the Floridita
with the Best of the Best Five Star Diamond Award. Kwon as the “cradle
of the Daiquiri”, it still keeps its original Regency décor from 1950s. -
The hustle
and bustle at San Francisco Square bothered religious services at the
Basilica. The Franciscan fathers requested the creation of a square for
exclusive commercial use, named New Square. After the creation of other
urban areas in the 19th century it lost its initial name becoming Old
Square. Cristina Market was built in the center in honor of the Queen,
being demolished in 1908. Administrative and business offices sprang up
with the 20th Century and a small amphitheater with a parking lot
beneath were built in 1952 which are no longer part of this square after
its restoration. -
A very well-known bar where Hemingway loved to drink mojitos and a one of the city’s great tourist attractions, where countless visitors have left their imprint in a souvenir, a photo or on its graffiti covered walls. Here you will find signatures by Errol Flynn, Nat King Cole, Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Neruda, Gabriel García Márquez, Alejo Carpentier and Nicolás Guillen, among many others. -
It was
originally known as Swamp Square because of the marshy land and
subterranean springs. A church built by the Jesuit order (1748-1776) was
promoted to the status of cathedral 1789, thus the original plaza
became Cathedral Square. Some aristocratic buildings appeared later as
Lombillo, Marquis of Aguas Claras and Marquis of Arcos palaces. The
cathedral´s Baroque façade is grandiose with two large asymmetrical
towers and its neoclassical interior treasures frescoes by Italian
Giovani Perovani and Jean Baptiste Vermay. Pope John Paul II visited it
in 1998. -
Its location
made it the center of imports, export, sailors and troops disembarking.
The construction of a humble Franciscan convent, later one of the most
beautiful buildings in the area, gave its name to the open space. The
Fountain of the Lions, donated by Villanueva Count in 1836 and sculpted
in Carrara marble, supplied for many years the ships docked here with
drinking water. The Stock Exchange (1909) and the Customs House (1914)
were added to the physiognomy of the square. -
Neoclassic
monument inaugurated in 1828 as a remembrance to the foundation of Saint
Christopher of Havana. It stands where there was a silk-cotton tree,
under whose shadow the first Mass and city council were held on November
16th, 1519. Inside, there are three canvases by Jean Baptiste Vermay
depicting these scenes. Every year on November 16th, locals would circle
the tree three times, knock on its trunk three times and ask for their
wishes as part of a town tradition. -
This
seafront promenade runs for 7 km alongside the city´s historic quarters,
from the colonial center to the skyscrapers of El Vedado. This busy
boulevard is lined with many attractive buildings whose pastel hues have
faded in the sun and salty air. It is magical at sunset, popular among
fishermen, and the perfect place for people to hang out, meet friends
and socialize. -
This
fortress was built in 1558-1577 to protect the city from pirate attacks
and is the oldest military construction in Havana. Despite its perfect
Renaissance architecture, it couldn´t be efficient as it was built too
far inside the bay, in a low area. It was used as warehouse, Governor´s
residence, barracks, National Archive, Army Headquarters, National
Library, and Arms Museum, etc. The Giraldilla, a sculpture cast in
bronze by Havana artist Jerónimo Martínez Pinzón was placed as a weather
vane on top of the Northwest tower in the 1630s and became a city´s
symbol. -
The Central
Plaza was built in 1877 after the old city walls were demolished. Since
February 1905, its large esplanade is presided by a statue of José
Martí, which replaced a marble statue of Isabel II of Spain. The Central
Plaza is surrounded by significant buildings, such as the Grand Theater
of Havana, the Inglaterra, Telégrafo, Plaza and Parque Central Hotels,
the old Gómez Mena mall, the Universal Art building of the Fine Arts
National Museum and the Payret Movie Theater. -
Cuba´s first motion picture theater, opened in 1897, a year after the Lumiere brothers presented their invention in Paris. -
It houses today the Museum of Havana´s Pharmacies. The institution presents the history of this science in Cuba through permanent exhibits distributed in three large rooms. It still preserves the old drugstore´s furniture, medicine bottles and other items related to the art of curing and prescribing. -
The
residence of 22 Cuban presidents since 1920 until 1959 was designed by
Carlos Maruri and Paul Belau and decorated by Teffany of New York. The
museum features documents, photographs of the different historical
processes in Cuba. The Granma Memorial treasures the boat which brought
Fidel Castro and his comrades from Mexico to begin the armed struggle
against Batista. There also objects and vehicles relating to the
invasion of the Bay of Pigs and missile crisis, etc. -
Havana’s
monumental Cemetery, built in (1871-1886), is one of the largest in the
world, occupying an area of 57 hectares. Because of its many sculptures
and monuments from eclectic to contemporary art, the Necropolis was
proclaimed a National Monument in 1987. It was designed by Calixto de
Loira as a Roman military camp. The statue in Carrara marble of the
three theological virtues Faith, Hope and Charity which crowns the front
gate was sculpted in 1904 by the Cuban artist José Villalta de
Saavedra. The most visited grave, “The Miraculous one”, is the tomb of
Amelia Goyri de la Hoz who became a protector of pregnant women and
newborn children. -
Few steps
away from the village´s foundation site, it was built between the
Parochial Church and the Real Fuerza Castle, spot that grouped the
political, military, religious and civilian functions of an emerging
population. Used for military exercises in the 1700s, it is surrounded
by important public buildings of the time as the Royal Post Office
(1772-1790), subsequently the Lieutenant Governor’s Palace; the
Governor´s Palace, the City´s Museum since 1968; the Count of
Santovenia’s Palace, today Santa Isabel Hotel, and El Templete. -
This
charming hotel from 1923, eclectically decorated, is rich in literary
memories. The American writer Ernest Hemingway stayed here for long
periods during the 1930´s writing fishing chronicles and began to write
his novel For Whom the Bell Tolls. Room 511, where he mostly stayed is
now a museum that features personal belongings and pictures of the
author. -
At San
Francisco de Paula on the outskirts of Havana, this villa was built in
1887 and bought by Hemingway in 1940 where he lived for 20 years and
wrote some his novels. It was turned into a museum in 1962 after his
death and displays over 1000 books library, hunting trophies, the author
personal belongings, etc. Two curios features in the garden are the cat
cemetery and the author´s fishing boat El Pilar which he also used to
patrol the sea north of Cuba, on the outlook of Nazi submarines that
were in the area to sink ships laden with sugar intended for the allied
troops. -
The most famous nightclub in Cuba is located in the outskirts of Havana. Many legendary figures of the 20th century have performed here, including Josephine Baker and Nat King Cole. The Tropicana was originally a farm estate which was transformed in the 1930s into a vast nightspot with a restaurant and casino opening on December 31st, 1939. At the main entrance is the Fountain of the Muses (1952) and the statue of a ballet dancer, by Rita Longa (1959) is now the symbol of the club. -
Sloppy Joe's was a spectacular Havana bar in the 30's. Ernest Hemingway was a regular with his pal, Joe Russell who was the owner of another Sloppy Joe's Bar in Cayo Hueso, a name Hemingway had suggested in honor to Mr. Garcia, the owner, who ran his business very messy and careless at first, hence the name of Sloppy Joe. A sandwich served here, made of shredded beef "ropa vieja”, was worldwide known as Sloppy Joe´s. It was also a very popular place for having the longest mahogany drinks cabinet of Cuba. -
Fábrica de Arte Cubano is one of Havana’s finest new art projects, an interactive place for live music, art expos, fashion shows. This converted cooking-oil factory in Vedado founded by Cuban fusion musician X-Alfonso in 2014 is a cultural-social project which aims at supporting and promoting young artists work from all art expressions such as cinema, music, dance, theatre, plastic arts, literature, photography, fashion and graphic design. -
Viñales valley and a section of this Mountain Range where it is located became in 1999 a National Park and was declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site in the category of Cultural landscape. This overwhelming landscape houses 17 botanical species and 47 archeological sites, most of them related to aboriginal communities and runaway African slaves. It features unique gigantic limestone hillocks, mogotes, honeycombed with cavities which resemble a huge church organ, therefore the name Sierra de los Organos, Organs Mountain Range.
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This cave
discovered in 1920, lies in the San Vicente Valley. The first part of the tour here is on foot and then a motorboat takes visitors through a river which runs inside the cave. It´s plenty of gorgeous stalactites and stalagmites, some of which resemble animals, ships, skull, etc. -
Located at Dos Hermanas Valley, this spectacular Mural (120 meters high and 160 meters long) was painted by Leovigildo Gonzáles Morillo who was Chief Cartographer of the Cuban Academy of Science. The face of a limestone hillock features the history of local evolution from ammonites to Hommo Sapiens. -
In the depths of San Miguel´s cave, there is a Palenque, run away refuge, which houses a museum now. Cimarrones were runaway slaves who hid in the mountains or forests to avoid those whose job it was to capture them alive or dead. These fugitives organized frequent revolts which were almost inevitably suppressed with bloodshed. -
They are among the most ancient rocks in Cuba and all what remains of a limestone plateau. Over a period lasting millions of years, underground aquifers eroded the softer limestone giving rise to large caverns whose ceiling later collapsed. Only the hard lime stone pillars, mogotes, were left standing. They are covered with thick vegetation where some endemic plant species have adapted to life on their craggy crevices. -
In Cuba, the
process of tobacco growing is the result of age old expertise handed
down to generations. Tobacco plants are very delicate and need skilful handling. There two types: Corojo, grown in green houses, which has the finest leaves, selected as the cigar´s wrapper, and Criollo, which grows outdoors and provides the cigar´s filler and its binder. Harvesting tobacco is a laborious operation. The leaves are tied in bunches and put to dry in sheds hanging on horizontal poles. Humidification is a hydrating process carried out after the drying so that the leaves do not dry out. -
Located to the South of Matanzas, it´s one of Cuba´s most unique spots where several ecosystems can be found. Named after the landowner who was
granted the land by the Spanish crown in 1636, it is one of the least populated areas of the island and mostly consists of a huge swamp, one of the most complete wildlife reserves in the Caribbean, rich in birds
and animals, and the area around the Treasure Lake has been designated a national park.
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Located at
the Zapata Peninsula, declared by UNESCO a Reserve of the Biosphere,
Guamá features a replica of a pre Columbian Taino Village which shows
aboriginal´s lifestyle through 25 amazing sculptures by the Cuban artist
Rita Longa. It is also home to a holiday resort built on ten islands on
the Treasure Lake. This village is named after Guamá, a native warrior
who resisted the Spanish conquistadors and the only way to get there is
by boat. -
It is a natural pool (cenote), 70 m deep, lying along a fault line. It is an ideal spot for scuba diving and snorkeling. -
Founded in 1962 to safeguard 16 endangered species of reptiles, this is the largest crocodile farm in Cuba and includes thousands of animals kept in separate pools according to size and age. Visitors can watch and
photograph crocodiles from an observation point overlooking one of the
ponds. -
Founded in 1819, it is a maritime town with well-preserved historical buildings and one of the most captivating bays in the Caribbean Sea which helped the city earn the name “Pearl of the South”. The town was planned according to geometric layout typical of Neo Classicism, compact constructions and stylistic homogeneity. Martí Park and the surrounding buildings, Prado promenade, the city´s seafront, Valle´s Palace and Punta Gorda are a must for any visitor.
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This theater
was built in 1886-90 to fulfill the last will and testament of Tomás
Terry Adams, a sugar factory owner. World famous personalities such as
Italian Tenor Enrico Caruso, French actress Sarah Bernhardt performed
here in the early 1900´s. The austere well-proportioned façade shows
three ceramic masks “Three Graces” on the pediment made by Salvatti
workshops in Venice. -
It was built in the early 1900´s by the sugar magnate José Ferrer Sirés and houses today the Provincial Culture Center. Enrico Caruso is said to stay here when he performed at the theatre. It is distinguished by its cupola with blue mosaic decoration and the wrought iron spiral staircase. -
It was constructed 1833-1869 and features a Neo Classical façade with two bell towers of different heights and stained glass windows made in France depicting the Twelve Apostles. -
The most
amazing building in the area, located in Punta Gorda, was a wedding gift
of Acisclo del Valle Blanco, one of the wealthiest sugar merchants in
Cuba, to his wife. It was built in 1913-1917 at a cost of 1.5 million
pesos by French, Arab, Italian and Cuban architects. The facade has
three towers of different designs symbolizing power, religion and love. -
A large
nautical rose in the middle of the park marks the zero kilometer, the
central point of Cienfuegos city where it was founded in 1819 laying out
the city´s first 25 blocks. This park along with the surrounding
buildings, the historical center of the city, was declared World
Heritage Site in 2005. The only triumphal arch in Cuba and two lions on
marble pedestal flanking a monument of Jose Martí stand in the park. -
At the
southern tip of the bay of Cienfuegos lies Punta Gorda, the aristocratic
quarter of the city in the early 1900´s which affords a lovely
panoramic view of the bay. Several wooden Art Nouveau villas were
modelled here on the American pre-fabricated “balloon frame” homes that
were so much in vogue in the early 20th century. -
Founded by
Diego Velazquez in 1514, it was declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site
in 1988. This city flourished between the 17th and 19th centuries
thanks to sugar cane and slave trade, reflected in the buildings around
the Main Square. The original cobble stone streets and pastel colored
houses give the impression that time has scarcely moved on since
colonial times. Trinidad offers a wide variety of architectural details
such as red tile roofs, wooden beams, ornamental wrought iron grates and
high windows which set slightly above ground level having strong wooden
shutters. -
This 1892
built church with Neo Classical façade has four aisle interior and a Neo
Gothic altar dedicated to the Virgin of Mercy. But the real attraction
of this place is an 18th century wooden statue “Lord of the True Cross”
made in Spain for a church in Vera Cruz which left Barcelona´s port in
1731 but three times the ship was driven by strong winds to the port of
Casilda, 6 km from Trinidad. On its fourth attempt to reach Mexico the
ship´s captain decided to leave behind part of the cargo which included
the statue of Christ. Locals believed this was a signal from heaven
becoming an object of worship. -
This church
was built by Franciscan monks in the late 18th century. The authorities
transformed the monastery into a garrison for the Spanish army during
the 1890´s. The convent and part of the church were demolished because
of its deteriorated condition, only the bell tower and its clock are
still standing along with adjacent buildings, which were used as school.
The complex became the home of the Museum of the War against Bandits. -
This
building was commissioned by Mariano Borrell Padrón and bought later by
María de Monserrate who married Cantero, a landowner from the Sugar
Mills Valley, who transformed it into one of the most sumptuous Neo
Classical residences of Trinidad. It is now the Municipal Museum of
History where local history can be traced here through exhibits, maps
and monuments related to different themes: the Cantero family, piracy,
the plantations of the Sugar Mills Valley the slave trade and the wars
of independence. The tower has a commanding view of the historic center. -
This
building belonged to the sugar magnate Saturnino Sánchez Iznaga and is
now the home of the Museum of Colonial Architecture. It covers the
different architectural elements seen in Trinidad and illustrates the
building techniques used during the colonial period. There is a
collection of several locks, latches, doors, hinges, windows and grates. -
Built in
1812 as the residence of the wealthy Borrel family, it now houses the
Romantic Museum whose decoration blends in well with the objects on
display, most of which belonged to this family. It features precious
wood furniture, Sevres vases, Bohemian crystal ware and other decorative
objects from the 18th and 19th century. -
This small 18th century church on a hill north of the center is connected to the Main Square by a narrow steep street. The striking three arch bell tower loggia was added in 1812, when work was done to the church to repair the damage done by a cyclone. -
This 18th
century building is known for a local traditional cocktail
“Canchánchara”, made from rum, lemon, water and honey. This drink helped
Cuban rebels “Mambises” to bear the cold weather and different
respiratory diseases out in the fields during the independence wars in
the 19th century. . -
This is the
city´s foundational site where Bartolomé de las Casas celebrated the first ecclesiastic mass in Trinidad in 1514 and where a Jigue tree still stands. -
This nice looking house, built in the early 18th century, with a wooden balcony on the corner was the meeting place for local nationalist members of the Conspiracy “Mina de la Rosa Cubana” in 1848. -
The Che Guevara Mausoleum is a memorial in Santa Clara, Cuba, located in "Plaza Che Guevara" (Che Guevara Square). It houses the remains of the revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara and twenty-nine of his fellow combatants killed in 1967 during Guevara's attempt to spur an armed uprising in Bolivia. -
Situated on the shore of a large bay, Matanzas is the cradle of the national dance “El Danzón”. Land of some of the most outstanding Cuban poets, intellectuals, philosophers and musicians, it has always been famous for an intense cultural and economic life, hence the name “The Athens of Cuba”. The city has also been called the “Venice of Cuba” because of the many bridges on the San Juan and Yumuri rivers, linking the historic center with other quarters of the city.
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Coral Beach,
just 15km from Varadero on the road to Matanzas City has a coral and
sand beach with sublime reefs just meters offshore (Varadero has none
close enough to swim to). Water visibility often exceeds 25m, so be
ready for great glimpses of some of the over sixty species of coral and
over a hundred species of fish thriving there. Excellent spot for
snorkeling and diving. All equipment is available for rent. -
Saturno Cave is a cenote or underground natural swimming hole where water is a lurid turquoise and you can swim or snorkel among stalagmites and stalactites. -
Bellamar Caves were discovered by chance in 1861 by a slave who was digging in the ground searching for water. Visitors can see marine fossils dating from 26 million years ago and outstanding crystal formations in
intriguing shapes. The caves became the first tourist attraction in
Cuba. -
This temple was named after Monserrat Mountains in Cataluña and built in 1875 by Catalonian José Bartolome Borrel at the highest point of the city, dominating a perfect view of the Yumuri Valley and the city. The statue of “Virgen de Monserrat” which decorates the high altar became a Spanish community response after the outbreak of the independence war in 1868 to oppose “Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre”, Madonna of the rebels, known
as mambises. -
Formerly called the Main Square where military parade were held in 1800s. There is an impressive statue of José Martí in the middle of the square surrounded by some attractive buildings: the Artistic and Literary Lyceum (1860), the Spanish Casino (1900s), the City Hall, the Casa White and the Pharmaceutical Museum (1882). -
Built as a drug store and inaugurated in 1882 by of Dr. Ernesto Triolet and Juan Fermín de Figueroa, it was turned into a museum in 1964. The original porcelain vases, an incredible quantity of small bottles with herbs syrups and elixirs stand on the wooden shelves. It also collects
millions of old labels, mortars, stills and books of old remedies. -
This is the
city´s foundational site, the core of the first streets layout which is
connected to other city quarters by Concordia and Calixto García
bridges. There is a statue of an unknown soldier of the independence
wars in the middle and several of the city´s key sights: the
Neoclassical Fire Station, the Palace of Justice (1826), the Sauto
Theater (1863), the Provincial Museum (1838), etc. stand around it. -
This theater
was designed by the Italian Architect Daniele Dell´Aglio and opened on
1863 as Esteban Theater, after the governor. It was later renamed as
Sauto Theatre after a local pharmacist Ambrosio de la Concepción Sauto
Noda who had been a great financial contributor to its construction. It
is a neoclassical structure with several Greek inspired statues made of
Carrara marble and frescoes of Renaissance inspiration. It has been
chosen venue for all kinds of shows where Cuban and world famous artists
have performed as Sarah Bernhardt, ballet dancer Anna Pavlova, etc. -
It is a typical military construction of Renaissance style part of the old defense system to protect the city from pirate and Spanish enemies’ attacks. Because of the historical and architectural values the castle became a National Monument in 1978. In 2009, a museum that pictures the life and history of the fortress as well as the legacy of slavery in the
province of Matanzas, was inaugurated in the premises. It is also the
seat of the Museum of the Slave Route, a project supported by UNESCO. -
The cultural landscape of Rio Canimar was declared National Monument as 31
aboriginal settlements have been found at its banks. It treasures one of
the most important archeological funerary sites of Cuba and the
Caribbean where over 100 bodies have been extracted, being over 7 000
years old. Down the river there is a gorgeous scenic spot "The Grove"
where you can go horseback riding, swim in the river, take a rowboat or
pedal boat and taste the most authentic Cuban cuisine. -
Its more than 20 km of excellent beaches, white a broad strip of fine, white sand along the shoreline, and a continental shelf that softly sinks into a warm, crystalclear sea of the most varied of blues, are the chief tourist attractions of Varadero, a tourist city that is presently well-positioned in the International circuits. -
"The Beatles" Bar-Restaurant in Varadero, has become one of the beach town's most popular nighttime haunts, especially among young people who particularly enjoy the live performances of some of the island's best rock bands.
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