Free Guide Havana City
Travel tips for your trip to Cuba Hotel Maps Famous Places in Cuba helps you to make your trip to Cuba in the holiday a Splendid One
Havana is the capital city and primary commercial centre of Cuba. It is also the birthplace of rum, salsa, and the Cuban cigar. This city was once called the "Paris of the Antilles" because of its flourishing cultural scene and rich architectural heritage. Today, Havana has an old world charm that appeals to the more sophisticated and adventurous travellers. Here are a few reasons why you should visit Havana.
Havana's administration policies are very tourist friendly and visitors are sure to find an abundance of travel modes, places to visit and accommodation options to choose from.
Travellers to the city will find shopping centres and souvenir shops selling memorabilia, clothes, shoes and other items at bargain rates and can prepare themselves for a shopping extravaganza.
Exploring Havana by foot allows travellers to experience the local culture firsthand using a city map. This is the best way for a traveller to truly understand the city. The city's old quarter, aptly named Old Havana, was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 and houses a number of neo-classical and baroque structures, such as the Castillo del Morro, Catedral de San Cristobal and Plaza de Armas. El Macelon, one of the district's main avenues, offers stunning views of the bay. Another well-known promenade is Paseo del Prado, a popular hangout for residents (or Habaneros). Vibrant with music and dancing from the various sidewalk cafes, the street also hosts an art market and underground realtors market during weekends.
The city is known for its production of rum and cigars and no Havana holiday will be complete without a visit to a distillery and cigar manufacturer. The Havana Club Rum Factory and Real Fabrica de Tabacos Partagás offer guided tours to the public from where purchases can be made. Tourists will enjoy the opportunity to see genuine Cuban cigars being made and can purchase them at a fair price.
There are also a number of politically-significant attractions that tourists and history enthusiasts may find interesting. The Plaza de la Revolucion bears a monument of Jose Marti and the iconic image of Che Guevara. The former Presidential Palace houses the Museo de la Revolucion, which outlines the history of Cuba from the onset of the neo-colonial period. Both these places are popular tourist hotspots.
Fans of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro will enjoy a visit to Havana along with the opportunity to purchase Che and Fidel memorabilia such as flags, tee-shirts, papier mache masks or statuettes.
