Havana Cuba
Frequently Asked Questions
At the Sierra Maestra terminal, in the heart of the historic centre, directly facing the Plaza de San Francisco. A few steps take you from the gangway to colonial cobbles. Few capitals in the Americas offer such an immediate arrival.
Yes, and that is the great advantage of this call. Plaza de San Francisco is at the terminal exit, Plaza de Armas ten minutes away, Plaza Vieja a little further south. Obispo street then links the whole quarter to Parque Central.
The four great squares of Old Havana on foot, Obispo street and the rooftop terrace of the Ambos Mundos hotel, then the Paseo del Prado to the Capitol. Add a walk on the Malecón if time allows.
In 1982. The quarter is organized around four major squares: Plaza de San Francisco, Plaza de Armas, Plaza Vieja and Plaza de la Catedral.
Yes, if you want to see the outlying districts. An hour in a 1950s Chevrolet or Buick remains the most efficient way to cover Vedado and the Plaza de la Revolución. The cars wait along the Paseo del Prado; agree the fare before getting in.
The Ambos Mundos hotel on Obispo street keeps the room where he stayed in the 1930s, before moving to the outskirts of the capital. It can be visited freely and its rooftop terrace gives a wide view over the old town roofs and the bay.
The seafront boulevard where waves splash over the parapet and Havanans come to fish, talk or watch the horizon. It is the city's open-air living room, a few minutes' walk from Parque Central.
At the Almacenes San José, about fifteen minutes on foot from the terminal along the harbour front. These 19th-century warehouses hold the capital's largest craft market: paintings, wood carvings, guayaberas and domino boxes.
The Cuban peso and Spanish. Bring cash in small notes: card terminals are unreliable and cards issued by US banks do not work in Cuba. Check with your travel advisor before departure, as currency rules change.
No, and it is fairer to say so. Havana cannot be summed up in a day: it merely sets the tone, between colonial grandeur, ever-present music and the patina of decades. Focus on the old town on foot rather than racing across the capital.
