Havana is made up of a network of fascinating streets and alleys that all connect up, revealing its amazing architecture and fascinating history. A walk through the historic centre of the city is always a genuine delight. No matter where the tour starts or ends, every route you take will be unique, inviting travellers to create their own experience as if they were doing a challenging puzzle that brings together pieces of the past and the present.
Today we propose a tour that starts from our newest hotel, the INNSiDE Habana Catedral, and ends at the classic Hotel Sevilla Affiliated by Meliá. We recommend you make a very early start after enjoying a delicious breakfast and a stroll around the Plaza de la Catedral and its surroundings.
The best idea is to always walk towards the sea, to feel the caress of the gentle sea breeze and admire the majestic Fortaleza de la Cabaña, a magnificent example of colonial architecture on the other side of Avenida del Puerto.
Turning to the right and back into the narrow streets leads to the Castillo de la Real Fuerza, whose summit is home to a replica of La Giraldilla, the symbol of the city, a bronze sculpture made in the image and likeness of the Giraldillo on the top of the spectacular La Giralda Tower in Seville.
To your left is the famous Plaza de Armas, the place where the first ever mass was held on the island and the centre of the Villa de San Cristóbal de la Habana when it was founded more than 500 years ago. The Templete, the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, the Natural History Museum and the Palacio del Segundo Cabo are some of the attractions around the square that you can visit.
We recommend you continue along the Calle Obispo, a boulevard with a lot of shops, galleries and iconic buildings, such as the Colegio Universitario San Gerónimo de la Habana and the Ambos Mundos Hotel, where the famous author Ernest Hemingway once lived. His room has been preserved as a museum and is a top attraction for literature lovers from all over the world.
Calle Obispo is a boulevard that is always in motion, a place to enjoy an immersive experience in the local culture and lifestyle. At the end of the street is one of the most famous bars in the city, the Floridita, the place where you have to try the classic Daiquirí, the cocktail immortalised by Hemingway and which is now one of most popular cocktails in the world.
As you leave the bar, you will see the majestic Universal Art building belonging to the National Museum of Fine Arts, which stands opposite another impressive building, the Gran Hotel Kemspinsky Habana. A few steps further on and you reach Central Park, the Gran Teatro de la Habana and the Monumental Capitolio Nacional.
There’s a lot to explore in the area, and after you finish exploring, we recommend you go back to the sea along the amazing Paseo del Prado with its sculptures of lions and exhibitions by street artists.
Take a right at Calle Trocadero, where the world of ballet and classical music will welcome you with a lot of energy, with the building that is home to the Cuban National Ballet School on the left. Right in front of you will be a building with Moorish features that will signal your arrival at the Hotel Sevilla Affiliated by Meliá. It’s quite likely that you’ll get here just as the sun sets, so nothing could be better than entering the hotel and enjoying a drink or a meal on one of its Andalusian-style patios.
From this location you can continue exploring other interesting city attractions such as the Cuban Art building of the National Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of the Revolution or the Church of the Holy Angel.
On warmer days we recommend that you always take a water bottle with you and wear comfortable shoes when you set out on a walk. The area is full of bars and cafés of different sizes and styles where you can take a seat and enjoy city life at your own pace.
On the way back to the INNSiDE Habana Catedral hotel, we suggest you visit the Bodeguita del Medio to enjoy a classic mojito accompanied by traditional music, almost always performed live.
If you do follow this route, you’ll have visited only a small part of Old Havana.
There is so much more to discover, so follow our advice: when you get back to the INNSiDE Habana Catedral hotel, settle into The Station lobby Bar with an aromatic coffee or Cuban cocktail and start planning your next walk.
