Find places in Cuba

Great for Date Night

• La Guarida (Concordia, Centro Habana)
  A celebrated paladar on the upper floors of a grand, crumbling mansion, with a rooftop bar above the city.
• San Cristóbal Paladar (San Rafael, Centro Habana)
  A family run dining room crammed with antiques, photos and religious art, serving generous Cuban classics.
• El Cocinero (Calle 26, Vedado)
  A rooftop terrace beside an old brick chimney, right next door to Fábrica de Arte Cubano.
• Atelier (Calle 5ta, Vedado)
  An art filled mansion with a breezy terrace and a changing menu of creative Cuban dishes.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Doña Eutimia (Callejón del Chorro, Old Havana)
  Hearty home style ropa vieja and black beans in a tiny lane just off the cathedral square.

Must-Haves

• El Café (Amargura, Old Havana)
  Good coffee, fresh juices and hearty breakfasts in a small, friendly room in the old town.

Fun for Everyone

• Café El Escorial (Plaza Vieja, Old Havana)
  Freshly roasted Cuban coffee served on one of the prettiest squares in the city.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Coppelia (La Rampa, Vedado)
  The famous state ice cream park where Cubans queue for scoops under a modernist canopy.

Fun for Everyone

• Factoría Plaza Vieja (Plaza Vieja, Old Havana)
  A busy microbrewery pouring its own beer by the glass or tall tower on the square.

Must-Haves

• El Floridita (Obispo, Old Havana)
  The classic home of the daiquiri and Hemingway's bar stool, with live music most of the day.
• La Bodeguita del Medio (Empedrado, Old Havana)
  A tiny, graffiti covered bar famous for its mojitos and its place in Havana legend.

Great for Date Night

• La Zorra y El Cuervo (La Rampa, Vedado)
  A small basement jazz club entered through a red British phone box, with fine local bands.

Must-Haves

• Fábrica de Arte Cubano (Calle 26, Vedado)
  A former oil mill turned into a buzzing mix of galleries, concerts, film and bars late into the night.
• Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Cuban Art Building (Trocadero, Old Havana)
  The finest collection of Cuban art anywhere, from colonial painting to the avant garde.
• Museo de la Revolución (Refugio, Old Havana)
  The former presidential palace, telling the story of the revolution with the Granma boat outside.

Off the Beaten Path

• Callejón de Hamel (Centro Habana)
  A painted alley devoted to Afro Cuban culture, with rumba sessions on Sunday afternoons.
• Fusterlandia (Jaimanitas)
  An artist's neighbourhood covered in colourful mosaics, a joyful surprise west of the city.

Great for Date Night

• Tropicana Cabaret (Marianao)
  The famous open air cabaret under the trees, with feathers, sequins and big band music.

Must-Haves

• Fortaleza de San Carlos de La Cabaña (Across the harbour)
  A vast fortress with views back to the city and the nightly cannon firing ceremony.

Low Cost and Authentic

• El Malecón (Old Havana to Vedado)
  The seafront wall where all of Havana gathers at sunset, free and endlessly entertaining.

Fun for Everyone

• Havana Club Rum Museum (Avenida del Puerto, Old Havana)
  A guided look at how Cuban rum is made, finishing with a tasting.

Must-Haves

• Almacenes San José Artisans' Market (Avenida del Puerto, Old Havana)
  A huge harbourside warehouse full of paintings, crafts, guayaberas and souvenirs.

Off the Beaten Path

• Plaza de Armas Book Market (Plaza de Armas, Old Havana)
  Stalls of old books, posters and revolutionary memorabilia under the trees.

Must-Haves

• Hotel Nacional de Cuba (Vedado)
  The grand 1930s hotel above the Malecón, with a garden terrace perfect for a sunset drink.

Great for Date Night

• Hotel Inglaterra (Paseo del Prado)
  A historic hotel facing Central Park, with a tiled lobby and a rooftop bar.

Fun for Everyone

• Playas del Este (Santa María del Mar)
  The capital's own beaches, a short ride east, busy with local families at weekends.

Fun for Everyone

• Cueva del Indio (North of Viñales village)
  A cave explored partly by boat along an underground river, easy and fun for all ages.

Must-Haves

• Viñales National Park Visitor Centre (Carretera a Pinar del Río)
  Maps, exhibits and licensed guides for hikes in the UNESCO listed valley.

Off the Beaten Path

• Gran Caverna de Santo Tomás (El Moncada)
  One of the largest cave systems in Latin America, visited with a guide and headlamp.

Must-Haves

• Valle del Silencio (West of Viñales village)
  A quiet side valley of tobacco fields and drying houses, ideal for a morning walk or ride.

Fun for Everyone

• Cayo Jutías (North coast, Pinar del Río)
  A long, quiet beach of soft sand and shallow water at the end of a causeway.

Great for Date Night

• Cayo Levisa (North coast, Pinar del Río)
  A small island reached by boat, with white sand and good snorkelling.

Fun for Everyone

• Mural de la Prehistoria (Dos Hermanas valley)
  A giant painted cliff face that makes a striking stop on a ride or walk through the valley.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Iglesia del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (Main square, Viñales)
  The simple village church on the square, the centre of Viñales life.

Must-Haves

• Hotel Los Jazmines (Carretera a Pinar del Río)
  The classic viewpoint over the Viñales Valley, worth a drink on the terrace at sunrise or sunset.

Fun for Everyone

• Hotel La Ermita (Carretera a La Ermita)
  A hilltop hotel with a pool and broad views across the mogotes.

Must-Haves

• Finca Agroecológica El Paraíso (Outside Viñales village)
  An organic farm restaurant serving abundant family style meals from its own gardens, with valley views.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Centro Cultural Polo Montañez (Main square, Viñales)
  An open air courtyard where locals and visitors dance to live bands most evenings.

Must-Haves

• Plaza Mayor (Old town, Trinidad)
  The elegant main square of palms, railings and mansions at the heart of the old town.

Must-Haves

• Museo Romántico (Plaza Mayor, Trinidad)
  A sugar baron's palace filled with period furniture and porcelain.
• Manaca Iznaga Tower (Valle de los Ingenios)
  A tall estate watchtower that tells the hard story of the sugar mills and slavery.

Fun for Everyone

• Museo Nacional de la Lucha Contra Bandidos (Former San Francisco convent)
  The yellow bell tower here gives the best view over the town's rooftops.
• Museo de Historia Municipal (Palacio Cantero, Trinidad)
  A palace museum whose tower offers a fine panorama of the town.

Off the Beaten Path

• Palenque de los Congos Reales (Echerri, Trinidad)
  Afro Cuban drumming and rumba in an open patio near the main square.

Must-Haves

• Casa de la Música Trinidad (Steps beside Plaza Mayor)
  Open air steps that fill every night with salsa bands and dancers.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Casa de la Trova Trinidad (Echerri, Trinidad)
  Traditional son and trova in a courtyard where locals come to dance.

Off the Beaten Path

• Disco Ayala (La Cueva, above Trinidad)
  A nightclub set deep inside a natural cave on the hill above town.

Fun for Everyone

• La Canchánchara (Real del Jigüe, Trinidad)
  Try the town's signature drink of aguardiente, honey and lime to a live band.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Taberna La Botija (Amargura, Trinidad)
  A busy, rustic tavern with live music and Cuban food late into the night.

Off the Beaten Path

• Mirador de la Loma del Puerto (Valle de los Ingenios)
  A viewpoint over the green Valley of the Sugar Mills, best in the morning.

Fun for Everyone

• Playa Ancón (Península de Ancón)
  A long Caribbean beach of soft sand and calm water near town.

Low Cost and Authentic

• La Boca (Coast road to Ancón)
  A fishing village with a small, local beach and casas by the sea.

Must-Haves

• Salto del Caburní (Topes de Collantes)
  A steep forest hike down to a waterfall with pools for swimming.

Great for Date Night

• Iberostar Grand Trinidad (Parque Céspedes, Trinidad)
  A restored colonial building in the old town with a quiet courtyard.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Trinidad Craft Market (Jesús Menéndez, Trinidad)
  Street stalls of lace, crochet, wood carvings and paintings.

Must-Haves

• Playa de Varadero (Varadero peninsula)
  Kilometres of soft white sand and calm, clear blue water.
• Cueva de los Peces (Bay of Pigs)
  A deep, flooded sinkhole by the sea, wonderful for snorkelling.

Fun for Everyone

• Parque Josone (Avenida 1ra, Varadero)
  A landscaped park with a lake, rowing boats and a historic mansion.
• Cueva de Saturno (Near Varadero airport)
  A cave with a cool, clear underground pool where you can swim.

Off the Beaten Path

• Reserva Ecológica Varahicacos (Eastern Varadero)
  Short trails through dry forest, caves and old cacti near the tip of the peninsula.

Great for Date Night

• Mansión Xanadú (Avenida Las Américas, Varadero)
  The du Pont mansion's rooftop bar is a classic sunset spot over the sea.

Off the Beaten Path

• Cueva de Ambrosio (Eastern Varadero)
  A cave with ancient pictographs left by the island's early inhabitants.

Fun for Everyone

• Meliá Internacional Varadero (Avenida Las Américas)
  A large beachfront resort on the site of Varadero's famous historic hotel.

Must-Haves

• Iberostar Selection Varadero (Autopista Sur)
  A big all inclusive resort on a broad stretch of beach.

Must-Haves

• Parque Céspedes (Centro, Santiago de Cuba)
  The lively main square, overlooked by the cathedral and colonial balconies.
• Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca (El Morro)
  A UNESCO listed clifftop fortress with sweeping sea views.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Balcón de Velázquez (Bartolomé Masó)
  A terrace with views over the red roofs to the bay.
• Loma de San Juan (San Juan Hill)
  A park and memorials marking the 1898 battle, with a quieter feel.

Must-Haves

• Casa de Diego Velázquez (Parque Céspedes)
  Said to be one of the oldest houses in the Americas, now a colonial museum.
• Cementerio Santa Ifigenia (Avenida Crombet)
  The resting place of José Martí and Fidel Castro, with a changing of the guard.
• Basílica del Cobre (El Cobre)
  Cuba's most important shrine, home of the country's patron saint.

Fun for Everyone

• Cuartel Moncada (Avenida de los Libertadores)
  The barracks where the revolution began, now a school with a history museum.

Off the Beaten Path

• Cafetal La Isabelica (Gran Piedra)
  A French coffee plantation museum, part of a UNESCO listed landscape.

Must-Haves

• Casa de la Trova Santiago (Calle Heredia)
  The legendary home of son music, with live bands from afternoon to night.

Off the Beaten Path

• Gran Piedra (Sierra de la Gran Piedra)
  A giant rock on a mountain ridge, climbed by steps for views to the sea.

Fun for Everyone

• Playa Siboney (East of Santiago)
  A local beach with a village feel, popular with Santiago families.

Must-Haves

• Hotel Casa Granda (Parque Céspedes)
  A historic hotel whose terrace and rooftop bar overlook the main square.

Must-Haves

• Carnaval de Santiago de Cuba (Across the city, July)
  Days of congas, parades and music, the biggest carnival in Cuba.

Off the Beaten Path

• Fiesta del Fuego, Festival del Caribe (Across the city, early July)
  A festival of Caribbean music and dance ending with the burning of the devil.

Must-Haves

• Parque José Martí (Centro, Cienfuegos)
  A grand square framed by the cathedral, theatre and palaces.

Fun for Everyone

• Palacio Ferrer (Parque Martí)
  Climb the rooftop tower for views over the square and bay.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Malecón de Cienfuegos (Calle 37)
  The seafront promenade where locals stroll and fish in the evening.

Off the Beaten Path

• Castillo de Jagua (Mouth of Cienfuegos Bay)
  A seventeenth century fortress guarding the bay entrance.

Must-Haves

• Teatro Tomás Terry (Parque Martí)
  An opulent theatre with a painted ceiling and gilded boxes.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Paseo del Prado and Benny Moré Statue (Calle 37)
  A colonnaded avenue with a statue of the city's most famous singer.
• Catedral de la Purísima Concepción (Parque Martí)
  The city's cathedral, with French stained glass windows.

Off the Beaten Path

• Cementerio Tomás Acea (East of Cienfuegos)
  A monumental cemetery with a grand neoclassical entrance.

Great for Date Night

• Palacio de Valle (Punta Gorda)
  A fantastical Moorish style palace with a rooftop bar for sunset.
• Club Cienfuegos (Punta Gorda)
  The former yacht club, a white palace on the water with a terrace bar.

Must-Haves

• Jardín Botánico de Cienfuegos (Pepito Tey)
  One of Cuba's oldest botanical gardens, with hundreds of palm species.
• El Nicho (Escambray Mountains)
  Waterfalls and turquoise pools for swimming in the hills.

Fun for Everyone

• Playa Rancho Luna (South of Cienfuegos)
  A quiet beach close to the city for a swim.

Must-Haves

• Hotel La Unión (Centro, Cienfuegos)
  A colonial hotel with a courtyard pool a block from the main square.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Bulevar de Cienfuegos (Avenida 54)
  The pedestrian shopping street, busy with local life.