Best attractions in Cuba: Top 25

What to see in Cuba? This question primarily interests people who have decided to travel to the island state, located on the shores of the Caribbean Sea. Attractions of Cuba are presented for all tastes, each has its own interesting history.

What to see first of all in Cuba?

Life on the island at all times has been boiling with passion, beating the heat. To get acquainted with the sunny Cuba was fascinating and memorable, it makes sense to get acquainted in advance with the best sights of the island state.

1. Havana Grand Theatre

In the territory of the Republic, this object of cultural patrimony is one of the main ones. It was founded in 1838, but almost a century later the first model was torn down and replaced by a new, even more beautiful and larger building. The theater was given its present name in 1985, but it was built in 1915. Today this building is the home stage of the national ballet in Cuba. The auditorium can accommodate 1500 guests, so it is one of the largest theaters. This attraction of Cuba attracts tourists with its interior, it is simply magnificent.

Official website: http://www.balletcuba.cult

2. Museum of the Revolution

This place in Havana is among the must-see sites. It is not only a historical but also an architectural monument. At one time it was used as a presidential palace, so you can guess how beautiful it is. There are over 300 museums in Cuba, but this one is one of the main attractions. Designed and built 30 years before the revolution, the palace was turned into a museum after the overthrow of the Batista regime. Now in the 30 halls to the attention of visitors are presented about 9 thousand exhibits.

3. Capitol

Looking for something to see in Cuba from the architecture? A great option is the government palace, built on the site of a former swamp that was dried up and replaced with a botanical garden. The result is an imposing building embodying the free state. One cannot help but be struck by the massive doors, as well as the huge statue. From the description you can learn that in the central hall the floor is made of marble, the highlight is a huge star, decorated with a large jewel in a platinum frame. Parliamentarians have not been sitting there since 1959, so everyone is allowed inside.

4. National Museum of Fine Arts

Within the country it is the main center of art and painting, not only nationally, but worldwide. All because its holdings are rich and amazing. Just imagine, the museum has more than 47,000 unique exhibits. Still pondering what to see in Cuba in 1 day? Must visit the Palace of Fine Arts, located in the center of Havana, namely on Trocadero Street. Built in the late 20th century, this modern building stands out very much among the grand old palaces in the area, but at the same time, it fits perfectly into the architecture of the street.

5. Havana Cathedral

The capital and at the same time the largest city of the Republic of Cuba concentrates a lot of interesting places that you want to visit all at once. One of them is the Cathedral of St. Christopher, which housed the ashes of the Spanish navigator. It is an unusual baroque building in the colonial style. At one time it was built of hewn stone slabs. Together with the surrounding square it was inscribed on the UNESCO List. Today it is one of the active Roman Catholic churches on the island.

6. Ernest Hemingway House Museum

Another of Cuba’s landmarks is a two-story house set in a large garden. It was purchased by a famous American writer, where he created a work called The Old Man and the Sea. The opening of the museum took place after his death. According to the official version, Ernest’s wife voluntarily gave the house to the local government, with all its contents. Guides in Cuba are often offered to visit “Hemingway’s places”. They include not only the mansion where the author of the most interesting works lived, but also the fishing village of Cochimar, a bar-restaurant (from there began the popularization of mojitos), and the hotel where the writer lived before buying the “House with a View”.

7. Havana Club Rum Museum

Not the least of the rankings is the museum, opened in 2000, in the old part of the capital. It was initiated by a major rum company, which is by far the best-selling rum. The building has two floors above ground and one below. On the ground floor there is a workshop, where special barrels made of solid oak were made and then used for aging the hot beverage. On the top there is a reconstructed rum production. In the museum you can take interesting photos, for example, a unique exhibit is a car used at one time to transport sugar cane. There is also a separate exhibition of models of various rum factories in the museum.

Official website: https://havana-club.com/en

8. Malecon Promenade

This Cuban landmark is an iconic place where the February carnivals are organized every year. Several monuments are collected there, which are among the most significant. Walking along the promenade, you can learn almost the entire history of the capital. From the reviews of experienced travelers can learn, the best Malecon look during sunset. At this time of day, the facades of buildings are beautifully lit by the sun, and the benches and parapet are full of couples in love. The peculiarity of the promenade is that it is not too high above the water, so in windy weather the promenade is flooded with water.

9. Prado Boulevard

Where to go in Cuba, being in the capital? Its main avenue deserves attention, acting as a kind of border between old and very old Havana. On its sides there are the wedding palace, a beautiful hotel, the Grand Theatre, the local Capitol. Nearby is Central Park. It is a place where it is always noisy and crowded, on the boulevard on weekends you can buy paintings by local artists. There is another Cuban landmark on the Prado, it is a monument to revolutionary hero Manuel de la Cruz.

10. Plaza de Armas

This is the oldest square in the capital; it was laid out by the Spaniards in 1519 and was used for the moustache of the military as well as for ceremonial events. Once upon a time, the colonizers couldn’t live without them. Behind the square Cubans, known for their love of freedom, created a small square with a monument to the famous fighter for the independence of the island, Manuel Cespedes. Many tours in Cuba start exactly from the Plaza de Armas, because whichever way you go from the square, you can get to a lot of attractions in a few minutes.

11. José Martí Memorial

What to visit in Cuba? A powerful monument in the form of a mausoleum with a guard of honor, dedicated to a prominent figure, deserves attention. José was an apostle of independence, a singer of freedom, and even the forefather of modernism in Cuban literature. The Havana complex is nothing short of fascinating. It is an imposing structure that includes a vertical boom 110 meters high and a sculpture of the hero himself. The highlight of the structure is the presence inside the archive of the writer’s works, an observation deck.

12. Revolution Square

This Cuban landmark is located in the northwestern part of the capital. Its name used to be Republic Square, but after the buildings on it were occupied by revolutionaries, everything changed. By the way, the José Martí memorial described above is located right there, opposite the Central Committee building (the tallest building in the capital of the state). In reviewing the square, I would also like to say that the Ministry of the Interior is located across from it. One of its walls is decorated with a portrait of Che Guevara and at night it is illuminated.

13. Che Guevara Mausoleum

There is a small town in Cuba called Santa Clara. When making a trip that way, be sure to check out the landmark, which is a 3-in-1 monument, museum, and mausoleum built in honor of the famous Cuban hero named Ernest Che Guevara. He was a famous statesman at the time of the Cuban Revolution. The awe-inspiring complex is perched atop a hill, so the 7-meter statue of the man who greatly influenced the course of the revolution is clearly visible from any vantage point.

14. La Cabaña Fortress and El Morro

The purpose of building these structures was to protect Cuba’s main city from frequent raids by enemy fleets, pirates. They were built at different times, despite the fact that they have become a bright and popular historical monuments. If you manage to get acquainted with these sights of Cuba, keep in mind that under the laws of wartime there were executed a large number of people who betrayed their homeland, freedom. For those not in the know, La Cabaña was erected to strengthen the defensive power of El Moro.

15. Fortress of San Pedro de la Roca

It is a famous historic site, a twelfth-century structure built for the defense of the city’s bay. The project was created in 1637 and construction took 42 years. Now many visitors seek a trip to this place because it is a great opportunity to see with their own eyes the ancient architecture, as well as to feel the historical spirit that pervades the entire fortress. Its current state is evaluated as excellent, so it is among the best preserved.

16. La Real Fuerza Fortress

What to see in Cuba? A great option is the oldest defensive structure in Havana, located literally a few steps from the center of the capital. Of all the port fords, this fortification is the best preserved. In ancient times it used to defend the city from attacks from the sea, but today there is a Naval Museum inside. One of the main exhibits is a 4-meter long replica of the ship Santisima-Trinidad. In the 18th century the ship was considered the largest. Literally, the name of the fortress translates as “the castle of the king’s power”.

17. Alexander Humboldt National Park

This attraction gets its name after the German scientist who was the first to visit Liberty Island, which happened in 1800. There is not much history about the place, only that it once served as a refuge for runaway slaves. As for tourism, it began to develop there in the late twentieth century, when it was decided to unite the territory and put it on the list of protected areas. The described attraction of Cuba is interesting because the local terrain is quite diverse, and the flora and fauna are incredibly rich in unique representatives.

18. Bellamar Cave

It is no exaggeration to say that it is one of the main wonders of Cuba, its treasure. The cave was discovered quite by accident. In 1850, shepherds searching for a lost sheep stumbled upon the entrance to the bowels of the earth. In former times, people were very superstitious, so even a century into the cave was taboo for most. Its detailed study began only after the fifties of the twentieth century. Before it was seen in all its glory, many tons of water and limestone had to be removed. The main decorations of the underground are represented by stalagmites, stalactites and crystals of incredible beauty.

Official website: http://www.vintagecarstours.com

19. Baconao National Park

Excellent recommendations have the original place in the described country, designed for entertainment for the whole family. It is a park area spread over 50 km between the mountains and the Caribbean Sea. Its main highlights are the Baconao Lagoon, Sculpture Meadow, Prehistoric Valley. The park covers an area of 11 hectares, on which more than 200 representatives of the Stone Age fauna can be found. These are dinosaurs, mammoths, and even ancient people. All of them are made in full size.

20. Viñales Valley

The view from above of this Cuban landmark cannot fail to be mesmerizing. It made the province of Pinar del Rio famous, making it famous all over the world. Here tourists are waiting for stunning landscapes, a variety of landscapes, large-scale water system with a large saturation of minerals, caves. Unique described area makes not quite ordinary rock formations, traces of human stops of prehistoric times, extensive plantations, which grows black tobacco. The highlight of the valley is a prehistoric mural. It is about a steep rock 120 m high, it depicts in bright colors prehistoric representatives of mankind and animals. The author of the original idea was Celi Sanchez, and it was embodied in reality by a representative of Cuban art.

Sightseeing in Cuba: what else to visit in Cuba?

Going on a trip to a new country, it is not superfluous to know what hotels there are in Cuba, what the cost of rooms. So that upon arrival at the place not to waste time looking for a place to sleep, it is wiser to take care of it in advance by booking a hotel room. For this purpose, there are numerous convenient special services.

Continuing the main theme, what else to see in Cuba?

21. The Bacunayagua Bridge

It is considered the highest on the entire island, not surprisingly, it has an observation deck, which offers a magnificent view of the island state, namely the Yumuri Valley. It stretches to a height of 110 meters, and its construction began in 1957. It is supported by 40 pillars. It took two years and the bridge is more than 300 m long and about 2 m wide. Those who have traveled on it say that while traveling at an average speed, it feels like flying.

22. Colón Cemetery

What to see in Cuba? Certainly not the burial grounds, you might think. And in vain, the Cemetery of Columbus deserves attention, because there you can see many beautiful and quite interesting tombstones, there are even complete memorials. It was opened in the 19th century, namely in the second half. On an area of nearly 60 hectares were buried famous politicians, important persons, artists and sportsmen. Tourists can enter the cemetery for free, but if you want to order a tour, you will have to pay. The Colon cemetery closes at 5 pm.

23. Cabaret Tropicana

It became very famous about 10 years after its appearance, at that time Cuba was literally under the power of the United States. At that time, gambling was legalized in the cabaret, and 2 shows were shown every night, costing up to 75 thousand dollars each. In the summertime the number of visitors each day reaches 500 people, and in winter the institution is full at all. Nowadays the cabaret performances gather a great number of spectators from different parts of the world.

Official website: https://www.cabaret-tropicana.

24. Varadero

What to see in Cuba? Stop by the Cuban town, which is a solid beach. The coastal area there stretches for 20 kilometers, along which a line of hotels is located. We can not say that Cuba is pampered with the benefits of civilization, but, despite this, the inhabitants of our country took a fancy to this place, as a paradise. The described city is visited by about 10 thousand tourists, and at different times of the year. The local population is 27 thousand.

25. Villa Dupont

Villa Dupont. What to see in Cuba for the last time? The attention of all visitors to the island state without exception is attracted by a luxurious mansion that once belonged to an American multimillionaire.

Official site: http://www.varaderogolfclub

Properly organized travel is the key to a great time in an unfamiliar country.

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• Cuba
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