What to see in Havana in 1 day

Havana freezes time in its streets, where American cars from the fifties coexist with Spanish colonial palaces in a UNESCO World Heritage historic centre.

Capital of Cuba overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, it tells five centuries of history among colonial squares, the famous Malecón waterfront and the venues frequented by Ernest Hemingway during his Cuban years.

Old Havana remains the first appointment of the day: the colonial historic center, UNESCO heritage, is articulated around four main squares, starting from the Plaza de la Catedral, dominated by the baroque cathedral in coral stone.

Continuing you reach Plaza Vieja, surrounded by restored colonial palaces in pastel colors, today home to galleries, cafés, and one of the island's few craft breweries.

A few steps away stands the Capitol, the neoclassical building inspired by the Capitol in Washington, for decades the seat of the Cuban parliament and still among the city's most imposing monuments.

For lunch, La Bodeguita del Medio, a historic venue frequented by Hemingway, remains an almost obligatory stop to taste a mojito in the place where it was supposedly born.

The Malecón, the eight-kilometer waterfront, is where Cubans gather at sunset, among waves breaking against the seawall and live music in restaurants overlooking the sea.

The Vedado neighborhood instead has art deco architecture and the famous Hotel Nacional, overlooking the ocean from a tropical garden.

As evening falls, heading back to Old Havana, the restaurants around Plaza Vieja become the point of reference for dinner, with live music and vintage cars parked along the cobblestone streets.

Habana Vieja, Plaza Vieja, and Capitolio already tell the colonial soul of Havana well, while an afternoon choice between the Malecón and Vedado flanks it with the maritime or more modern side.

A ride in one of the famous vintage American convertibles and a trip to the Viñales Valley remain chapters for a second journey. Watching the colorful American cars parade along the Malecón at sunset remains the most direct image of Havana.