To be honest with you, there’s just so much to see, our one-day Havana Sightseeing Tour will only give you a glimpse of what there’s to see (and do) in this lively city.
There are two combinations when you’re doing a sightseeing tour in Havana. Your tour will always include a stroll on foot through Habana Vieja (Old Havana) as this is the best way to discover the historical centre which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After an hour or two, you can either jump into a classic American car or hop on a bike and follow your English-speaking guide through the streets of Havana.
Your walk will take you through narrow streets with tall historical buildings, either beautifully restored, in scaffolding or in dire need of renovation. There are numerous plazas and buildings, so I’ll just mention a few that have made an impression on me.
You’ll visit Plaza de Armas, Havana’s oldest square with a marble statue of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes (one of Cuba’s revolutionary heroes) in the centre of it and where street pedlars will try to sell you their fried plantain chips and other delicious goods. The plaza is also used as a second-hand book market and you may see a writer giving a book presentation in front of a group of people. On one side of the plaza, the Museo de la Ciudad is located inside the opulent Palacio de los Capitanes Generales and the attendants that look after each room, are very keen to show you all the artefacts, furniture and paintings and tell you where they originate from.
Built in the 15th century and not far from the Plaza is one of the oldest existing forts on the American continent, the Castillo de la Real Fuerza, nowadays a Museo de Navegacion. Continue to Plaza de la Cathedral with its stunning Cathedral (Christopher Columbus’ remains were kept until they were moved to Spain). Next stop is the Bodeguita del Medio, where you can sample your first Mojito (with or without Vitamin R = rum). You then continue via Calle Obispo, the main street in Old Havana, where you’ll find Hotel Ambos Mundos – one of Ernest Hemingway’s stomping grounds, to Plaza Vieja surrounded by opulent buildings where wealthy Cuban families used to reside.
Comfortably seated in classic American car you’ll then be taken on a two-hour drive through Havana Vedado and Miramar. Let the wind blow through your hair (if you’re in an open top car) and travel along the impressive Malecon – an 8km long seafront promenade, to the Capitolio Nacional (very much like the Capitol building in Washington DC), the impressive Revolution Museum, the beautiful Fine Arts Museum and the green Parque Central (Central Park). You’ll stop at the enormous Revolution Square, which is surrounded by grey government buildings, one with a gigantic mural of Che Guevara and on the other side the tall Jose Marti Memorial Tower and a 17 metre tall marble statue of the ‘Father of the Nation’ himself.
If you’re on two wheels, you’ll be biking to Cuba’s largest cemetery Necropolis Cristobal Colon, which is more like a marble village and return to Havana Vieja via the University of Havana and the famous Coppelia ice cream parlour.
If I have given you enough flavour to whet your appetite and you want to see it all for yourself, then why not ring me for a chat on 01768 721040 or send me an email:team@archipelagochoice.com