Havana

Cuba·North America

Currency

CUP

Language

Spanish

Timezone

Havana

Continent

North America

Our guide

Discover Havana

Havana is visited like a city stopped in time: the façades of the historic centre have stood since the 18th century, sometimes barely, and restoration advances street by street. The Catedral de San Cristobal de La Habana closes a square paved with blocks of coral. Three fortresses guard the harbour mouth — La Cabaña Fortress, the largest in Spanish America, Tres Reyes del Morro's Castle marking the entrance, and the Castle of the Royal Force, the oldest. The Museum of the Revolution occupies the former presidential palace, whose bullet holes have been kept.

When to go

December to April, the dry season: hot, sunny, less humid. It is also high season. From June to November the heat turns heavy and hurricane season runs throughout, peaking in September. May is a fair compromise. It is never cold: the temperature rarely drops below twenty degrees.

Getting around

Habana Vieja is walked entirely and that is the only way to see it. Beyond it, shared taxis — the almendrones, those 1950s American cars — run fixed routes at a shared fare. Private taxis are negotiated before you get in. Public transport exists but is overwhelmed. Walking the Malecón, the seawall running eight kilometres along the ocean, is part of the visit.

Where to eat

Cuban cooking is simple and filling: ropa vieja, rice and black beans, roast pork, fried plantain. The paladares, private restaurants born of economic opening, serve markedly better than state establishments. Rum and coffee are the two things the country does without argument. No halal address is listed.

Good to know

Currency needs attention: Cuba runs several exchange rates at once and the official figure bears little relation to what you actually get — ask close to departure, since nothing more than a few months old is reliable. American cards do not work and others work badly; bring cash in euros. Internet is limited and paid for with prepaid cards. Shortages regularly affect everyday goods, medicines included.

Smart Planning