Havana Cuba (also known as La Habana in Spanish) is one of the most colourful places that I have visited. With its old colonial period buildings and people cruising around in their vintage cars. You really do feel like you have stepped back in time when you are exploring this vibrant city.
It is full of interesting history which has gone hand in hand with the Cuban people and the development of the city. Meaning that there are plenty of stories to tell, some good and some bad.
Fun facts about Havana Cuba
The island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos, make up the country. It has a population of 2.1 million. Havana is not only the capital city but also the largest city, major port, and leading commercial centre in Cuba.
⇒ Do you require a visa for Havana Cuba before you go? You can check here and see if there are any requirements.
With so many interesting things to know about Havana Cuba, I thought I would put together some fun facts together. That you can learn before you go. Then all you have to do is turn up with an open mind and just take in the colourful and intriguing city.
El Capitolio (National Capitol Building ) is based on Pantheon in Paris
The El Capitolio or also known as the National Capitol Building was the seat of government until after the revolution. However, it is now home to the Cuban Academy of Sciences. Even though at first sight it looks like Capitol Building in Washington DC it is in fact designed on the Pantheon in Paris.
The dome stands at 92mtrs (300ft) which is considered higher than the one in DC and up until 1950’s. This was the highest structure not only in Havana but also in the whole of Cuba.
We never made it inside but apparently in the centre of the building, stands an enormous bronze woman. She is supposed to symbolise the mythic Guardian of Virtue and Work. At 11m tall, is considered to be the third tallest indoor statue in the world.
Mural of Che Guevara
The giant bronze sculpture of Che Guevara on the Ministerio del Interior building was completed in 1995. It was based on the famous photograph taken by Alberto Kirda. The wording which appears underneath the picture reads “Hasta la Victoria Siempre” which translates (into many versions depending on what you read but the version I am going with is) into “keep striving for Victory”
The building is situated on the Plaza de la Revolución and is one of the world’s largest city squares at 72,000 square metres. It is really cool to stand in the middle of the square, taking in the atmosphere while looking at all the memorials. Rumour has it that Che Guevara once kept an office in the Ministerio del Interior.
Castillo de la Real Fuerza
You do not think of 16th-century Forts when Havana Cuba comes to mind. However, it is one of the first things you will see when you arrive in old Havana. Situated on the western side of the harbour and it played a huge part in Cuban history. It is set back from the harbour entrance is Castillo de la Real Fuerza (known as the English Castle of the Royal Force).
It is the oldest military construction in Havana & was originally built to defend against the attack of pirates.
Considered to be the oldest stone fort in the Americas and is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Old Havana. Even though it looks imposing with its impressive moat and its thick sloping walls the Castillo de la Real Fuerza suffered from a poor strategic position, being too far inside the bay.
Read More – Cool Facts about the Tower Bridge in London England
The fort is now Cuba’s premier maritime museum and houses an impressive collection from Cuba’s maritime past. One main feature is a huge four-metre model of the boat, Santisima Trinidad. Which uses an interactive touch screen to show life on board. This was an important ship in Cuban history because she was one of four Cuban-built ships at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805
Have a cocktail daiquiri at El Floridita
If you are a fan of cocktails, especially daiquiri’s or rum based drinks, then you can’t go to Havana without visiting the world famous El Floridita. It is where the original daiquiri cocktail was invented. El Floridita is a restaurant and cocktail bar in the older part of Havana Cuba.
Situated at the end of Calle Obispo (Bishop Street) on the corner, near The National Museum of Fine Arts of Havana. The building is hard not to miss with the outside painted pink and its big blue sign protruding out of the side.
Constante (Real name Constantino Ribalaigua Vert ) was credited for inventing the frozen daiquiri. As well as making the Floridita bar famous. He was originally the bartender before becoming the owner. Apart from its daiquiris, it used to be one of the favourite hangouts for Ernest Hemingway in Havana. This is why there is a bronze statue of him in the bar, which you can take a picture with.
I had the new style daiquiri which is a blend of white rum, lemon, sugar, maraschino and ice. I don’t need an excuse to have a great cocktail, especially with family & friends.
Vintage Cars
There are several things that come to my mind when I think of Havana Cuba; cigars, rum and El Capitolio and of course colourful vintage cars. Do you know that there are an estimated 60,000 vintage cars in Cuba? Up until recently, residents needed permission from the government to purchase cars legally older than 1959.
Spending longer in Cuba, how about 3-day Havana itinerary, while in the capital.
Surprisingly most of these cars were from the states. Everywhere you look is an old-school American brand vehicle, ranging from Oldsmobile to Chevrolet and Ford. These are all vehicles that the majority of American car lovers would spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on to do up.
⇒ You can check to see if you need a Visa and if there are any requirements before you head to Havana Cuba here
These days, you can step back into automotive time and take a tour. There are plenty of tour companies that will offer services using vintage cars. Cuba is literally a rolling car museum.
Pubs and Restaurants in Havana Cuba
There are lots of great restaurants and pubs in and around Havana Cuba. Where you can enjoy a famous rum cocktail or a bite to eat. Here are a few recommendations for both pubs and Restaurants:
Restaurants
- Restaurant Van Van a traditional Cuban restaurant with a great atmosphere, Old Square Havana
- Jibaro’s Cuban Fusion local restaurant near Havana Club
- Somos Cuba Restaurant Residence turned into a restaurant
Pubs
- Cafe Brown a trendy place near El Malecon, where you can also eat
- La Esquina de Cuba Rated 10 out of 878 on TripAdvisor of places to eat/drink at in Havana
- San Ignacio 214 Caribbean, Latin, Seafood restaurant and bar, near Old Square (Plaza Vieja)
Places to visit in North America or Asia
If you are interested in discovering other places in Asia, feel free to read my following articles. All are great options for travelling with a group of friends or family.
What to see and do on Green Island – Taiwan
Yerevan Ultimate 3 day Itinerary – Yerevan
A Brief Encounter with the city of Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei – Brunei
Thank you for reading this article ‘Interesting things to learn before you head to Havana Cuba’. I hope you enjoyed these facts and you have a wonderful time in Havana.
Have you been to Havana Cuba or know any other facts that I could add to the list? I would love to hear your comments below.
Here are some fun activities that you can book while in Havana Cuba while you are there.
Disclaimer: I paid to go to Cuba with my family and all views are my own and based on my own experience.
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Such a beautiful place.
Thankz for sharing this information.
Thanks
Nice Images… Thanks to Share with us…
thanks
Fun post. Great sights. Makes me want to visit Cuba.
Thanks, I like the history behind it.
Fun post… great sights. Makes me want to visit Cuba
My mother was born in Cuba, some day I would like to visit her hometown Holguin! Nice captures!
I have not heard of Holguin, I will have to look it up and see what it is like. I definitely recommended it before it changes. 🙂
Loved Havana went there in o7
steeped in culture
I really liked the place too… I would love to go back
I am completely googly eyed over those pink vintage cars! I have quite a few friends that will be visiting Cuba within these next two months but I have Puerto Rico obligations. That daiquiri bar sounds rights up my alley and I would love to indulge in those cocktails. I hope I can find my way to Cuba sooner than later. And I also totally see the resemblance to the US Capitol building in DC.
The cars and cuba are very colourful 🙂 I would love to just own one of those pink vintage cars for my place. The daiquiri they were just wow!!!
I love those pink vintage cars! Cuba sounds like such a fascinating place, and I hope to visit one of these days. My son was there last year and has so many great stories to tell about it.
It definitely was interesting and I am glad I have gone before it all changes.
Great post. I have always found Cuba to be very colourful, full of great people and a place with lots of stories (or rather I should say history).
Thank you very much, you can literally just take pictures of Havana all day 🙂 The history behind Cuba is definitely really interesting to hear and read about.
Wow….. This is a great post, I will surely one day visit this places cos they are wonderful.
Thanks, Cuba is definitely a wonderful colourful place to see
I love that architecture and those vintage cars are awesome! Havana looks like a really interesting place. Thanks for sharing.
I loved the architecture too and the colours. Definitely keen to go back one day
I have seen so many blog posts about Cuba, but your posts are always different, Melissa. I love it how you tell some less-known facts and share a deeper story of the place. Nice read!
Thank you so much Jurga, I really appreciate your comment. It is such a colourful interesting place, you should definitely add it to your list.
Havana never fails to fascinate me. Your post has indeed fed my fascination more. The fact that the El Capitolio is similar to the Pantheon is so intriguing. The mural of Che Guevara looks so imposing. So too does the statue of one of my favourite writers, Ernst Hemingway.
Havana is a colourful place and very fascinating, you will definitely have to get yourself there 🙂 Have a great day my friend.
This is inspiring some serious wanderlust!!! The architectural facade is gorgeous!!! And that daiquiri sure looks enticing!!
I love that the building even when ruined still look beautiful 🙂
El Capitolio is such a beautiful building! That’s so interesting that it was based on the Parentheon in France! I also love how many vintage cars there are in Cuba. From my understanding, it’s because of the embargo that the U.S. placed upon them after the Cuban Missile Crisis. So they’ve been stuck in a bit of a time warp, as they didn’t have access to newer American vehicle models. Although the cars definitely add to the appeal of Cuba! It’s truly such a beautiful country!
I love that little extra fact about the vintage cars. The place definitely does look like it is in a time warp but I went a couple of years ago before the boards became more relaxed. Thanks for sharing the additional fact.
Cuba is absolutely fascinating! I had no idea the Capital building was based on the one in Paris. And I would love to visit El Floradito! I’m a big frozen daiquiri fan (especially the strawberry kind) and would love to sample the original that started the trend!
I am a huge frozen daiquiri’s too and I even passed some in the supermarket today and thought should I buy one 🙂 It is a great place to go and try the cocktails, you can eat there as well but we didn’t have time.
We took a private guided tour in Cuba back in April and went to all the places you mentioned. Cuba is so beautiful and full of rich history. Wish we could have gone inside the National Capitol Building.
I hope that you had a lovely time in Cuba. I wished I had gone inside as well and I am not sure why we didn’t. It is a good excuse to go back and visit 🙂
We couldn’t go in since it was going through renovations. We definitely want to go back and explore the inside. We also want to go back and visit the Revolution Museum.
When you do go back one day to Cuba. You will have to let me know when you write a post on it. I would love to see the inside of both and hearing about them.
Vintage cars are definitely among the first things to come to mind when I think of Cuba! And that has nothing to do with the latest Fast & Furious movie, I swear! The Che Guevara mural looks amazing – sort of oddly out of place but at the same time totally fitting with the surroundings. I’d love to visit Cuba some day, it’s definitely a dream destination of mine.
I love the old vintage cars, some of them looked really nice and I loved all the different colours. I have not seen the latest Fast & Furious movie, I will have to check it out. I hope that you get there one day to 🙂
I didn’t realise there was a part if Havana based on Paris! That is amazing!!! Havana looks like such a colourful place and those cars are awesome! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Me neither until I took a walking tour of Havana. When I got back to England I even looked it up to double checked 🙂
I’ve wanted to go to Havana since I read my first Hemingway book and fell in love with his writing. So, I knew all about El Floridita. However, I did learn something really interesting on this post – the capital was based off of the Pantheon in Paris?! So interesting!
I only learnt about the capital building when I was there. You will definitely have to go have your picture taken with the Hemingway statue when you go 🙂
Oh your post made me want to buy a ticket to Cuba now! The architectures are spectacular! El Floridita sounds like a gem – I will need to try their cocktails!
Cuba is such a colourful beautiful place to visit. You will definitely have to visit El Floridita and have one of the cocktails they are so yummy
Love reading a post and learning something new! I had no idea of the vibrant history and buildings. Past the usual Che and colourful cars. Havana certainly looks like an amazing city to visit and you’ve really made me want to pack my bags and go now before it’s spoilt!
Thank you very much, I love history and reading about it. The history is really intriguing and interesting.
Beautiful pictures! Love the vintage cars too 🙂
thank you very much
I actually didn’t know that about the Capitol building – I just assumed it was based on an American design!! I would have loved to go in, it wasn’t open when i was there either!
I never got to go inside either but I would have loved too. It gives me a good excuse to go back another time 🙂
I haven’t been to Havana before but I have read many great things about it so really want to go. When I do, I will head over to El Floridita to try a daiquiri. Another blogger I follow went out in a vintage car for the day whilst in Cuba which looks like so much fun. I love how colourful they are in your photos.
It seems to be the place to go at the moment, I went a couple of years before the borders were opened up in 2015. I felt like I was back in time but it was a really colourful place to visit. I do recommend it though 🙂
I’m planning a trip to Cuba in March and I am sooo psyched to be seeing all of this in person soon! I didn’t know about the Che Guavera mural and thanks for translating the sentiment. Those vintage cars are what I’m most excited about! I’m obsessed with color theory!
I am excited for you and your trip, you are going to have an amazing time there. Make sure that you also go try the cocktails 🙂
Havana is a very special “untouched” place and you managed to capture the vibe so well!
Havana is a very special “untouched” place and you managed to capture the vibe so well! I loved the cars and the Caribbean vibe!
Thank you very much 🙂
Thank you very much for your helpful article about Havana which captures the essence of the city’s mood and its colors. I hope to see more of your writing.
Thank you very much, I love writing about history.
The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the picture is how similar it looks to the Capital building in Washington. I am so fascinated by the vintage cars in Cuba and would definitely love to drive one. I love how colorful Havana is.
I wished that I had driven a vintage car when I was in Cuba too but it gives me a good excuse to go back and try it out 🙂
These are all interesting points! My friend is heading to Cuba soon and I sent her this post. I know she’ll read it before she heads over. At first glance, I thought the sculpture of Che looked like impressive spray painting street art, not a sculpture. So cool! And I had no idea they modeled their capitol building like the Pantheon!
Thank you 🙂 I didn’t know about the capital building either until I went there my self. It is a really interesting place to visit.
Where did you fly to Havana from? Miami. Did you need a visa? Are there ATMs in Havana ?
I flew there from Mexico as I was on holiday there as well. I didn’t need a visa because I am Australian. Check on their site to see if you need a visa. Yes there was ATM there.