Havana

Havana's vibrant Old Town is where the Cuban capital of today took root in the mid-16th century. UNESCO World Heritage Site status has brought about comprehensive restoration work to many of the city's crumbling architectural treasures, built in styles as wide-ranging as Cuban baroque and art nouveau (Plaza Vieja at the heart of Old Havana is where the eclecticism is most evident and best admired from a sidewalk cafe). The Old Town's two main pedestrian thoroughfares – Obispo and Mercaderes – are lined with government-run shops and attractive paladars.

The expansive Plaza de la Revolución (formerly Plaza Cívica) is an important landmark where some of Cuba's most significant political rallies took place. Part of 'new Havana', this square is the modernist home of the Cuban government (Comité Central del Partido Comunista de Cuba), but is most known for its murals of iconic figures like Che Guevara and revolutionary Camilo Cienfuegos, as well as the city's tallest monument dedicated to José Martí, an independence activist and Cuban National Hero (take the elevator up for spectacular views).

Havana's favorite green expanse – el Bosque – is frequented by locals seeking natural respite in the shade of century-old trees with veil-like canopy reaching all the way to the ground, which gives the area a primeval forest appearance. The Almendares Park, just to the north along Almendares River, offers family-friendly activities such as mini golf and bike paths.

Havana's waterfront boulevard – Malecón – is its most poetic stretch, a social hang out hub evocative of a welcoming Cuban living room (hence it being known to some as 'the world's longest sofa'). Waves crashing against Malecón's seawall can make quite the splash, at times virtually flooding parts of the boulevard, which hardly deters daily strollers from taking in its sublime sunset charm.

A cemetery of historical importance and essentially an open-air museum of Cuba's past, Necrópolis Cristóbal Colón is the final resting place of many prominent Cuban figures and notable families (pick up a map at the entrance to guide you along). The cemetery's best-known resident, the Milagrosa, gathers thousands of pilgrims annually for the miraculous events surrounding her past exhumation, and is believed by Catholics to have supernatural wish-granting powers.

The Palacio de Bellas Artes contains the world's largest collection of Cuban art, with works dating mainly to the period from the 17th to the 19th centuries. Right nearby is the museum's extension, Palacio del Centro Asturiano, containing works by international artists (including big names like de Ribera and Velázquez) with works spanning a much longer time period.

Ernest Hemingway donated his former home of two decades to "the people of Cuba" after moving away, and it remains largely undisturbed since the 1960s. Although one cannot technically come into the house, there are plenty of spots to peek in through the windows, as well as explore the premises containing a tiny cemetery of Hemingway's pet dogs and his fabled boat Pilar, docked in what once was a tennis court.

Hamel Street in Havanna is spattered with art: colourful paintings adorn building walls, sculptures and other forms of creative expression by different artists decorate the street, while locals spread good vibes by playing music and (occasionally) dancing.