Things to Do in Havana

About Havana

The first thing that hits you is the sound: 1955 Chevys backfiring along the Malecón at sunset, their patched-together engines competing with the bass line spilling from someone's front-yard stereo in Centro Habana. This is a city that wears its decay like jewelry—faded mint-green facades on Calle Obispo still have marble staircases inside, even if the elevator hasn't worked since 1989. The air tastes of salt and diesel, sweetened by cigar smoke from old men playing dominoes under the laurel trees in Parque Central. You'll walk past colonial mansions in Vedado where chandeliers hang from cracked ceilings, then find yourself in Habana Vieja's Plaza de Armas where booksellers display revolutionary memoirs next to vintage Playboy magazines. The peso pizza at Castropol on the Malecón costs 25 CUP—about $1—and feeds two people; the same spot sells lobster for 15 CUC ($15) to tourists who don't know to walk three blocks inland. Power cuts still happen weekly, which means dinner by candlelight at someone's casa particular might cost you 30 CUC instead of 50 because the fan won't turn on. But that's Havana's secret: the city isn't broken, it's improvisational jazz. Every rooftop becomes a bar when the music starts, every crumbling balcony hosts a party you weren't invited to but somehow belong at. You'll leave understanding why people who come for three days stay for three weeks.

Travel Tips

Transportation: Skip the tourist cocotaxis—they charge 10 CUC for what should cost 50 cents. Instead, flag down any 1950s car with a taxi sign; negotiate 1 CUC per kilometer before you get in. The hop-on bus from Old Havana to Playas del Este costs 5 CUP (20 cents) and runs every 15 minutes from Parque Central. Download the Cuba-Maps app before you arrive—it works offline and shows which Wi-Fi parks have the strongest signal, crucial since you'll pay 1 CUC per hour for internet cards that work at 1 Mbps if you're lucky.

Money: Bring euros, not dollars—you'll lose an extra 10% conversion penalty on USD. The cadeca exchange at Hotel Nacional gives better rates than airport kiosks, but locals swear by the black-market guys outside Coppelia ice cream parlor who'll give you 100 CUP per CUC instead of the official 24:1 rate. Always carry both currencies: state restaurants want CUP (25 CUP for a beer), tourist spots want CUC ($3 for the same beer). ATMs exist but half are out of cash—bring more cash than you think you'll need.

Cultural Respect: Don't photograph anyone without asking—especially the cigar-rolling women on Calle Mercaderes who'll charge you 1 CUC for the privilege. When invited to someone's home, bring rum (Havana Club 7-year costs 7 CUC) even if they insist it's not necessary. Learn '¿Asere, qué bolá?'—the Cuban 'what's up' that immediately signals you're not just another tourist. Skip the Che Guevara t-shirts; locals find it cringe when foreigners romanticize the revolution they actually live with daily power cuts and ration books.

Food Safety: The churros from the cart outside Hotel Inglaterra—25 CUP for three—are fried fresh and safer than most hotel buffets. Paladares (private restaurants) in Vedado serve better food than government joints: try El Cocinero where the ropa vieja costs 8 CUC and comes with a view of the old oil refinery turned art space. Avoid ice in drinks unless you're at a tourist bar—tap water can wreck you. The real trick: follow construction workers at lunch. They know the 15 CUP sandwich stands that won't give you three days of Montezuma's revenge.

When to Visit

November through April is Havana's sweet spot—temperatures hover at 26°C (79°F) with low humidity and almost no rain. December brings the Havana Film Festival when Old Havana's cinemas screen movies until 2 AM and you can catch Cuban directors arguing passionately over rum at Bar Monserrate. January and February are technically 'winter' but locals still swim at Playas del Este; hotel prices drop 30% after New Year's and you'll find casas particulares for 25 CUC instead of 40. March starts getting humid, but it's also when baseball season peaks—catch Industriales games at Estadio Latinoamericano for 3 CUP (15 cents) and experience Cuba's national obsession. May through August is hot (32°C/90°F), humid, and hurricane-adjacent; the upside is empty Malecón sunsets and salsa clubs where locals outnumber tourists 10 to 1. Prices crater—rooms that were 50 CUC in January go for 20. September and October are technically hurricane season, but storms are rare and the city feels like you have it to yourself. The only real hazard: some paladares close for vacation, so call ahead. If you're coming once, come in February. The Habanos Festival happens mid-month—three days of cigar workshops, tobacco farm visits, and parties that spill onto rooftops across Vedado. Even if you don't smoke, watching octogenarian cigar rollers demonstrate techniques they've used since Batista's time is worth the trip alone.