Must-Visit Attractions in Havana, Cuba

Cuba’s oceanside road and promenade is easily one of the most handsome in the world. The sea wall winds 8km (5mi) around Old Havana, past gritty Centro Havana before rounding the iconic Hotel Nacional on its sea-facing bluff and the US Embassy further west. Wander the popular stretch from Paseo del Prado westwards. Search for the caryatids of the Centro Hispanoamericano de Cultura, the coffin-shaped apartments, and the Primavera statue outside the mob-built Deauville Hotel.

Go for the 500 years of Cuban art – from the early colonial period to the avant-garde works of the early 21st century. A guided tour is a must; book at the front desk two days in advance to get the most out of this important collection. Don’t miss the works of Wifredo Lam and Manuel Mendive, infused with African religious symbols, or the pop art canvases of Raúl Martínez. Regular contemporary art shows are held here and are always worth visiting.

Photographers will love the colourful streets of San Isidro. Down in the untouristy southern lanes of Old Havana, an army of street painters have transformed these streets into an al fresco canvas. You’ll need to take to Instagram to identify some of the tags, if you’re a real fan. Soak up the atmosphere, snap the artwork, and pop into new art galleries, opened by the entrepreneurial sons of Cuba’s leading actor Jorge Perugorría, as well as the bars.

Yes, Havana has a Chinatown. Thousands of Chinese indentured labourers worked the booming sugar plantations in the mid 19th century. Havana was once home to the largest Chinatown in Latin America. Today, wander under the paifang behind the Capitol building to find streets and societies bearing Chinese lettering. A small street of restaurants is heralded by a new neon sign. The biggest draws are the avant-garde art shows at Galería Arte Continua, fashioned out of the former Golden Eagle Cinema.

Book a guided tour of the most impressive structure in the city. Resembling the Capitol in Washington D.C., the elegant building is due to return as the seat of Cuba’s parliament. While access is granted, marvel at the fabulous interiors. Step through the huge bronze bas-relief doors and you’re faced with the towering gilded Statue of the Republic, the third-largest interior in the world. But this, too, is outdone by its setting – the dazzling 122m(400ft) long marbled Hall of the Lost Steps.

It was all about Bacardí rum prior to the 1959 Revolution in Cuba when thousands of Americans suffering Prohibition escaped to the island for cocktails in the city’s famous bars. There was no better way to showcase profits than in a beautiful showy art deco company headquarters. Towering over Old Havana, it’s crowned by a ziggurat and the rum’s bat symbol. Go for the lobby, striped in pink Bavarian and dark Norwegian granite, as well as the little mezzanine café where you can admire the original decor.

Luxury Cuban smokes have lured the rich and famous to the island for centuries. For a masterclass on the long journey from tobacco seed to expensive cigar, book a tour at the relocated Partagás factory in the Pollack Building on Centro Havana’s San Carlos Street. You’ll get a close-up on Habaneros leaf sorting, tobacco rolling, and boxing up in the holographic-bound cedar boxes. Purchases can be made at a cigar shop around the corner on Belascaoín Street.

Immerse yourself in the world of Havana’s uber-rich at an enormous mansion-turned-museum in the upmarket neighbourhood of El Vedado. One of the richest sugar barons in Cuba, José Gómez-Mena Vila, built the grand neoclassical villa, that stretches an entire city block, in the 1920s. It’s exquisitely decorated in preserved Maison Jansen furnishings, 18th-century French carpets, Tiffany & Co. glassware and Lalique vases. You’ll love the grand central marble staircase and the pink art deco bathroom.

It’s no longer just about cigars, Che Guevara t-shirts and rum. The creative entrepreneurs of Cuba have launched fashion lines, crafts and designer must-haves in the last 10 years, so make room in your luggage for homegrown collectibles. Buy cool tees, posters and bags in Old Havana at Clandestina; clothes at Dador, Capicúa and Color Café; and handcrafted items at Piscolabis and at Alma in Miramar. For posters, books, and memorabilia, browse the crammed collection at Memorias near Hotel Sevilla in Old Havana.