
Best Things to Do in Havana Cuba
Havana, Cuba is an amazing city and we definitely didn’t have enough time to do it all. These are some unique and adventurous things to do in Havana, Cuba! If you want to know everything I wish I knew before going to Cuba go here.
Best Things to do in Havana Cuba: The Classic Car Ride
You literally cannot leave Cuba WITHOUT taking a classic car ride. It is definitely one of the best things to do in Cuba and was on my bucket list. If you read my 22 Tips on Cuba, you’ll know to go early in the morning especially during summer!!! If you go to Parque Central you can have your pick of amazing classic cars. We chose a hot pink one of course!
Best Things to do in Havana Cuba: Morre Castle and Cristo de La Habana
Now that you are in a classic car have the driver take you through the tunnel and catch the breath taking views of Morre Castle and Cristo de La Habana. We had seen the statue from across the bay during our walk on the Malecon, but had no idea how to get there. Well our driver being the good sales person he is told us he could add 30 minutes to our tour and take us there. It was an immediate yes! He also said there were some really nice restaurants around this area but we didn’t get to try any of them since it was our last day. The addition 30 minutes was well worth the money and made for such a memorable experience, definitely add to your list of things to do in Cuba.
Dress available here
Best Things to do in Havana Cuba, Take a Day Trip to Playa del Estes
We went in July to Cuba and it was HOT! So the best decision was to go to a nearby beach during the day time. The water was perfect and the mix of locals and tourists created a lovely vibe. Honestly most of the time I couldn’t tell who was a local and who was a tourist. This made the experience even more perfect from the usual big resorts in the Caribbean. Bonus, you’ll find groups who bring these giant speakers and play music on the beach. Visiting a local beach is definitely a must do in Cuba, you are after all on a tropical island.
Bikini from here
Roaming the Streets of Havana Vieja, One of the Best Attractions in Havana Cuba
Can there be a more picturesque area than Havana Vieja? Roaming the streets and soaking in all the culture is one of the best free things to do in Havana, Cuba. Though we saw how the infrastructure was crumbling the brightly painted buildings and classic architecture truly made Havana Vieja different than any other place we have been. There was literally a pink building in every corner. And the many plazas and parques serve was wonderful gathering places for tourists, families, and children alike. Just wandering the streets was one of my fave things to do in Cuba.
Dress available here.
Best Things to Do in Havana Cuba at Night: Fabrica De Arte
Fabrica De Arte was a true treat and a testament to Cuba’s vibrant art scene. It is one of the best things to do in Havana at night. Filled with live music, cool screenings, and the BIGGEST mojitos ever! Definitely a must do for Havana nightlife. It’s only open on weekends so make sure to stop by on a Saturday or Sunday night. Sadly we didn’t get any other nights out because we all got a bit sick from the food.
Walking Along the Malecón in Havana Cuba is one of the Best Free Things to Do in Cuba
Our first day in Havana we just wandered about getting our bearings and soaking in the culture. We happened upon the Malecón and walked along it as we watched the sun slowly dip. This is not only a free activity in Havana but also one of the most romantic things to do in Havana. Again locals mixed with tourists to experience this magic. There were children running around and lots of fisherman. As night descended groups chilled along the barrier and across the street impromptu restaurants set up. We saw a whole roasting pig, but unfortunately never got to go back and sample it. This was definitely one of the more romantic things to do in Cuba.
La Guarida is one of the best places to eat in Havana Cuba
This was one of the few paladars (private restaurants) we had time to research before we went to Cuba and the food did not disappoint! Located in a semi dilapidated cave like building with rather impressive architecture. There are 2 floors of restaurant and a roof top bar. We managed to get a table without a reservation, but we were seated in the lower level without any views. If you can book in advance I suggest you book a table upstairs which has amazing views over Havana. We sampled multiple dishes, but our favorite was definitely the Oxtail. The drinks were also spectacular and don’t miss dessert. Especially the tres leches chocolate cake.
The Roof Top Bar at La Guarida has one of the best views in Havana Cuba
If you are not having dinner at La Guarida, the roof top bar is still not to be missed. Sunset here is must. And bonus just when you think you’ve reached the top, there is a SECOND level roof top. Since there’s no actual bar up there, you can enjoy the views all to yourself. I love getting a good view all to myself, so this ranks high as one of the best things to do in Cuba for me.
Red lace top here.
Drinking as Many Mojitos as Possible is one of the Best Things to do in Cuba
Havana is the birth place of the Mojito and we were obliged to indulge in as many as possible. We even checked out the bar claiming to have invented the minty lime drink, Bodeguita del Medio. The mojito here was excellent but it does get quite crowded. I would check out the bar up and across the street as well which has happy hour prices, 1.5 CUC per mojito.
Day Trip to Viñales from Havana Cuba
We only had 5 days in Cuba, which includes travel time (and I lost a day from eating one bite of lettuce), so there was not much time for visiting other places besides Havana. The closest place to explore was Viñales and we opted for a day tour, because again we were flying by the seat of our pants. We didn’t book a tour in advance but managed to secure a spot through out Airbnb (our casa particular).
The mountains the fresh air and watching Cuban cigars being made right in front of us was definitely a highlight of our trip. We even bought cigars straight from tobacco growers. You can also buy branded ones here and do a horseback ride, but unfortunately these activities were cancelled as a torrential rain storm hit us.
It was raining buckets when we arrived at Viñales Mural de la Prehistoria, which is a huge mural on the side of a mountain that took 5 years to paint. We were troopers though and braved the rain for one picture.
Red skirt set here
Related BALI the Good, Bad, and Ugly
Staying at a Casa Particular in Havana Vieja
Definitely recommend staying in a Casa Particular, which is like a home stay or a hostel. They are so affordable and so cute. I was a bit hesitant because I didn’t want to be stuck in a hole from hell for 5 days, you know how I love my luxuries. We booked ours through Airbnb for only $50 USD a night and it was perfect! Great air conditioning, plumbing worked perfectly, and so did the hot water. All things I was scared of! It really helped that they sold water and had breakfast too at reasonable prices and fast service. Some of our friends went out to eat during our last morning and couldn’t do anything else because the service was so slow. But the service at our Casa was always very prompt!
You may wonder what there is to do in Old Havana, well as soon as we walked out of our Casa there was live music and dancing in the streets and restaurants serving happy hour drinks. There’s so many plazas to visit, we definitely recommend staying in Old Havana.



This looks amazing! I want to go so bad!
Jennifer
Effortlessly Sophisticated
Your Cuba photos are amazing ??
Wow, looks like you did some awesome things! I’m DYING to go to Cuba! And your dresses are sooo pretty!
http://www.ticketforadventure.com
SO AMAZING.
LOVE
NATALIEOFFDUTY.COM
NATALIEOFFDUTY
You had me at tres leches chocolate cake!
Tasha Juli
stylesplendorbliss.com
Such a great post! I have been dying to get to Cuba and hope I can go soon . I live in Miami ! It sucks to be this close yet so far lol you Inspired me to not give up hope
you had me at the classic car! they are so cute!! amazing photos btw 🙂
http://www.hintofgrey.com | Hint of Grey
So picturesque, I loved this post. I have always wanted to visit Cuba. I look forward to the day, I’m brave enough to do it 🙂
Cuba has been on my bucket list FOREVER! Your photos just bring the place to life. I will definitely check out your Instagram.
AMAZING! Your photos are just so beautiful! I want to book now
I’m sold at mojitos! And that classic car ride seems like a must eh. I always see photos of it on Instagram and although it might be over done, it still looks so so cute and fun! These are awesome reasons and I know where I wanna spend my next vacay!
Jas we should totally go together next time!! It would be so much fun!
That hot pink car though. Your 22 tips for Cuba really made me want to go.
xoxo,
Emma
http://petitemaisonoffashion.blogspot.com/ ♥
Wow! These photos are beautiful, and definitely want to make me visit Cuba! I live in Florida so I am trying to plan a cruise there soon, and this just inspired me even more!
Your photos are amazing. I have always wanted to go to Cuba! Those drinks look delicious.
Wow!!!! Your pictures are incredible. I would love to visit soon.
I was convinced from the first picture with the pink car! oh my word that is so cool. Hopefully I get there soon
Such a great post! I definitely want to visit Cuba. This is so helpful.
Beautiful photos! Especially (as other commenters have mentioned) that car… so iconic! I also liked the wall with “Fidel” painted on it. Cuba is such an intriguing place. would def love to go someday!
The Hubs was only talking about Cuba this weekend. You’ve convinced me! Will see if we can squeeze it in for 2018.
You photos are great! There is such a charm on the urban decay moments you capture. Like you, I would like to visit La Habana and include in the trip a few day trips to see a bit of the country side. The Viñales Valley appeals to me.
Your pictures are amazing, looks like you had an amazing time! That car ride looks so classic and the beaches sound perfect! you can never have too many Mojitos. Great info hope to visit one day
I loved Cuba! I’m bummed I missed Viñales but Trinidad was incredible. You got some great pictures! I too opted for a pink convertible ?
Cuba is absolutely on my must visit list. Your photos are gorgeous – the pinks really pop!
Awesome! – Most of the things to do are in Havana.
I really want to go to Cuba and these pictures are just making t worse!