Havana Travel Guide

Havana (Spanish: La Habana) is the capital city of Cuba, and one of the fifteen provinces of the Republic of Cuba. Visitors come to Havana for its music, history, culture, architecture and monuments. Havana is a lively city that retains a lot of beautiful buildings from its heyday in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many of which have been deteriorating since the 1950s, creating a romantic atmosphere of a bygone era.

There are regular international flights to resort areas such asVaradero, and these can sometimes be less expensive than flying into Havana. From Varadero's Viazul terminal to Havana's Viazul bus terminal is 3 hr by bus.

As a tourist, the most convenient way of getting around Havana is by taxi. Some of the taxis are old American Chevys from the 1950s, others are (somewhat) newer Russian Ladas, whilst most tourist taxis are modern Peugeots, Skodas and even Mercedes.

Havana is quite safe for a large city. Heavily dependent on tourism, Cuban police are everywhere and pay particular attention to spots where travelers congregate (Habana Vieja, El Malecón, etc.), so you don't have to be afraid of being accosted in the daytime. Prison sentences for crimes involving tourists are extremely harsh, a fact which residents are well aware of, which adds an extra layer of deterrence. At night, however, there have been muggings in the dark streets of Centro Habana. While

There are 3 main areas that travelers generally stay in: Old Havana is the liveliest (some would say hectic and dirty), Central Havana is slightly quieter and parts can be a bit seedy, and Vedado is the quietest with more greenery, and is the place to find the large hotels and nicercasas particulares.