Cuba – Things to do in Havana
Honestly, I can see why Camillo Cabello left her heart in Havana. It’s kind of coming apart at the seams, but in a sexy, strap falling off the shoulder kind of way. Not to glamorize the questionable architecture that people are living in, but it is truly remarkable. It’s lively and lived in, especially compared to so many big cities that I’ve visited where the downtown empties out as the day ends. Each street is different from the last with different interactions playing out under a canopy of laundry hanging from the balconies.
With so much going on, I wasn’t as interested in museums as examining the little things – the plants growing out of the buildings, the baseball and domino games playing out by young kids, the fishing from the Malecon… because I’ve not yet seen this small town vibe happen in a capital city. Here are the things I got up to while in Havana and a couple of things that I didn’t get to…
This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. The commissions help support Moderately Adventurous stay alive and kicking. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
Things To Do in Havana
Classic Car Tour
My number one recommendation is to do what some might consider “cheesy” and “touristy”. However, it is also cultural, historical, and a dang good time. Yes, I recommend dressing up and getting driven around town in a Convertible Classic Car for an hour. You’ll take a million photos, see more of the city, and support the owner of the car. Just do it – I doubt you’ll regret it. If you go to the area near the Capitol building and Grand theater, you cannot miss ALL of the cars with drivers that will try to get you on a tour. It’s also not a bad place to start the tour.
So I did the Classic Car Tour as part of the 8-day group tour that I did while in Cuba. 15 of us caravaned in 5 different cars throughout the city – it was delightful. I wrote more about my Classic Car Tour in my 8-Day Lively Group Tour Blog Post – check it out here!
Take a Boxing Class
Get some exercise and participate in one of the most popular sports in Cuba – boxing! There are trainers at different gyms that can teach you the basics, including covering your shoulder, keeping everything close to your core, and being light on your feet. Kelly, my travel partner for Cuba, did a class on our last day. We booked the class through our guide, who has a friend named Michael, who does intro classes. These gyms are hard to get a hold of, so I recommend simply stopping by and asking around. Cuba is very much a go-ask in-person kind of place. I wish I knew this on our first day! You can also ask your casa host or hotel for recommendations.
The gym we went to was a large empty space on the corner of Leonor Perez and Cuba Street. It’s the only building on the odd-shaped block between Leonor Perez and San Pedro. It shares the space with a couple of different sports and also bands practice there on the weekend. If you don’t normally go boxing, consider going on your last day, because your arms might get a bit sore! From what Kelly told me, Michael did a fantastic job. The “class”, which almost seemed like a mini-training to me was tough, but she learned so much of the nuances of Cuban boxing.
Parisien Cabaret
Entertainment with the capital E. This show is a SHOW. Honestly, I am at a loss for words in a good way when it comes to the Parisien Cabaret. I will say that it was the sexiest sensory overload I’ve experienced. Vaguely walking you through Cuban cultural history, this show is a series of dances with increasingly fantastical costumes. Just when I thought there could be more raffles, more colors, more frills, the next dance would start with even more of everything. The show is also quite sexy, with the dancers wearing little more than nipple covers at times. Also, when you think that the dancing couldn’t be any more incredible, out came dancers on rollerskates, doing spins that lift them into the air. I verbally gasped many times.
When going on a Sunday night, I would say that the audience was about half full (I’m an optimist in this case). The stage, as well as the seating, were multi-level, so everyone gets a good view. Our server showed us to seats in the front, right next to the stage. There was another couple who sat one table closer and were getting brushed with flying ruffles during the first dance, so they ended up moving and we had an unobstructed view. If you’re right up front, the dancers will make eye contact, smile at you, or even blow you kisses, if you’re lucky. The more you engage, the more they seem to engage. My only disappointment with this show was the fact that no dancers stuck around after the performance to take photos with them in costume. I mean look at those outfits!
Cost of the Show
The show itself cost $35 CUC and includes one very sweet Mojito as a welcome drink. The show happens nightly at the National Hotel, but you can purchase tickets at the Central Park Hotel, Plaza Hotel, or Inglaterra Hotel. If you wait to buy your tickets at the door, it’ll cost you an extra $5 CUC. We had read online not to get dinner with the show, and seeing the overpriced menu, I agree. However, at this price point and how many dancers we saw, I oddly wished the show cost more – those dancers were truly phenomenal.
There is another cabaret in Havana called the Tropicana, which is nearly three times the price. However, after seeing the show, I can’t imagine it getting better than this. Perhaps bigger, but not better. One thing to keep in mind is that you will have to pay for a taxi to and from either the Parisian Cabernet or the Tropicana cabaret, so add that into your cost calculations. Our taxi from old Havana cost $10 CUC to get there, and $15 CUC to get back. Apparently, if you walk to the street after the performance, you can probably get a taxi for $10 CUC for the ride back, but we decided to spend in the money to get a taxi at the hotel.
Go to the Beach
If you’re feeling totally exhausted or just craving some downtime, Havana’s nearest beach is Playa Estes. In the summer, this is a popular destination for tourists and locals alike, but in winter it was practically empty. It also didn’t help that it was quite windy and a little cloudy the day that I visited. I’m not sure if it was the wind or the fact that it is the Atlantic Ocean on the north side of the island, but the surf was constant with lots of white caps. I much preferred the beach at Trinidad, where the sea was as calm and clear as can be. Playa Estes is about 30 minutes outside of town, so expect to pay $30-$40 for round-trip transportation. This is another opportunity to take one of the classic cars around town, which I loved! The drivers will wait for you until you’re ready to go. My driver was darling and allowed me to sit on his car and take a picture of me.
Old Havana Walking Tour
When you’re first coming into Havana, it might be good to take a walking tour of Old Havana and get your bearings as well as a little bit of exercise. We did an Old Havana walking to tour on the first day we arrived, which really helped us figure out where we wanted to explore in the city. I wrote a whole post on our Old Havana walking tour – check it out here!
Visit a Market
Although I don’t totally agree that this is an artisans market, in that it didn’t seem like the people who made the items were the ones selling the items… But it was one of the best places to find souvenirs and right next to the boxing gym where Kelly had her class. It is “Almacenes San José Artisans’ Market” on GoogleMaps and located in the correct position (not always true on Cuba GoogleMaps). Many of the stores have variations of the same things, like any market. Also like other markets, you can negotiate the price of single or multiple items.
Take a Salsa Class
If you go to Cuba you need to take a salsa class. It’s not even optional. Dancing is a huge part of the Cuban culture, so even if you’re terrible, you’ll get a better feel for the rhythms and appreciate the art of good salsa dancing. Ask your casa host or hotel for salsa class recommendations that are in English. We took a class in Trinidad and LOVED it. Our instructor, Yory, was sassy and kept us moving for an hour. I wrote about it on Day 3 of the 8-day group tour – check out that post here!
Go to a Baseball Game
We arrived in Cuba two weeks after the baseball season ended and we could not be more bummed. With baseball being such a premier sport in the country, we had hoped to catch a game in Havana. Apparently it can be kind of tricky to find out when the game is, but I did find this baseball website that you can check before you go. It also seemed like you might just have to ask around when you’re there – your casa host for a hotel or guides on any of the tours you go on might know. I’m not totally sure where the field/stadium is, but you might need to grab a taxi to get there and back. Then entry tickets for foreigners are about $3 CUC. As you can see, I did the research and wanted to go!
Cigar Factory
If you’re going to Vinales to see the tobacco farms, take a look at the Cigar Factory in Havana to see the production of one of Cuba’s most valuable exports – cigars. I found the tour of the Tobacco farm to be one of the most fascinating activities on our tour (Check out Day 6 of my 8-Day Group Tour Blog Post), so it would have been interesting to see the final stages of production before export. I didn’t have a chance to visit, but I know they do guided tours at designated times. A few of my group members went on the tour, so I’ll try to get ahold of them.
FAC – Fabrica de Arte Cultura
Gosh, I think we got at least three different people recommending that we check out the FAC in Havana. Though we didn’t make it, it sounds like a mixture of art, music, and bar lounging. Take a look at this website for more information…
Overall Thoughts: Things to do in Havana
Havana surprised me at how much I liked it, for being a big city. I think that was in large part because of how down-to-earth everyone was about basically everything. If they are having a conversation from across the street at each other, they’ll continue the conversation as you walk through.
In addition to the things I did in Havana, I did an 8-day Cuba Tour with many inclusions. You can read about the tour and all of my Cuba posts at the following links:
- Old Havana Walking Tour
- Waterfall Trek in Trinidad
- Vinales Sunrise Hike
- 8-Day Cuba Group Tour
Which item on this list is your favorite activity?? Or have you gone to Havana, Cuba, and experienced them for yourself? Let me know in the comments below – I’d love to hear from you.
Happy Travels,
Hanna
