Leg Room List #4: Havana
Leg Room List (LRL) – a place to add crowd-sourced recommendations from locals and my own personal travels. A living and constantly breathing list that made the big hop from iPhone Notes to this website. PS: your thoughts as locals or adoptive denizens are gold – please share.
Contrasting, fascinating and fragile.
Note: This list was compiled with many inputs from locals and friends. I personally had the full local experience thanks to our guide and friend who organized it. And I highly recommend it.
Libreria Victoria - bookstore with old Cuban magazines and books
To stay
Casa particular / Airbnb – suggest your stay in Old Havana
Casa Obispo 307
Saratoga Hotel
Hotel Santa Isabel
To eat
El Cocinero
La Guarida
Ivan Chef Justo
San Cristobal
Dona Eutemia – loved the Cuban food here; went for lunch
Casa Miglis
El Chanchullero de Tapas
Café Mamainé - go for breakfast and frappucino
Rio Mar - lunch; seafood; by the water
La Terraza de Cojimar - lunch; Hemingway spot
Los Mercaderes
El DiVino
Otramanera - modern
Starbien
El Cocinero
Dona Eutemia (right) & other restaurants
To drink
FAC (Fabrica de Arte Cubano) – great art space, good spot for drinks, art exhibits, music
Sia Kara – hidden gem
O’Reilley 304 – afternoon cocktail
El Chanchullero de Tapas – check out the rooftop for a mojito in the evening
La Bodeguita del Medio – Hemingway’s spot, a bit too touristy
La Floridita – also from Hemingway times; super touristy
Hotel Nacional terrace – afternoon aperitivo
La Zorra y el Cuervo – great jazz bar
Azucar Bar – in Plaza Vieja, good daiquiris, great view
King Bar
Madrigal
Sia Kara
La Bodeguita del Medio
O'Reilley 304
To dance
Don Cangrejo
La casa de la musica Miramar - salsa and merengue
El Espacios
El Con de Cafe
Tropicana - club (very touristy, can see some shows)
Cafe Taberna (potentially too touristy; Buena Vista Social Club had some concerts here)
FAC
To walk around
Havana vieja
Prado street.. start at Malecon (ocean wall) and walk all the way down to the Capitolio. Feels like a little piece of Paris in Havana at night
Rent an old taxi and drive around in style
Malecon – by the water
Miramar
Vedado
Malecon
Plaza Vieja
To look at art
331 Art Space
FAC
Fusterlandia
El Taller Experimental de Grafica
Escaleno Studio – works from local artist Roger Toledo
Libreria Victoria - check out old Cuban magazines and books
To visit
Museo de la Revolucion
Bosque de Havana
Callejon de Hamel - street fair
Finca Vigia - Hemingway’s house
Flea market - in Habana Vieja, in front of Santa Isabel Hotel
Camera Obscura in Gomez Vila Building
Gran Teatro de la Habana – attend a show
El Gran Teatro de la Habana
To tan - beaches close to Havana
Santa Maria del Mar
Megano
Guanabo
Outside Havana (I have not been but friends recommended)
Trinidad - Beautiful colonial city, with a cool (club) Cave. If you can visit Cienfuegos which is very near, also gorgeous city and only 4hrs away from Havana
Cayo Levisa - a little island, quite natural and low-key
Cabo de San Antonio - an exotic natural park in the tip of the Western side of the island
Valle de Viñales - the Cuban country; nice views and lots of tobacco houses
Bahia de Cochinos - on the way to Trinidad. Historic ; check out the The Swedish Restaurant
