Havana Cuba
Cuba

Port of Havana, Cuba | Cruise Port Guide

The channel narrows, the Morro fortress keeps watch over the harbour entrance just as it has for four centuries, and the ship glides slowly toward the bell towers of the old town. In Havana, docking feels like a privilege: the Sierra Maestra terminal stands right in the heart of the historic district, directly facing the Plaza de San Francisco. Just a few steps separate the gangway from the colonial cobblestones. Few capital cities in the Americas offer such an immediate arrival.

First Contact: The Colonnaded Square

Stepping out of the terminal, the square opens up right away, with its lion fountain, its colonnades, and the Basílica de San Francisco de Asís, whose bell tower rises above the neighbourhood's rooftops. Horse-drawn carriages wait along the façades, roaming coffee vendors move through the crowd, and local guides offer their services for a walking tour. It's the natural starting point for any stop in Havana, and one of the four great squares that structure Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982.

From One Square to the Next

Plaza de Armas, the capital's oldest square, is reached in about ten minutes along the pedestrian streets. Its secondhand booksellers, set up beneath the palm trees, surround a statue of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, and the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales recalls the era when Spanish governors ruled the island from within these walls. A little further south, Plaza Vieja surprises with its restored balconies, painted arcades, and outdoor cafés. Between the two, every side street holds its own slice of life: a cigar workshop, an inner courtyard, a group of musicians rehearsing behind an open window.

Calle Obispo and the Memory of Hemingway

A busy, bustling shopping street, Calle Obispo links the square district to the Parque Central. Bookshops sit alongside old-fashioned pharmacies with their porcelain bottles, and bars where daiquiris are mixed one after another. Just a few metres away, the Hotel Ambos Mundos preserves the room where Ernest Hemingway stayed in the 1930s: the writer worked on his novels there before settling just outside the capital. The room can be visited freely, and its rooftop terrace offers a sweeping view over the rooftops of the old town and the bay.

The Prado, the Capitol, and the Vintage American Cars

At the end of Obispo, the scale of things shifts. The Paseo del Prado, a shaded, marble-paved promenade, runs down toward the sea between two rows of eclectic buildings. 1950s Chevrolets and Buicks, repainted in pink, turquoise, or bright yellow, wait along the curb: an hour-long ride in a vintage car remains one of the most effective ways to see the more distant neighbourhoods, from Vedado to the Plaza de la Revolución. Nearby rise the National Capitol, whose dome recalls that of Washington, and the Gran Teatro de La Habana, home to the national ballet.

The Malecón and the San José Market

No visit is complete without walking for a while along the Malecón, the seafront boulevard where waves splash against the seawall and locals come to fish, chat, or simply watch the horizon. In the other direction, about fifteen minutes' walk from the terminal along the harbourfront, the former Almacenes San José warehouses house the capital's largest craft market: paintings, wood carvings, guayabera shirts, and domino sets are all traded beneath a 19th-century metal-framed roof.

Back Aboard

Crossing the gangway once more, the evening light gilds the façades around the lion fountain, and the church bells answer the honking of the old taxis. Havana can't be summed up in a single stop: it simply sets the tone, somewhere between colonial grandeur, ever-present music, and the patina of decades gone by. Visitors head back aboard with the feeling of having turned the first pages of a very long novel, and the wish to know how the story continues.

Frequently Asked Questions

At the Sierra Maestra terminal, in the heart of the historic centre, directly facing the Plaza de San Francisco. A few steps take you from the gangway to colonial cobbles. Few capitals in the Americas offer such an immediate arrival.
Yes, and that is the great advantage of this call. Plaza de San Francisco is at the terminal exit, Plaza de Armas ten minutes away, Plaza Vieja a little further south. Obispo street then links the whole quarter to Parque Central.
The four great squares of Old Havana on foot, Obispo street and the rooftop terrace of the Ambos Mundos hotel, then the Paseo del Prado to the Capitol. Add a walk on the Malecón if time allows.
In 1982. The quarter is organized around four major squares: Plaza de San Francisco, Plaza de Armas, Plaza Vieja and Plaza de la Catedral.
Yes, if you want to see the outlying districts. An hour in a 1950s Chevrolet or Buick remains the most efficient way to cover Vedado and the Plaza de la Revolución. The cars wait along the Paseo del Prado; agree the fare before getting in.
The Ambos Mundos hotel on Obispo street keeps the room where he stayed in the 1930s, before moving to the outskirts of the capital. It can be visited freely and its rooftop terrace gives a wide view over the old town roofs and the bay.
The seafront boulevard where waves splash over the parapet and Havanans come to fish, talk or watch the horizon. It is the city's open-air living room, a few minutes' walk from Parque Central.
At the Almacenes San José, about fifteen minutes on foot from the terminal along the harbour front. These 19th-century warehouses hold the capital's largest craft market: paintings, wood carvings, guayaberas and domino boxes.
The Cuban peso and Spanish. Bring cash in small notes: card terminals are unreliable and cards issued by US banks do not work in Cuba. Check with your travel advisor before departure, as currency rules change.
No, and it is fairer to say so. Havana cannot be summed up in a day: it merely sets the tone, between colonial grandeur, ever-present music and the patina of decades. Focus on the old town on foot rather than racing across the capital.