Havana
Arcades and colonnades in a UNESCO-listed old town, the Prado running down to the sea wall, a fortress across the harbour mouth, and a long runway twelve kilometres away.
- Arrival
- José Martí International · HAV
- To the city
- About 12 km from the centre
- Private jets
- Into HAV, 24 hours, handling mandatory
- Best time
- November to April
The city
Stone, salt and the Prado.
Havana grew around its harbour. Old Havana, on the western shore of the channel, is a World Heritage site of squares, churches and arcaded streets, and its grand buildings are slowly returning to use: a nineteenth-century shopping arcade is now a hotel, as is a façade from 1911 on the Prado. From there the boulevard runs north to the Malecón, the seafront road, while El Morro watches from the far side of the water.
Come between November and April, when highs stay between 26 and 29 °C and the rain is moderate. For American citizens and residents the rules are strict: tourism in Cuba is barred by US law, travel must fit one of twelve licensed categories, and the State Department forbids staying at the hotels on its prohibited list, which includes those below.
- Old Havana The colonial core, listed by UNESCO, with its plazas, churches and colonnades on the west side of the harbour.
- Paseo del Prado A promenade watched over by its lions, running from the Capitol down to the sea.
- El Morro The stone fortress at the mouth of the bay, seen across the water from the Malecón.
Arriving
One long runway, open all night.
José Martí International lies some twelve kilometres south-west of the city. Its runway, more than 13,000 feet long, takes any aircraft, and the airport is open round the clock.
- Miami 50 min
- Houston 2 h 15
- Dallas 2 h 40
- San Francisco 5 h 40
- Madrid 9 h 55 long-range jet
When to go
November to April.
Warm through the winter, with the sea rarely below 25 °C. From May to October the city is hotter and much wetter, and the storm season runs from June into November.
- 26° J 68 26°
- 26° F 54 25°
- 28° M 50 26°
- 29° A 63 26°
- 30° M 130 27°
- 31° J 194 28°
- 32° J 149 29°
- 32° A 157 30°
- 31° S 174 29°
- 30° O 164 28°
- 28° N 75 27°
- 27° D 55 26°
Where to stay
Two restored landmarks in the old city.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
Where to dine
Where to book in Havana.
No MICHELIN Guide covers Cuba. This is the paladar Rough Guides points to for a special dinner, still open in 2026.
- La Guarida Rough Guides Cuban fusion Concordia, Centro Habana
Flying to Havana?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.