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7 Most Instagrammable Spots in Havana, Cuba
Between a seafront drive, a mosaic-covered neighbourhood and streets still full of pre-1960s American cars, Havana packs an unusually consistent, saturated visual identity into a few square kilometres.
Sep 24, 2026 · BigTravel.in
Havana's visual identity is unusually consistent for a capital city, faded pastel facades, pre-1960s American cars kept running for decades, and colonial plazas that have barely changed their footprint since Spanish rule. Here are seven of its most photographed spots.
1. The Malecón
Havana's five-kilometre seafront drive and promenade, lined with crumbling and restored facades side by side, is at its most photogenic in the hour before sunset, when the sea spray and the light hit the buildings along the curve of the bay.
2. Plaza Vieja
Restored more thoroughly than any other square in Habana Vieja, Plaza Vieja mixes colonial arcades with a scattering of colourful umbrellas and outdoor cafés, giving it a brighter, more polished frame than the city's other historic plazas.
3. El Capitolio and its classic cars
Havana's domed former capitol building, modelled in part on Washington's, is almost always photographed with at least one of the city's fleet of vintage American cars, still used as taxis, parked or idling in front of it.
4. Plaza de la Catedral
A compact baroque square anchored by the Catedral de San Cristóbal, its uneven paving and asymmetrical facade give it a more intimate feel than Havana's larger plazas, especially in the soft light of early morning before the crowds arrive.
5. Hotel Nacional de Cuba
Opened in 1930 and long a stop for touring celebrities and heads of state, the hotel's grand entrance, seafront terrace and gardens overlooking the Malecón have made it one of the city's most recognisable backdrops regardless of whether visitors are staying there.
6. Fusterlandia
In the Jaimanitas neighbourhood on Havana's western edge, artist José Fuster covered his own house and dozens of neighbouring ones in bright ceramic mosaics inspired by Gaudí and Picasso, turning several blocks into an open-air, walkable art installation.
7. Callejón de Hamel
A short alley in Centro Habana painted floor to roof in murals rooted in Afro-Cuban Santería imagery, it doubles as a centre for rumba performances on Sundays and is one of the few spots in the city built for colour rather than restored to it.
Traveller tips
- Habana Vieja's plazas are walkable from one another in under half an hour; plan a loop through Plaza Vieja, the Cathedral square and El Capitolio in one outing.
- Fusterlandia is a taxi ride from the old town in Jaimanitas; agree a return fare or wait time with the driver before setting off.
- Internet access in Cuba can be limited and slow outside hotel wifi zones, so plan to upload rather than post in real time.
- Sunday afternoons bring live rumba to Callejón de Hamel; arrive early for a good vantage point.
Where this is
Havana, Cuba