152 Oficios St. on the corner of Mercaderes St., Old Havana ,
Havana, Cuba
(+53) 78011190
yes
About
Palacio San Felipe y Santiago de Bejucal
The actual full official (not exactly snappy, but charming) name for this brand new (Nov. 2010) hotel is "Palacio del Marqués de San Felipe y Santiago de Bejucal Hotel".
History, and modern facilities are combined in this beautiful building which originally belonged to Don Sebastián de Peñalver at the end of the 18th century and which passed onto the successors of the 4th Marques de San Felipe and Santiago at beginning of the 19th century.
The interior minimalist decor of the hotel contrasts with the baroque design of the hotel’s façade and makes the building unique on the St. Francis of Assisi Square. This new hotel, a gem in the heart of the heart of Old Havana, is lucky to be just a few meters away from the St. Francis of Assisi Convent where you can listen to some of the best choirs and chamber music concerts in the city.
From the hotel’s terrace, at the top of its six floors, you can enjoy the atmosphere of one of the main squares in the heart of the city with the Carrara Marble carved fountain Fuente de los Leones sculpted by the Italian artist Giuseppe Gaggini.
Calle OReilly y Avenida del Puerto, Habana Vieja
Real Fuerza Castle (Maritime Museum)
The Real Force Castle is located in Old Havana, in an attractive area of important architectural, urban, cultural and social values. This is the oldest fortress of the former fortification system of Havana and the Americas, which construction dates back to 1577. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. A replica of the La Giraldilla, the symbol of the city, can be seen on the highest tower of the castle (the original is in the Museum of the City).
Since 2008, the Museo de Navegación (Maritime Museum) is located in the former moat of the Real Force Castle. This museum houses interesting exhibits detailing the history of the fortress and Old Havana, as well as its connections with the former Spanish Empire. It’s worth mentioning that huge scale model of the Santísima Trinidad galleon can be found here.
Tacon e/ Obispo y O'Relly, Habana Vieja
Arms Square
Plaza de Armas surrounds a statue of the patriot Céspedes and is ringed by shaded marble benches and second-hand bookstalls. This square, founding in 1519, was the city's first open space, around which the most important political, military, religious and civil institutions were located. The palaces that surrounded it during the 18th century are worthy exponents of Cuban Baroque architecture. On the square’s eastern side a small neoclassical temple, El Templete, marks the spot where the first Catholic mass was celebrated in 1519. Next door is one of the city’s most luxurious hotels, Hotel Santa Isabel. To the north, the squat but angular and moated Castillo de la Real Fuerza (Fort of the Royal Forces) is one of the oldest forts in the Americas.
O 'Relly No.4, (Plaza de Armas), Habana Vieja, La Habana
Segundo Cabo Palace
The Palacio del Segundo Cabo (Segundo Cabo Palace) is located on the north side of Plaza de Armas Square, Old Havana. This majestic palace is Neoclassical in style and was built in 1772 with local limestone full of holes and calcareous marine incrustations. This building was first built as headquarters of the Spanish vice-governor. Currently, and after several reworkings during which it functioned as Post office, Senate Palace, Supreme Court, National Academy of Arts and Letters, or the Cuba Academy of Science, nowaday it belongs to the Cuban Ministry of Culture, and it hosts the Centre for the Interpretation of Cuba-Europa Relationship.
Calle Mercaderes No. 114, Habana Vieja, La Habana
Maqueta Museum of Old Havana (Scale Model Museum)
The Museo Maqueta de La Habana Vieja (Maqueta Museum of Old Havana) (Scale Model Museum) hosts a 1:500 scale model of Old Havana, one of the most important of these models in all of Cuba, and is considered as a place of great interest, knowledge and entertainment by its inhabitants. It is continuously updated and is rather impressive due to the incredible attention to detail in its works in regards to some of the most important buildings of Old Havana. This is one of Old Havana’s must-visit museums, as it allows you to imagine what the historical center of Havana is like as a whole, and therefore being able to get a better look at it when walking its streets.