Ships dock at the Terminal Sierra Maestra on the Havana waterfront, steps from the edge of Old Havana.
💡 Pro move: US-flagged cruise ships have faced significant restrictions on Cuba calls since 2019 — confirm your sailing's current Cuba status with your cruise line before planning this excursion.
International cruise lines dock at the Terminal Sierra Maestra on the Old Havana waterfront.
| Cruise Line | Typical Berth / Arrival | Dock or Tender |
|---|---|---|
| MSC Cruises, Costa, AIDA, TUI Cruises, and other European/international lines | Terminal Sierra Maestra, Havana Harbor | Docked |
| Expedition and small-ship operators | Terminal Sierra Maestra or small craft wharfs in Havana Harbor | Docked |
Havana rewards walkers, history buffs, music lovers, and anyone who simply wants to absorb one of the most atmospheric cities in the world.
UNESCO-listed Habana Vieja is the core of any Havana visit. A guided tour covers the four main colonial plazas — Plaza de Armas, Plaza de la Catedral, Plaza Vieja, and Plaza de San Francisco — plus the restored baroque churches, the old city walls, and the stories behind the colonial-era buildings.
Find Old Havana walking tours →Havana's fleet of perfectly maintained 1950s American cars is genuinely remarkable — and renting one for a private city tour is the quintessential Cuba experience. An open-top Chevy or Buick takes you along the Malecón, past the Capitol building, through Vedado, and out to the hilltop Fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabaña.
Find Havana classic car tours →Cuba is the birthplace of son cubano, salsa, and mambo. An afternoon at one of the historic music venues — Casa de la Música, a Buena Vista Social Club tribute show (often at Legendarios del Guajirito), or any of the dozens of live-music bars in Habana Vieja — pairs naturally with a rum tasting. The drinks are cheap; the music is extraordinary.
Find Havana music and rum tours →One of the largest fortresses in the Americas, built by the Spanish in the 18th century to defend Havana Harbor after the British briefly seized the city. The fort sits on the far side of the harbor and offers sweeping views back across the Havana skyline. Every evening at 9 PM, the ceremonial cannon firing (El Cañonazo) is reenacted in period costume.
Find La Cabaña fortress tours →Beyond mojitos and ropa vieja, Havana has a developing private-restaurant (paladar) scene worth exploring. A guided food tour hits state-run agromercados (farmers markets), neighborhood paladares, and street snacks like pan con lechón (roast pork sandwiches) and croquetas.
Find Havana food tours →Ernest Hemingway lived in Cuba for 22 years and left his mark on the city. Finca Vigía, his estate in the suburb of San Francisco de Paula, is preserved as he left it and is open to visitors. Back in Old Havana, El Floridita bar is where the daiquiri was (allegedly) perfected — and where Hemingway drank them by the dozen.
Find Hemingway Havana tours →Old Havana is one of the finest walking cities in the Caribbean — compact, dense with history, and almost entirely flat.
From the waterfront, walk to Plaza de San Francisco de Asís (the old trading square), then north along Calle Oficios to Plaza de Armas (the oldest square, lined with booksellers), west to Plaza de la Catedral (Havana's baroque showpiece), and south through Calle Obispo — Old Havana's main pedestrian street — back to Plaza Vieja. Each plaza has its own character and a bar or café for a rest stop.
📍 Plaza de San Francisco de Asís, Havana 📍 Plaza de Armas, Havana 📍 Plaza de la Catedral, Havana 📍 Calle Obispo, Havana 📍 Plaza Vieja, HavanaWalk west from the edge of Old Havana along the Malecón, Havana's famous 8-km seawall boulevard. Waves crash against the wall, crumbling pastel mansions line the inland side, and locals gather here at all hours. Walk as far as the Hotel Nacional de Cuba in Vedado — a National Monument and one of the great hotels of the Americas — before catching a classic-car taxi back.
📍 Malecón at Prado, Havana 📍 Malecón at Calle Galiano, Havana 📍 Hotel Nacional de Cuba, HavanaClimate normals for Havana, La Habana, Cuba (2014–2023 averages). Pack for the month you sail — highs, lows, and how many rainy days to expect.
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Rainy Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 79°F / 26°C | 67°F / 19°C | 9 |
| Feb | 82°F / 28°C | 68°F / 20°C | 6 |
| Mar | 84°F / 29°C | 69°F / 21°C | 5 |
| Apr | 87°F / 31°C | 72°F / 22°C | 8 |
| May | 87°F / 31°C | 74°F / 23°C | 16 |
| Jun | 88°F / 31°C | 76°F / 24°C | 21 |
| Jul | 90°F / 32°C | 77°F / 25°C | 18 |
| Aug | 91°F / 33°C | 78°F / 26°C | 18 |
| Sep | 88°F / 31°C | 77°F / 25°C | 19 |
| Oct | 86°F / 30°C | 75°F / 24°C | 15 |
| Nov | 83°F / 28°C | 72°F / 22°C | 10 |
| Dec | 81°F / 27°C | 70°F / 21°C | 6 |
Source: Open-Meteo ERA5 (10-yr daily averages)