Do you plan to visit Havana? Some locals share their advice

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Editor's Note: The guides of the CNN premises are thoroughly checked to ensure their accuracy. However, given the fluid nature of the travel industry, some listings may become obsolete before the guides can be updated. What we recommend is to confirm the current information on official websites before making plans to visit any business or attraction.

(CNN) - Exotic, mysterious, vibrant. Havana is impregnated with a splendor worn by time.

The captivating capital of Cuba is home to 2 million inhabitants; Havana resembles a Hollywood scene, once glamorous, but now with a halo of aging, although with a lot of action for travelers who wonder what to do in Havana.

Old Havana is overflowing with colonial castles, convents and cobbled plazas. Detroit cars with ailerons sharp enough to hurt someone walk in front of the Malecon. And the Tropicana cabaret, a sensual extravagance loaded with salsa, recalls the pre-revolutionary apogee of sin.

Welcome to communism, Caribbean style. Socialism and sensuality.

The authenticity of Havana is unique: a fascinating amalgam of colonialism, capitalism and communism. It's also exceptionally lovely. You won't want to sleep for missing out on a vital experience while exploring the streets haunted by the ghost of American writer Ernest Hemingway.

Even before the telephone call between President Barack Obama in December 2015 with the then Cuban President Raúl Castro, which reflected the first presidential communication with Cuba since the Cuban revolution, Havana was already undergoing a dramatic change.

Restaurants in private homes (called “palates”) have been improving the gastronomic scene for years. The sophisticated boutique hotels that exude the colonial style of Miami were filled for a short period of time by American visitors thanks to the “person-to-person” license, which was repealed in June 2019 by the government of President Donald Trump. But they are still full of Latin American, Canadian and European tourists.

• Cuba, an unforgettable trip

President Barack Obama speaks with President Raúl Castro from the oval office of the White House.

This is what you should do in Havana:

Hotels

Luxury

Saratoga Hotel

Expert European investors are behind the glamorous Saratoga, the first-class hotel in Havana. Its colonial facade is just that: inside there are cavernous rooms with an elegant style and comforts of the 21st century. It is the only hotel in Havana with free Wi-Fi.

The rooftop pool has a terrace to rest and tan, perfect for planning what to do in Havana. In Anacaona, the Arabic-themed restaurant, you can smoke a cigar and have a cocktail on the mezzanine that has neon lights.

National Hotel

National Hotel of Havana.

Rising on the Malecon facing the sea, this great emblematic lady is promoted as the best hotel in the city. Over the decades, a parade of first-class guests, from Al Capone to Naomi Campbell, have stayed here.

The rooms are a bit worn. Executive level rooms are better and worth it. The Arabic-themed lobby offers excellent architectural photography. Cigars and mojitos in the patio bar are a good precursor to the excitement of the Hotel Parisien Cabaret.

Look: Illustrious visitors who have gone to Havana

1 of 15 | In 2016, President Barack Obama was the first elected president of the United States to visit Cuba since Calvin Coolidge did so in 1928. But Cuba has been far from isolated. See in this gallery other world leaders, religious figures and great celebrities who have been on the Caribbean island. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)

2 of 15 | Former US President Jimmy Carter (1977-1981) visited Cuba in 2002. He was invited by Cuban President Fidel Castro (right) and both shook hands at the State Council in Havana. (Adalbertp Roque / AFP / Getty Images)

3 of 15 | Shortly after leaving prison in 1990, Nelson Mandela visited Cuba and shook hands with Fidel Castro. Castro and Mandela were friends. In 1994, when Mandela became the first black president of South Africa, Castro was a guest of honor in his inauguration. (AP file)

4 of 15 | In 1989, just two years before the collapse of the Soviet Union, Castro met with the leader of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev. Cuba and Russia enjoy a long friendship since the Cold War. (Dirck Halstead / The LIFE Images Collection / Getty)

5 of 15 | After the collapse of the Soviet Union, no Russian leader visited Cuba until 2000, when President Vladimir Putin traveled to the island to meet with Castro. Putin returned in 2014, meeting with Castro and his brother Raul. "Cooperation with Latin American nations is one of the main orientations and perspectives of Russian foreign policy," Putin said later. (Adalbertp Roque / AFP / Getty Images)

6 of 15 | Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was one of Fidel Castro's closest allies. Their friendship spanned almost two decades. Chavez visited Cuba for the first time in 1994, shortly after his release from prison for his participation in a failed coup. Chavez visited Cuba many times in the years after that visit. He also received medical treatment on the island until his death in 2013. (Adalbertp Roque / AFP / Getty Images)

7 of 15 | Cuba has received multiple visits from Iranian heads of state. Here, Cuban President Raúl Castro, on the left, attends a welcome ceremony with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (2005-2013) in 2012. During his trip, Ahmadinejad called on developing countries to unite against "imperialism and capitalism". (Alejandro Ernesto / AFP / Getty Images)

8 of 15 | Fidel Castro enjoyed a close relationship with many heads of state in the Middle East. One of them was the president of Iraq, Saddam Hussein. Hussein's first visit to Cuba was in 1979, when he was vice president. (AFP / Getty Images)

9 of 15 | Cuba has also welcomed three potatoes since the Revolution. Pope John Paul II made the first papal visit to Cuba in 1998. Fidel Castro greeted him personally. The pontiff toured the island nation for five days. (Paul Hanna / AFP / Getty Images)

10 of 15 | Pope Benedict XVI visited Cuba 14 years after his predecessor. The trip arrived a little less than a year before his retirement. During his visit, the Pope told the audience that he sought to emphasize "the importance of faith", highlighting the need for good relations between the church and the island nation. (L'Osservatore Romano / Vatican-Pool / Getty Images)

11 of 15 | No pope has been on the island more times than Pope Francis. Although he has been the leader of the Catholic Church since 2013, Pope Francis has visited Cuba twice. His first visit was in 2015. Francisco called on the communist nation to "open up to the world" while praising the recent restoration of diplomatic ties with the United States. In 2016, Cuba served as a backdrop for the first meeting between the heads of the Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches since the Great Schism in 1054. (Gregorio Borgia / AFP / Getty Images)

12 of 15 | In recent years, Cuba has received a thick cast of visiting stars. Rapper Jay Z and his wife, pop star Beyonce, caused a stir during his trip to the island in 2013. His visit was so criticized that the Office of the Inspector General of the Treasury Department had to get involved. The Treasury Department considered that his trip did not violate any United States sanctions law in effect during the visit. (Tumblr / IamBeyonce)

13 of 15 | American film director Steven Spielberg spent four days in Cuba in 2002. The trip, which had been authorized by the United States government as a cultural exchange, served as a way for the filmmaker to exhibit some of his films and meet with Some Cuban filmmakers. Spielberg also had dinner with Fidel Castro, a meeting in which they discussed art, politics and history. (Jorge Rey / Getty Images)

14 of 15 | In the early 2000s, when soccer star Diego Maradona was fighting his cocaine addiction, the Argentine sought treatment in Cuba. He and Fidel Castro were very close ever since. Maradona visited the island and met with Castro several times. The two even exchanged correspondence. In 2015, it was a letter to Maradona that stifled the rumors that the Cuban leader had died. (Ismael Francisco González / AFP / Getty Images)

15 of 15 | In 2001, American actor Kevin Costner went to Cuba to give Fidel Castro a private screening of the movie "Thirteen Days." The film addressed the issue of the Cuban missile crisis. (José Goitia / AP)

Middle range

Hostal Los Frailes

Hostal Los Frailes. (Christopher Baker)

Steps from the Plaza Vieja in the heart of Old Havana, this charming boutique plays with a monastic theme, including the staff that is dressed in monks' habits. However, there is no medieval austerity here: the rooms have all modern comforts.

A lively quartet plays in the lobby bar. Historic sites surround the hotel. The nearby square has art galleries, museums and a tavern.

Low budget

Valencia Hostel

Here you have the old house of a Spanish count whose ground floor has been converted into a paella restaurant and a bistro bar and its upper level in antique-filled rooms with fresh marble floors. The result?

A beauty at a bargain price in the colonial neighborhood. Each room is different. Many have balconies overlooking the street, although some lack air conditioning, and hot water is never guaranteed.

Where to dine

La Guajira

Loved by Havana diplomats, sweet expatriates and VIP visitors, Cuba's most modern restaurant is reserved every night of the week. Its stage, the third floor of an almost abandoned but photogenic building in the sandy district of Cerro, belongs to a film by Fellini. The cozy atmosphere is enhanced by original works of art and posters that adorn the walls.

The owner Enrique Núñez has lived in Spain and brings to the menu a European savoir-faire, such as chicken and pork medallions with honey and mustard in mango sauce. You may recognize La Guardia as the setting for the hit movie "Strawberry and Chocolate." After deciding what to do in Havana, this is a good place where you could eat.

• La Guajira, Concordia Street 418, Havana Center; +53 7 866 9047

Laurent coffee

This recently opened palate ("palates" are private restaurants, often located inside the homes of the owners) occupies a rooftop penthouse in the Vedado district.

Here the best food in the city is served with a changing menu. The chocolate brownie is outstanding.

There is a beautiful cocktail terrace with spectacular views of the Focsa building. Retro-style décor would fit well in Miami's South Beach, reason enough to wear more elegant clothes. The prices are an absolute bargain, and the service is perfect.

• Restaurant Paladar Cafe Laurent Habana, Calle M # 257 19 and 21 Vedado, Havana 10400 Cuba; +53 7 831 2090

Le chansonnier

The jaded exterior of a Beaux Arts mansion belies the colonial and contemporary beauty of this luxuriously decorated private restaurant: it is the impeccable conception of the owner Héctor Higueras.

French influences merge with Cuban ingredients in the changing menu. Squid ink octopus or chicken breast with tamarind sauce is memorable when available.

There is live music and, somewhat rare in Cuba, the main dining room is non-smoking. Smokers have their own private space, while romantics can request a table on the terrace.

Atelier

A trio of brothers conjured an idiosyncratic centennial mansion in this cosmopolitan palate on a five-story apartment building. Expats come here: their best approval indicator in Havana. Chefs are not afraid to experiment, from duck confit to a delicious sirloin steak with shrimp and celery mousse.

Daily menus are scribbled on Cuban ration cards. The portions, however, will not leave you hungry. You can hang out on a large balcony with padded sofas and concrete fillings.

Atelier- Paladar Restaurant in Havana Cuba, 5th Street, No. 511 high, between Paseo and 2 Vedado, Havana 10400 Cuba; +53 7 836 2025

Tower

With the best views of the city, this state restaurant on the 33rd floor of the tallest building in Havana has wraparound glass walls that give you a panoramic perspective.

The south side offers the most amazing views. It is a good place to watch for a long time while deciding what to do in Havana.

The menu combines continental and Cuban basic products. The classic dishes are old clothes (beef stewed with white rice and vegetables) or fish fillet poached in white wine, followed by the best profiteroles in the city.

• La Torre, M corner 17 Vedado Building Focsa Piso 36, Havana Cuba; +53 7 832 2451

The cistern

This restaurant serves perhaps the best roast chicken (in orange sauce) in Havana. Of course, the a la carte menu has something for every palate, but the homemade chicken dish with all the trimmings is the best option for those with a big appetite.

This open-air thatched-roof restaurant in the Tony Miramar district has a great wine list, plus a cigar shop. Service can be slow when groups arrive.

The Nardos

The long line to enter this restaurant says it all. Climbing a set of collapsed stairs in an equally demolished building in front of the Capitol, this hidden place offers heaped portions of Cuban basic products.

Favorites include garlic prawns and lobster in Catalan sauce. The house sangria is good and they serve jugs for the groups.

The semi-private restaurant is managed by the Spanish Association of Asturias, so the service is constant. The best place to sit is the main room on the second floor, with its handmade wooden furniture.

Coppelia

Cubans love ice cream and this is a sanctuary that occupies an entire block in the heart of Vedado, near key hotels. Unfortunately, foreigners are relegated to their own small section and are charged 1 CUC per tablespoon (almost a dollar).

Smart visitors will become friends with Cubans in line and join them in one of the leafy sections of the park or, on rainy days, in a building that looks like a spacecraft from the 50's era. Here, Only five pesos will buy a bowl full of delicious ice cream.

Congratulations! You have just experienced a rite of Cuban initiation with a true Havana style.

• Heladeria Coppelia, Calle 23 and L Vedado Cuba; +53 7 832 6149

Night life

Tropicana

Of course, the Revolution closed strip clubs, but stiletto-paganism still rules in the most elegant (and largest) Las Vegas-style cabaret in Havana. More than 200 artists shake, vibrate and sing in this outdoor excitement with retro redux.

House music

The most popular dance club in Havana attracts fans who really know how to whip tile, and are not afraid to invite foreign rookies to dance. Cuba's most popular bands often perform here. The main groups do not leave the stage until after midnight, a good justification for taking a nap in the afternoon.

House of Music, Ave. 20 No. 3308 esq. to 35, Miramar, Havana Cuba; +53 7 204 0447

Tavern of the Wall

In this brewery in Old Havana, the seats spill over the Old Square.

Applicants dedicated to knowing that the operation was created and managed jointly by Austrians can be encouraged. A refreshing pilsner and a more abundant dark beer are served here. Drinkers can ask for a three-liter dispensation: a tall glass cylinder with a tap and a central tube filled with ice to keep the beer cold.

Café Concert One-Eyed Cat

Here you feel that you are waiting for Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack to appear in this elegant immersion in the style of the 50s, steps from the National Hotel. Any night is ideal for live music: acts can range from sensual boleros to funk and reggaeton.

It is a great place for dating, although it lacks space to dance and there may be a lot of smoke. Still, it is a great place to put on the list when you think about what to do in Havana. There is a restaurant on the top floor, but the club is full, so you will have to eat early if you want a main seat for the show.

Shopping / Attractions

Havana BusTour

If you want to have a general view of the city and know what to do in Havana, there is no better option than to ride a two-story convertible anywhere in the HabanaBusTour circuit. The fare (5 cucs, about 5 dollars) is valid for 24 hours, and you can get on and off at any of the 44 stops. If you want to go to the beach, go up to a single station in the Central Park and head to the Eastern Beaches.

Old Square

The most magical of the four main squares of the colonial quarter recently emerged from a decade-old restoration. Centennial buildings on each side now shine like stone candy.

Among your list of mandatory things to do you must include the Card Museum and the Planetarium. An elevator goes up to the roof of the Gomez Building, where you can enjoy a 360-degree view of real-time life seen through a Dark Chamber. And to close the day, how about a very cold beer in the Taberna de la Muralla.

National museum of fine arts

Housed in an impressive modernist structure from the 1950s, the three-story Museum of Fine Arts will captivate you with its best paintings, lithographs and sculptures spanning four centuries.

The highlight is the 20th century collection that exhibits sacred names such as Armando Menocal, Wifredo Lam and René Portocarrero.

Revolution Square

Gone are the days when Fidel haunted the crowds here with his complicated oratory, but this vast square will leave you without air.

Among the most important places of interest is the 18-meter-high marble statue of the national hero José Martí in front of the government palace (where the Castro brothers planned state policy).

There is also the iconic five-story face of Che Guevara properly attached to the facade of the spooky Interior Ministry. If possible, schedule your visit to the May Day Parade.

Ernest Hemingway Museum

The definitive sanctuary for fans of "Papa" is the old house of the author of Finca Vigía, winner of the Nobel Prize, on the outskirts of the southeast of the city, 30 minutes by car.

The estate at the top of the hill remains as Hemingway left it, with its valuable possessions in situ. However, you can't really enter. You look through open doors and windows. His sport fishing boat, "Pilar", is placed on stilts in the garden.

Eastern Beaches

On hot weekends, half of Havana seems to go to the "Playas del Este" to tan, have fun and flirt. White sands like sugar dissolve in turquoise waters perfect for relaxing and swimming; In winter you can find jellyfish in the water.

You can rent pedal boats and windsurf. On the straw-roofed ranchitos they sell grilled fish and offer a respite from the heat. Tarara is the prettiest section and has the most facilities, but charges for the entrance (10CUC, about $ 10).

The terraces

This sustainable community is where Havanans are heading for a breath of fresh mountain air. Hiking trails and coffee farms of the colonial era expect you to explore them, and specialized bird watching guides will take you in search of the tocororó, the national bird. It is worth stopping in the pleasant studio of landscape artist Lester Campa. You can have lunch outdoors at the Fonda de Mercedes and have a cappuccino at Café María.

Las Terrazas, Havana-Pinar del Río National Highway, Kilometer 52; +53 48 57 8600

Viñales National Park

Nothing in Cuba competes with the Viñales Valley for its scenic beauty. It is a popular destination for nature fans who walk, ride horses and contemplate spectacular limestone formations called mogotes.

The best time to visit this place is winter, when the fields are planted; or spring, when tobacco is harvested.

Viñales National Park, 26 kilometers north of Pinar del Río and 212 kilometers west of Havana.

Havana