Havana is a city finely attuned to its past, its anguishes, its ruins, and its soaring spirit. Nothing speaks better of this than the city’s historical center – Habana Vieja (Old Havana), a place that has been ravaged by time, unscathed by sprawling modern urban development, and is being carefully burnished back into the most radiant jewel in the Caribbean.

Over the last decade the Office of the Havana City Historian has accelerated a campaign to preserve the historic center's truly amazing and illustrious architectural and historical heritage.

Declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1982, Old Havana is home to 900-odd historical buildings from the baroque to the neoclassical, museums to churches to Cuban courtyard mansions. You'll walk arcades, and gaze at balconies, that date from the 16th to 19th centuries. The heart of the old city is the iconic Calle Obispo, neatly lined art galleries, shops, music venues, paladars, connecting Havana’s promenade, Plaza de Armas to the Parque Central. The area’s other prominent plazas – Plaza de San Francisco, Plaza Vieja, Plaza de la Catedral – are all part of the most striking urban tableau in the Caribbean.

It’s only natural that tourists are enthralled by the old city's charm, and refreshed by its colors, plazas, colonial architecture, 16th century fortress, lively street lives, and endless salsa dancing.

But beyond that, and behind the curvaceous waterfront known as the Malecón, Old Havana’s dust, dirt and mud have blended into locals’ daily existence. There is an unmistakable pride in Cuban’s eyes everywhere you look. From dilapidated buildings that seem to be frozen in collapse, people crane their necks out, gazing upon, joining in, and bringing spirit to life on the street. Identity is shaped by centuries of colonial rule, decades of revolution, and constant hope for continued progress. Life moves forward, in dignity and purpose, even in the most listless-looking buildings. This is the essence of Havana.

Where to eat: Doña Eutimia, El Templete, O’Reilly 304, Nazdarovie, La Dominica, Café del Oriente, Cervecería Antiguo Almacen de la Madera y el Tabaco
Where to stay: Hotel Conde de Villanueva, San Felipe y Santiago de Bejucal Hotel Santa Isabel
Where to drink: O’Reilly 304 bar, El Floridita, La Bodeguita del Medi
Coffee break: Café El Escorial, Bianchini