Havana

Havana, the capital of Cuba, is one of the most complex and compelling cities in the Western Hemisphere — a place simultaneously frozen in 1959 by decades of trade embargo and political isolation, and vibrantly alive with music, colour, street culture and human warmth. Its extraordinary collection of neoclassical, Baroque and Art Deco architecture in various states of crumbling grandeur creates a visual drama found nowhere else. Old Havana (Habana Vieja), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the essential experience — Plaza de la Catedral, Plaza Vieja, Plaza de Armas (with its excellent second-hand book market), the Capitolio Nacional and the Paseo del Prado create a colonial core of extraordinary beauty. The Malecón, the 8km seafront promenade where all of Havana gathers at sunset and where waves crash over the seawall in spectacular fashion during rough weather, is the city's social spine. Havana's music culture — son cubano, salsa, jazz, timba — permeates every corner: the Casa de la Música, the Callejón de Hamel (Afro-Cuban religious art and rumba performances on weekends), the BENNY MORÉ social club. The Museum of Fine Arts has an excellent collection of Cuban art. The cigar factories where rollers produce hand-rolled Habanos are fascinating to visit. Classic American cars (maintained through improvisation for 60 years) are among the most photographed features. The political and economic situation means travel conditions change frequently.