Under $100: Havana, Cuba

The Cuban capital is a curious mixture of crumbling buildings, classic cars and buzzing new energy on the musical, artistic and culinary scenes. Here is your guide to seeing the best of Havana in one day.

Start your day with an unlimited buffet breakfast at Hotel Terral for just $10. The hotel is perched on the famous seafront known as the Malecón and offers great views to enjoy while you eat.

Suitably stuffed, walk down the Malecón and admire the views along the bay. Spend the morning strolling around Havana’s Old Town, a tourist hot spot and a must see in order to understand the history of the city. Make sure to stop in at the cathedral and the Rum Museum ($5).

For lunch, head to Esto No Es Un Café ($18 with a drink), which serves up tasty food in a well-designed space next to the cathedral. Order the pork medallion if you want a unique dining experience; the dish comes served in a urinal!

In the afternoon, take a taxi to Vedado. The area has become a hub for Havana’s art scene, with new initiatives popping up to help creative types. Stop in at Cuba Libro for a coffee ($1.50) and a chat with young Cubans who take advantage of the lending library. Travelers are welcome to buy books to support the project.

Take a peek into Havana’s dark history with a trip to the Hotel Nacional, which hosted the largest meeting of the North American mafia in 1946. Remember the mobsters with a coctel de la mafia ($5), a premium mojito made with aged rum.

For dinner, head to Atelier, where some of the best food in Havana served up in fashionable surrounds ($20), before dancing the night away at art gallery-bar-club La Fabrica de Arte Cubana (entrance $2, cocktails $3).