A Day in Old Havana Away From the Crowds

Old Havana is a huge draw for visitors to the city, and the area can become uncomfortably crowded.

If you want to see Old Havana without feeling like a visitor to a theme park, there are places you can go away from the crowds. Here’s a guide to how to do it.

For those that like to visit religious buildings, check out the recently inaugurated mosque. With so many churches around, it’s interesting to see a working mosque that serves the city’s Muslim population.

Many people will walk around Plaza Vieja, Plaza San Francisco and Plaza de Armas, but Parque Central is where you should head for something different. Listen for the sound of heated conversation, and you’ll be drawn to the Hot Corner, where Cubans come to debate baseball in an incredibly passionate way.

Museums are a popular spot for visitors to any city, and Havana is no different. However, instead of spending a few hours in the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes or the Museo de la Revolucion, go to the Museo del Naipe to marvel at more than 2,000 different decks of cards.

Everyone likes to take souvenirs home from their trips, but that doesn’t have to mean a Che Guevara t-shirt. Instead take a trip to Clandestina, a design studio and shop where you can pick up clothes, posters and trinkets that reflect the modern face of Cuban design.