Paseo del Prado or Paseo de Martí-The official name of this promenade running from Parque Central toward the sea and lined with beautiful colonial houses with arcades along the pavement is Paseo de Martí, but Cubans call it Paseo del Prado. Construction work in this impressive boulevard commenced beyond the city walls in 1770 and was completed in the mid-1830s, under Captain-General Miguel Tacón¿s rule (1834-1838). Tacón commissioned the construction of Parque Central as well. The popular bronze lions were added in 1928.

Walking down Paseo del Prado you will reach the end of the Malecón. To the right, there's the bay tunnel, which you have to go through to visit the two defensive forts at the entrance of the port. The Castillo de los Tres Reyes del Morro (opens 10 a.m. and closes late in the afternoon) was built between 1589 and 1610 by military architect Bautista Antonelli, who also built the Morro in Santiago de Cuba. The fort's terraces command the most beautiful views of the Malecón. Inside, you can visit the lighthouse and a room dedicated to archaeology. There's a bar, a restaurant, and shops.

The other fort, San Carlos de la Cabaña, dates back to the second half of the eighteenth. It was the largest fort built by Spain in Latin America, 700m in length. It opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 10 p.m. The fort houses an impressive collection of weapons. At 9 p.m. there is the firing of the saluting cannons, a spectacle you should not miss. Soldiers wearing vintage military uniforms fire a gun facing the sea. At one end of the fort, you will find a 14m-high statue of Jesus Christ carved out of Carrara marble.

Cuban cuisine can be said to be country peasant style of cooking. The dishes tend toward the simple and are mild rather than spicy. Meat is usually well done. Cubans love fried food but, unfortunately, they do not use such healthy oil as olive oil. The most traditional national dish is the "congri," a mix of fried onion, white rice, black beans, and bacon.

Havana is home to the country's main museums, the most important ones lying in Old Havana and downtown Havana, especially in the proximity of Paseo del Prado and in Vedado. Must-visits are the Museum of Fine Arts, the City Museum, José Martí's House-Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Museum of the Revolution and, for those who are interested in African religions, the museums in Guanabacoa and Regla.