El Torreón

CA3
General sightseeing
CA Ranking: 3
Malecón y Victoria
Also included in Hemingway section
  • Recently restored, El Torreón or as locals call it Castillito (literally, small castle), built in 1649 with blocks from the San Lázaro Quarry (where José Martí was sentenced to forced labor), was part of the city’s defensive complex. This tower is best known for having neutralized the reportedly last pirate attack in history and to have prevented the English to land on the beaches of Cojímar. Local students have requested that El Torreón, which has already been given the status of National Monument, be transformed into a museum.

    
  • Patronato de la Casa de la Comunidad Hebrea y Gran Sinagoga bet Shalom

    Patronato de la Casa de la Comunidad Hebrea y Gran Sinagoga bet Shalom  LH 2

    This is the biggest of Cuba’s five synagogues and is considered one of the most important architectural works in the country. It has a hard-looking exterior with vertical lines that make reference to …

    Fuente de las Américas

    Fuente de las Américas  LH 2

    The Fuente de Las Américas, built as a tribute to the discoverer of the Americas, was inaugurated in 1924 as part of the construction of Avenida de las Américas, now known as 5ta Avenida. Made in whit …

    Casa de Asia

    Casa de Asia  LH 2

    Opened in 1997, this small museum—upstairs in a townhouse mansion built in 1688—displays collections that depict the lifestyle, dress, religious beliefs, rituals and traditions from different Asiatic …

    Banco de La Habana

    Banco de La Habana  LH 2

    This 1915 two-story building was made of reinforced concrete. Its façade was composed of elements of the Ionic order and stood out because of its semicircular portico and its beautiful wooden door, wh …

    Parque de la Fraternidad

    Parque de la Fraternidad  LH 2

    By 1790, this originally mangrove swampy area became Campo de Marte, a military practice range, which was expanded in 1793 thanks to a project by Belgian engineer Agustin Cramer. And after Bishop Espa …

    Cárcel de la Habana

    Cárcel de la Habana  LH 2

    Up until 1834 there were no prisons in Havana. Back then, prisoners were crammed together in a small area on the Palacio de Gobierno’s basement. With this in mind, Lieutenant General Miguel Tacón, Gov …

    Parque de los Mártires Universitarios

    Parque de los Mártires Universitarios  LH 2

    This cement park was built in 1967 to honor university students involved in Cuba’s independence struggles. The most notable element, located by the most important entrance, can be interpreted a fist, …

    Casa del Científico (Casa de José Miguel Gómez)

    Casa del Científico (Casa de José Miguel Gómez)  LH 2

    The compact yet extravagant Beaux Arts building on the northwest corner of Prado and Trocadero was once the residence of Cuba’s second president, José Miguel Gómez, known as ‘El Tiburón’ (The Shark). …

    Museo Farmacia Taquechel

    Museo Farmacia Taquechel  LH 2

    This townhouse was adapted in 1898 into a pharmacy by Francisco Taquechel. Restored and reopened in 1996, it functions as pharmacy and museum. Its collection includes 19th-century French porcelain apo …

    Edificio del Seguro Médico

    Edificio del Seguro Médico  LH 2

    This is one of the most significant exponents of the trends in architecture in Havana of its time. According to architect Pedro Martínez Inclán, “Quintana can boast about having given Havana…two build …

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