Havana, Cuba's major tourist destination, offers its traditions, culture and history to thousands of national and foreign tourists.

Old Havana holds most of the city's museums, churches, cultural centers and buildings from the Spanish colonial period, including 33,000 buildings, most of which were built from the 18th to the 19th centuries.

The five-century-old village of San Cristóbal de La Habana is one of the most faithful exponents of Spanish colonial architecture in Cuba and its prominence dates back to the late 16th century.

The Cuban capital also has a centuries-old defense system, in which the emblematic Castillo de Los Tres Reyes del Morro stands out. The defense system consisted of nine fortresses that made the most outstanding complex of its kind in the Spanish-speaking Americas at the time, according to experts.

In addition, there is a close relation between the urban scenery and the sea in Havana.

One of the city's most prominent areas is the Malecón (seaside drive), one of the main avenues in the city, where waves break along a wall that runs parallel to the coast.

The Malecón is a five-kilometer avenue that runs from the Bay of Havana – in the east – to the Almendares River – in the west.

Havana also has some of country's best hotels, including the Meliá Cohíba and the Nacional de Cuba. The latter was declared Humankind's Heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1982.

The Nacional, which ranked among the top ten Palace Hotels in the world, was the only five-star hotel in the Caribbean region from the 1930s to the 1950s.

The 350-room Habana Riviera Hotel, which is close to the Meliá Cohíba Hotel, provides entertainment options such as the legendary Copa Room Cabaret, where tourists can enjoy good Cuban music.

Cuban authorities boost urban tourism based on the Spanish colonial heritage found everywhere in the country.

Havana is also the venue of several events, including the Latin American Film Festival and the Ballet Festival, and the International Book Fair.

In addition, the Cuban capital is close to the so-called Blue Circuit, made up of beaches Santa María del Mar, Bacuranao and Guanabo.

Other tourism options in Havana are the National Aquarium and the National Zoo, as well as the most important museums in the country.