• Catedral de San Cristóbal and Plaza de la Catedral, Havana (tel. 7/861-7771): Havana's cathedral and the plaza it sits on are perhaps Old Havana's most distinctive historical sites. The twin towers and worn baroque facade of this ancient church are beautiful both by day and night.
  • Museo de la Ciudad, Havana (tel. 7/861-2876): Old Havana's preeminent museum displays colonial-era art and artifacts. Stroll the rooms, courtyards, and interior veranda of the former Palacio de los Capitanes Generales (Palace of the Captains General), which houses the museum.
  • Parque Histórico Morro y Cabaña, Havana (tel. 7/863-7063 for El Morro, and tel. 7/862-0617 for La Cabaña): Across the harbor from Old Havana, the Morro & Cabaña Historic Park complex is comprised of two major forts charged with protecting Havana's narrow harbor entrance. There's a lighthouse, several museums, restored barracks, and batteries of cannons.
  • Cementerio de Colón, Havana (tel. 7/832-1050): Columbus Cemetery is an impressive collection of mausoleums, crypts, family chapels and vaults, soaring sculptures, and ornate gravestones. All of the dead are laid to rest above ground, and you'll be awed by the surfeit of marble and alabaster.
  • Monumento Ernesto Che Guevara, Santa Clara (tel. 42/20-5878): Featuring a huge sculpture of the revolutionary hero overlooking a vast plaza, this place is deeply revered by Cubans. Underneath the statue is a museum with exhibits detailing the life and exploits of "El Che," as well as a mausoleum holding his remains. 
  • Trinidad: The entire town of Trinidad qualifies as a historical site. The impeccably preserved relic -- several blocks square of perfect pastel-colored mansions, churches, and cobblestone streets -- is one of the greatest collections of colonial architecture in the Americas.
  • Plaza San Juan de Dios, Camagüey (tel. 32/29-1318): This dignified square is the highlight of Camagüey's colonial quarter, one of the largest in Cuba with more than a dozen 16th-, 17th-, and 18th-century colonial churches. Marked by cobblestones and colonial houses with red-tile roofs and iron window grilles, the understated plaza is home to a 17th-century baroque church and hospital of the order of San Juan de Dios.
  • Museo El Chorro de Maíta, Guardalavaca (tel. 24/43-0201): This small museum site is a Taíno burial ground from the late-15th and early-16th centuries, the biggest and finest American Indian cemetery discovered in Cuba. The well-preserved remains of more than 100 members of the community reveal important clues about native groups after the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors. 
  • Casa Velázquez (Museo de Ambiente Historico Cubano), Santiago de Cuba (tel. 22/65-2652): Diego Velázquez founded the original seven villas (towns/settlements) in Cuba, and his 1515 mansion in Santiago de Cuba, the oldest house in the country and one of the oldest in the Americas, is still standing. Today it's a museum of colonial furnishings from the 16th to the 19th century.
  • Castillo El Morro, Santiago de Cuba (tel. 22/69-1569): Although nowhere near as expansive as its sister fort in Havana, this massive fortress is nonetheless quite impressive. You can almost feel like you're part of the history here while walking the mazelike alleyways.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.