The Atlas Obscura Guide To Cuba

38 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Cuba

Updated October 5, 2023

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Unusual Attractions in Cuba

Outside José Fuster’s studio.

Havana, Cuba

Fusterlandia

A Cuban artist reclaimed his impoverished neighborhood as a dreamy folk art kingdom.

Partying

Trinidad, Cuba

Discoteca Ayala

This subterranean disco dance club in a Cuban cave comes with bright lights and a dark legend.

Mausoleum and monuments

Havana, Cuba

Colón Cemetery

In terms of history and architecture, this is one of the most remarkable cemeteries in the world.

Coppelia.

Havana, Cuba

Coppelia

Castro's communist ice cream mothership has been serving five-scoop "salads" for over 50 years.

Callejon de Hamel.

Havana, Cuba

Callejon de Hamel

A colorful narrow alley in Cuba is full of street art and sculptures made of found objects.

Nature attempts to reclaim what’s left of the Tropical Garden’s structures.

Havana, Cuba

Los Jardines de la Tropical

A Spanish-style estate that has traded black ties for rock concerts.

A view from inside one of the prison blocks.

Nueva Gerona, Cuba

Presidio Modelo

A series of five defunct panopticon prisons in Cuba.

Ministry of Interior building, adorned with a steel sculpture of Che Guevara

Havana, Cuba

La Plaza de la Revolución

A focal point of the Cuban government, this city square features one of the most iconic images in the country.

See All 38 Things To Do in Cuba

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Cuba

Coppelia.

Havana, Cuba

Coppelia

Castro's communist ice cream mothership has been serving five-scoop "salads" for over 50 years.

A prominent feature of the Havana skyline

Havana, Cuba

Bacardi Building

After the Cuban Revolution, the famous rum company had to leave their swanky headquarters behind.

The dimly lit bar is an homage to tiki culture.

Havana, Cuba

El Polinesio

When the Cuban government seized a Trader Vic's franchise, they unknowingly led to its preservation.

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Statues 6

Sculptures 5

Communism 5

Outsider Art 4

Museums 4

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Stories About Cuba

Tags of Ernesto “Che” Guevara can be found all over the Smara refugee camp.

Welcome to the Little Cuba of the Sahara Desert

The surprising story of how Spanish, baseball, and arroz cubano came to permeate some desert camps in Africa.

by Andrea Prada Bianchi

September 19, 2023

The “Bacardi Bomber” now resides at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.

Bacardi's Head Honcho Once Tried to Bomb Castro's Cuba

After many a misadventure, his warplane is on display today.

October 31, 2019

The tiny floof known as the Cuban greater funnel-eared bat.

To Save a Rare Cuban Bat, Biologists Conducted a Census by Pedicure

Studying the highly endangered species requires a little colorful creativity.

by Sabrina Imbler

September 24, 2019

Cuba’s oldest Jewish cemetery will soon be seeing better days.

Mazel Tov: Cuba’s First Jewish Cemetery Gets an Overdue Makeover

As Havana prepares to celebrate 500 years as the country’s capital, the 109-year-old site is coming back to life.

by Jonathan Carey

Cuban refugees wait for U.S. Immigration Service officials aboard the shrimp boat Big Babe at Key West, Florida.

When Georgia Shrimpers Hauled Cuban Refugees

How a standoff with Castro knocked a hole in the shrimping village of Thunderbolt.

by Alexandra Marvar

November 5, 2018

The School of Ballet, part of the National Arts Schools in Cuba.

Cuba's National Art Schools Are an Unfinished Masterpiece

The designs fell out of favor before construction was completed.

by Sarah Laskow

September 20, 2018

The interior of one of the prison buildings.

Inside an Abandoned Panopticon Prison in Cuba

The striking Presidio Modelo once housed Fidel Castro.

Centro Habana heading towards the Barrio Chino, home of the old Shanghai Theatre.

Exploring Cuba, Guided by Graham Greene

'Our Man in Havana' was published at the end of 1958, and much of the city it describes remains intact.

by Luke Spencer

February 20, 2017

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