30 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Cuba - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in Cuba

Discoteca Ayala

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

Fusterlandia

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

Los Jardines de la Tropical

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

Colón Cemetery

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

Nueva Gerona, Cuba

Presidio Modelo

A series of five defunct panopticon prisons in Cuba.

Callejon de Hamel

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

Finca Vigía

The house that birthed The Old Man and The Sea is now a museum devoted to the old man who wrote it.

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 30 Things to Do in Cuba See All 30 Places

Unique
Food & Drink
in Cuba

Jagua

This fruit makes tattoos, antibiotics, and dessert.

Melcocha

Pulling gobs of this handmade taffy yields strong arms and a sweet reward.

Stinking Toe Fruit

If you can get past the foot odor, its pulp is great in smoothies.

Dulce de Leche Cortada

This sweet, caramelized dessert comes from curdled milk.

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Stories
About Cuba

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

Yulier Rodriguez decorates Havana's decaying buildings with art.

The Haunting Street Art Adorning Havana’s Oldest Buildings

Artist Yulier Rodriguez is filling Cuba's capital with melancholic alien creatures.

by Sarah Laskow

December 2, 2016