Plaza de San Francisco de Asís Square

Visit the Plaza de San Francisco de Asís, a colonial center at the gates of the city of Havana, Cuba

Plaza de San Francisco de Asís Square
©W.Méndez.

Plaza de San Francisco de Asís Square was built facing Havana port in the 16th century, when Spanish galleons would stop here on their way through the Indies to Spain. It currently functions as a gateway to the city. Here you can find a lot of pleasant cafes and restaurants.

Throughout the first few decades of the 15th century the square had a market and, in 1608, a church was built there. The market was moved to the Plaza Vieja Square after monks complained about the noise.

Los Leones Fountain
Terminal de Sierra Maestra

Lonja del Comercio, Plaza de San Francisco de Asís Square

Lonja del Comercio Market. ©Tai Pan.

Plaza de San Francisco de Asís Square went through a full restoration in the last years of 1990s. Features such as the following stand out in the square: the square’s irregular pavement; Los Leones Fountain, made from white marble by Guiseppe Gaginni in 1836, and the most beautiful and symbolic in all of Havana; Sierra Maestra Terminal, from which depart ships full of tourists; Lonja del Comercio Market, covered by a dome; Caballero de París Statue, a somewhat more modern statue located outside the church and representing a person who wandered through Havana in the 1950s entertaining pedestrians with his opinions concerning several topics.

This Colonial square houses some of the most interesting places in Old Havana, such as San Francisco de Asís Convent, and nowadays houses the Religious Art Museum; Rum Museum, or Coche Miambí, a train coach built in the US in 1990 and transported to Cuba in 1992.

Other places to visit in this square and its vicinity are the Alejandro Humboldt Museum; and the Aquarium, a freshwater fishes aquarium located in 9 Brazil Street (Opening hours from 9:00am to 5:30pm Tuesdays through Sundays).

This wonderful gathering of colonial buildings creates an atmosphere from another time, with a view of the sea, where you can feel the fresh sea breeze, and excellent dining options. It is a great starting point for a walking tour of Old Havana.

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What to see in Old Havana

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