Plaza de Armas Square, Havana

Come to the Plaza de Armas in Havana, the oldest and most iconic square in Old Havana during your trip to Cuba

Plaza de Armas Square, Old Havana ©G.Bermejo.

The Plaza de Armas is the oldest square in Old Havana, where colonial Havana was born in the 16th century. At that time it was located between the Castillo de la Real Fuerza (Royal Force Castle) and the Iglesia Parroquial Mayor (Main Parish Church), from which it took its name, Plaza de la Iglesia. Nowadays, it houses the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales (Captains Generals’ Palace) because in 1741, the explosion of the Spanish imperial ship "Invincible" destroyed the Main Parish Church.

Carlos Manuel Céspedes Statue, Plaza de Armas

Carlos Manuel Céspedes Statue ©Tai Pan.

It was not known as the Plaza de Armas until the 16th century, when the colonial governor began to use this location to take over the garrison of the nearby fortress. Due to the proximity of the English pirate Francis Drake to the island, the Cuban troops began their military practices in this square to face a possible assault. The current square, like most of the buildings surrounding it, dates from the late 1700s. The ideal entrance to this square is through the incredible portico built at the junction between Avenida del Puerto and Calle O'Reilly. At the same time, you can admire the coat of arms of the city of Havana placed in front of the beach.

It currently contains a second-hand-book street market (opened Mondays through Saturdays); a statue of Carlos Manuel Céspedes, who paved the way to Cuba’s independence in 1868; and the Condes de Santovenia Palace, which dates back to the end of the 18th century, and which now hosts the 5-star Santa Isabel Hotel.

In the square you’ll also find rather interesting museums, such as the City Museum, situated within the Capitanes Generales Palace; El Templete Museum; the Natural History National Museum, the Museo de Navegación (Sailing Museum), Castillo de la Real Fuerza (Castle of the Royal Force) and the Automobile Museum.

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What to see in Old Havana

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