How to Visit the Cuba UNESCO World Heritage Sites

There are 1223 UNESCO World Heritage sites around the world on the world heritage list, borne of the destruction of two world wars in 30 years, including 9 in Cuba.  Sites that are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list are places that either culturally or naturally have outstanding universal value and have special importance for everyone.  These sites, in Cuba and around the world are unique.  And so it makes sense while you are in Cuba to visit them.  After all, you can’t see them anywhere else!  Our guide to the Cuba UNESCO World Heritage sites includes where they are, how to get to them, and why you should visit Cuba’s World Heritage sites on your trip to Cuba.

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Cuba’s UNESCO World Heritage sites are spread across the island and they are a combination of natural and culturally important locations, sites, and assets in Cuba.  You can easily build visiting them into your Cuba Itinerary, although some are a little more difficult to visit than others because of their location.  Fear not though, I’ll include how you can get to the sites easily.  First though, here’s a short primer on what a UNESCO World Heritage Site is and why you should visit them.

What is a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

UNESCO stands for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, it’s generally known and written as UNESCO.  The stated aims of UNESCO are to “build peace through international cooperation in Education, the Sciences and Culture.” Their constitution was adopted in 1945 in London, England, coming into force in 1946.   UNESCO exists to bring people together and strengthen the moral and intellectual solidarity of humankind. 

It was in 1972 that the convention to protect locations, sites, and assets of the world’s cultural and natural heritage was adopted.  This was the beginning of the World Heritage Site list.  The first sites in the world to be designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites were the Galapagos Islands and Quito, both of which are in Ecuador.  There’s more about the history of UNESCO and the World Heritage sites here.

World Heritage sites are either cultural or natural sites (or both) that are considered “Outstanding Universal Value by the World Heritage Committee and are added, or inscribed onto the World Heritage List.  To be on this list, the locations should

• have special importance for everyone
• represent unique, or the most significant or best, examples of the world’s cultural and/or natural heritage 

Cuba and UNESCO World Heritage

Cuba joined UNESCO as a member state in 1947, one of now 196 countries.  The first Cuba site to be added to the UNESCO World Heritage site was Old Havana in 1982.   A further 8 sites have since been added.  There are currently 14 additional sites on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative list.

Map of Cuba UNESCO World Heritage Sites

If you’re looking to see which UNESCO World Heritage Sites you can visit in Cuba, then our map shows where they are.

The 9 Cuba UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Although Cuba became a member state of UNESCO in 1947 it wasn’t until 1988 that Old Havana and the Fortifications System of the city was inscribed to the World Heritage List.  My list of Cuba’s World Heritage Sites is ordered by the date on which they were inscribed to the list.

1.      Old Havana and the Fortifications System

Founded in 1519 by the Spanish, Havana was one of the Caribbean’s main centers for shipbuilding by the 17^th century.  The wider city today has extended massively with around 2 million inhabitants.  It is Old Havana – bounded by the (no longer in existence) original city walls and the fortifications to protect the city that are inscribed on the world heritage list.  As an essential stopover for ships heading from the old to the new world, Havana was a prize, and her fortifications were necessary protection against marauders.  The defenses were built between the 16^th and 19^th centuries and include the La Cabaña fortress at the eastern side of Havana Bay, the La Punta and Morro Castles protecting the entrance, and the Real Fuerza Castle on Havana Bay’s western side.

Old Havana’s historic center has a mix of well-preserved buildings (and some not quite so well-preserved), there are narrow streets, plazas, and a glorious mix of Baroque, neoclassical, and Spanish colonial architecture.

Old Havana and its fortifications were inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1982.

Places to visit UNESCO World Heritage Old Havana

It is easy to simply wile away the time in Old Havana, and while perhaps the best way to get your bearings is to take a walking tour (reserve your place here), you’ll want to make sure that you stop by at least some of these sites where you’ll see why the city is one of Cuba’s UNESCO World Heritage sites.

• Plaza de Armas
• La Cabaña Fortress (La fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabaña)
• The Malecón
• Morro Castle (El Castillo del morro)
• The Capitol Building (El capitolio nacional)
• Saint Christopher’s Cathedral (La catedral de San Cristóbal)
• The Castle of the Royal Army (El Castillo de la Real Fuerza)
• The Great Theater of Havana (El gran teatro de La Habana)
• The Museum of the Revolution (El museo de la revolución)

How to Visit the Havana UNESCO World Heritage Locations

Of course, you don’t have to take a specific route to visit all of these, (certainly the ones in Old Havana) are included in the walking tours that you’ll find around the city (this is my recommended tour to take).  Here’s the easiest way to visit Havana’s World Heritage Locations.

1. You can also see Havana’s glorious Malecon on an evening at dusk, or from the seat of a Cuban Classic Car tour.  
2. See the Plazas, Theater, and Cathedral on a small group guided walking tour of Old Havana – you’ll get the full history and local tops too.  Reserve a place here.
3. Read more about the Museum of the Revolution and what to see when visiting here in our Revolutionary Cuba Itinerary.
4. You can explore the National Capitol Building independently, but to understand more about its history and that of Cuba, then visit with a local guide.
5. Take in the ambiance of La Cabaña Fortress at the historic cannon firing ceremony.  Occurring nightly at 9 pm.  It’s one of the best things to do in Havana at night.  And this tour to La Cabaña includes transport, entrance, the cannon firing ceremony, and dinner.  Reserve your place here.

2.      Trinidad and the Valley de los Ingenios

The colonial city of Trinidad with its gloriously crumbling architecture and cobbled streets was built on the profits of the sugar cane trade.  My guide to visiting Trinidad is here and covers the major plazas to visit, the historic buildings, and the museums not to miss.  Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988 along with the Valley de Los Ingenios (the valley of the sugar mills), Trinidad’s most impressive buildings date from the 18^th and 19^th centuries.  Visit buildings such as the Palacio Brunet and the Palacio Cantero.  Don’t miss the views from the tower of the Convento de San Francisco or the spectacular Plaza Mayor.

The city was founded in the 16^th century and was the hub of the sugar industry.  In the Valley of the Sugar Mills (Los Ingenios), you’ll see the ruins of 75 sugar mills, plantation houses, and the military barracks – housing those preventing the slaves from escaping.  This area is also on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage in Cuba, under “Sites of Memory of Slavery in Cuba”.

How to Visit the Trinidad and Los Ingenios UNESCO World Heritage Sites

My guide to Trinidad covers the main sites of the central UNESCO-referenced buildings and this walking tour of old historic Trinidad will take you to them too. It is easiest to visit the Valley of the Sugar Mills on a day trip from Trinidad, my guide on day trips from Trinidad is here, alternatively, you can make a sightseeing stop on your way from Varadero to Trinidad if you’re using the daytrip.com service.

3.      San Pedro de la Roca Castle, Santiago de Cuba

The San Pedro de la Roca Fort sits on top of a 200-foot (60-meter) promontory protecting the entrance to the harbor of Santiago de Cuba.  It is the best preserved and most completed example of Spanish-American military architecture and as such was inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1997.  It’s a complex and intricate mix of batteries, bastions, magazines, and forts designed based on Renaissance and Italian architectural principles.  Juan Bautista Antonelli was the designer, he also designed the forts in Havana, but the forts weren’t completed until 17 years after his death (the money ran out).  The fort is around 6 miles (10 kilometers) from the city of Santiago de Cuba.

It’s often called “Morro Castle” as it’s built into the rocky promontory called El Morro.  While the fort was built in 1638, it suffered two earthquakes in its history and it was remodelled in 1766.  There’s a museum inside the fort, El Museo del Castillo del Morro San Pedro de la Roca.  It’s a small 5-room museum open from 08:00 until 19:30 covers the history of the fort, and displays firearms and other weapons.

How to Visit the San Pedro de la Roca Castle, UNESCO World Heritage Site

San Pedro de la Roca is close to the city of Santiago de Cuba.  If you’ve made it all the way here to the far eastern end of the island, then you shouldn’t miss it.  My guide of things to do in Santiago de Cuba is here.  And at just 6 miles (10 kilometers) from the city, it’s an easy trip.  Pick up a taxi in the city, or prebook a trip here.  This trip with Civitatis tends to run ONLY in the high season (December through April), and it will disappear from the site when not available.

4.      Desembarco del Granma National Park

The Granma is the name of the yacht in which Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, and Raul Castro traveled to Cuba from Mexico in 1956.  And thus began the Cuban Revolution. (you can track some of the history of the revolution in my Revolutionary Cuba Itinerary here)  The yacht itself is housed in the Museum of the Revolution in Havana.

This National Park is named after the yacht, Granma. (the name in Spanish, Desembarco del Granma means the landing of the Granma) as this is where the yacht and the revolutionaries landed.  It has a lot of cultural and historical significance, but the Desembarco del Granma National Park status on the UNESCO World Heritage list is the first of our listings for natural status.  Added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in December 1999, this park has more than 500 different species of plants, 12 of which are only present within the park. 

At this UNESCO World Heritage Site, you’ll find the world’s largest and best-preserved coastal limestone terrace system.  The cliffs are almost pristine.  There are giant sinkholes, canyons, caves, and cliffs here.  13 mammals, 110 birds, 44 reptiles and 7 amphibians make their home here.  There is a 90% degree of endemism for amphibians and reptiles here – remarkably high – it means that these creatures are not found anywhere else on the planet.

How to Visit the Desembarco del Granma National Park UNESCO World Heritage Site

The closest city to the Desembarco del Granma National Park is Bayamo – which is accessible on the Viazul Bus (read my guide here).  From Bayamo it’s a long 108-mile (175-kilometer) haul out to the park and that’s the best place to start from.   There are agents in Bayamo who will arrange trips for you, alternative build this out as a custom tour with the Cuban Adventures team.

5.      The Viñales Valley –

The Viñales Valley is located in the west of Cuba – circled by mountains, yet dotted with rocky karst outcrops called mogotes.  This is a visually stunning place to visit.  There are green tobacco fields here, and traditional techniques are still used in both tobacco and other products.  There’s a rich mix of ethnicities here in the valley and in 1999 the Viñales Valley) became Cuba’s fifth UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The traditional (and manual) methods of cultivation of tobacco have remained here, primarily because mechanical methods reduce the quality of the tobacco.  And Cuba, as we all know is famous for Cuban Cigars.

How to Visit the Viñales Valley UNESCO World Heritage Sites

You’re spoiled for choice when it comes to ways to visit this stunning World Heritage site in Cuba.  If you have the time, then come for multiple days.  You can take the Viazul Bus from Havana to Viñales  (download the timetable here), but there’s only one each day, and the timings aren’t great for making this a short visit.  Once you’re here, however, you can choose a hop-on hop-off bus, a vintage Cuban car, or even a bicycle around the valley.

One of the most popular ways to visit the Viñales Valley is on a day trip from Havana.  It is a long day, but someone else is driving, so the hours in the car are bearable.  You’ll want to leave Havana around 07:30 and arrive back 10-12 hours later. I recommend this day trip to Viñales from Havana.

6.      The Archaeological Landscape of the First Coffee Plantations in the South-East of Cuba

The Archaeological Landscape of the First Coffee Plantations in the southeast of Cuba was inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage list in the year 2000.  The ruins and remains of the 171 cafetales – coffee plantations in Cuba date from the 19^th and 20^th centuries, they’re spread over 7 different locations.  These coffee plantations are evidence of a pioneer form of agriculture that drove the economic and social development of the Caribbean.  The remains of the plantations include infrastructure, machinery, and structures as well as transport infrastructure and irrigation all that were necessary for the production of coffee.  The plantations are located in the Sierra Maestra foothills in the provinces of Guantanamo and Santiago de Cuba.  The most preserved is the restored museum of La Isabelica.

A typical coffee plantation would include the owner’s house and worker’s quarters. There would be terraced drying floors and production areas for milling and roasting.  Here in Cuba, it was the French who developed the processing system called “wet pulping” – and this needed water.  So an infrastructure of cisterns, aqueducts, and viaducts was required.  Some of this is still visible today.  The coffee plantations of Cuba were owned by French and French Haitians but worked by both Creole and African slaves.

How to Visit the First Coffee Plantations UNESCO World Heritage Sites

You should start your journey to the First Coffee Plantations of Cuba from Santiago de Cuba.  This isn’t on the well-trodden tourist path.  It’s best to ask at your hotel or casa particular, but the easiest plantation to visit is the La Isabelica Cafetal, it’s just 19 miles (30 kilometers) from Santiago de Cuba.  Take a taxi, agree on a price beforehand, and enjoy!

7.      Alejandro de Humboldt National Park

This National Park, which spans both Holguin and Guantanami provinces was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2001.  The park is named for the German naturalist and explorer who visited here in 1800.  UNESCO says that this location is “one of the most important sites in the Western Hemisphere for the conservation of endemic flora.”   The geology of the area and its remoteness have contributed to the development of an ecosystem that is unmatched – it is one of the most diverse tropical island sites on the planet.  Many rocks here are toxic and so species have evolved and developed to survive.  There is an extremely high level of endemism here, and the park is home to 16 of Cuba’s 28 endemic species of plants and several species of parrot, hutia, and snail.

How to Visit the Alejandro de Humboldt National Park UNESCO World Heritage Site

It’s easiest to visit the Alejandro de Humboldt on a guided tour from Baracoa.  My guide to Baracoa is here.  And while the Viazul Bus currently doesn’t go there you can get a Transtur Bus from Santiago de Cuba (I’ve included the details here)

8.      Urban Historic Centre of Cienfuegos

Cienfuegos was founded in 1819, and while the name means “100 fires” it was actually named for the Spanish General, Don Jose Cienfuegos, who approved the plan to settle French émigrés from Bordeaux and Louisiana here.  It took 2 years from that approval to the founding of the town. The town, not far from Trinidad became the place to trade sugar cane, coffee, and tobacco – being at the centre of the growing area of all three products.  It is the historic center of Cienfuegos that was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005. 

Cienfuegos is an excellent Latin American example of a township that combines the urban planning requirements of hygiene, modernity, and order.  Many of the buildings of interest remain – the Government Palace (City Hall), San Lorenzo School, the Bishopric, and the Ferrer Palace, aka the Museum of the Arts.

How to Visit the Cienfuegos UNESCO World Heritage Site

While many simply drive through Cienfuegos on the Viazul Bus heading to Trinidad it is deserving of at least a little of your time.  If you are short on time, then you can visit on a whistle-stop day trip from Varadero, also taking in El Nicho Waterfalls or Santa Clara and Trinidad.  If you plan to stay longer, then my guide to Cienfuegos is here.

Once you’re in Cienfuegos, then it’s easy to explore the sites.  I recommend a walking tour – or to get a little bit further with less effort, then there’s now a tuk-tuk tour of Cienfuegos available.  However, to really embrace the cultural aspects of this city, join this specific cultural and art tour. There are morning or afternoon times available and it lasts for 2.5 hours.  You can book a place here.

9.      Historic Centre of Camagüey

Last in the current list of Cuban UNESCO World Heritage sites is the historic center of Camagüey, being inscribed to the list in 2008.  Camagüey was established in its current location in 1528, by the Spanish and it was one of the first seven villages of Cuba.  The city has small and large plazas, alleyways, irregular urban blocks, and winding streets – it was an unusual design for a Latin American territory.  The city quickly became prominent as a center in the sugar and cattle breeding industries. 

The design of the city and buildings includes many style influences throughout the centuries and you’ll find neoclassical, eclectic, Art Deco, Neo-colonial as well as some Art Nouveau and rationalism.  Astonishingly it’s not a mess, but a delightful combination.

How to Visit the Camagüey UNESCO World Heritage Site

The city is quiet and laidback, and served by the Viazul Bus, so getting here is relatively easy.  It’s best to come here and explore independently, you can check my guide to Camagüey here and follow the sites to see around the city.

14 Tentative Cuba UNESCO World Heritage Sites

The Tentative List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites is simply a list of properties that each state considers to be of natural or cultural heritage and of outstanding universal value to be inscribed on the World Heritage List.  It is up to each state to submit this list to UNESCO.  These are the sites currently submitted to UNESCO for inclusion in the World Heritage List, including their date of submission.

1. National Schools of Art, Cubanacán  (February 2023)
2. Ciénaga de Zapata National Park (February 2023) (visit the park here)
3. Reef System in the Cuban Caribbean (February 2023)
4. Escuelas Nacionales de Arte de Cubanacán (March 2024)
5. Tropicana (March 2024) (visit Tropicana here)
6. El Vedado, ciudad jardín temprana (March 2024) (take a walking tour of Vedado here)
7. Central Campus of the University of Havana (March 2024)
8. Triolet French Drugstore (Pharmacy Museum) (March 2024) (see the Pharmacy Museum on my 2 days in Havana Itinerary)
9. Santiago de Cuba, sus escenarios históricos (March 2024) (my guide to Santiago de Cuba is here)
10. Sites of Memory of Slavery in Cuba (March 2024)
11. Parque Nacional Caguanes (March 2024)
12. The National Park Ciénaga de Zapata and the Speleological-Lacustrine System (March 2024)- my guide to Cuba’s top National Parks is here.
13. Sistema Arrefical del Caribe Cubano (March 2024)
14. The Aqueduct of Albear (March 2024)

You can also visit these sites that have been submitted to the tentative World Heritage Sites list. 

Final Words on Visiting the Cuba UNESCO World Heritage Sites

The sites in Cuba inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage list are unique, and worthy of your time.  And while some of them may be a little difficult to get to (I’m looking at you Desembarco del Granma National Park!), others, like Old Havana and the centers of the colonial cities are places that you’re likely to be visiting on your Cuba Itinerary anyways, so make sure you stop off, learn a little and explore more.

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