Fuente de los Leones

CA3
General sightseeing
CA Ranking: 3
Plaza de San Francisco, Habana Vieja
  • Designed in 1836 by Italian artist Giuseppe Gaggini, the Carrara marble Fuente del Conde de Villanueva is popularly known as “Fuente de los Leones” for its four lions, one to each corner, resting on pedestals with water flowing from their mouths. The fountain has been relocated several times, but always within the perimeter of the plaza. It has become a refuge for pigeons, as well as a backdrop for quinceañeras having their photos taken for their 15th birthday.

    
  • Sloppy Joe’s Bar

    Sloppy Joe’s Bar  LH 5-

    6pm is Sloppy Joe cocktail hour again at the original Sloppy Joe’s saloon, an iconic Cuban bar that reopened Friday April 12, 2013 after a nearly 50-year break in its original location. The restoratio …

    Parque John Lennon

    Parque John Lennon  LH 4

    Occupying a whole block, the park delimited by 17, 15, 6 and 8 Streets had been unofficially known as John Lennon for years and had been a popular meeting place for young people and sometimes imprompt …

    La Bodeguita del Medio

    La Bodeguita del Medio  LH 4

    Back 1942, this well-known restaurant was a small grocery store. Its owner, Ángel Martínez, began to sell food as the number of customers increased. One day, journalist Leandro Garcia, a regular costu …

    Calle Obispo

    Calle Obispo  LH 4

    This important street goes back to 1519, only four years after the founding of Havana. It was conceived as a narrow thoroughfare to protect the people from the sun. Throughout its existence, it has ha …

    Group of houses on Cárdenas Street

    Group of houses on Cárdenas Street  LH 4

    It is unusual in the city to find in such a short stretch so many interesting examples of Art Nouveau constructions. Only recently has the City Historian’s Office begun restoration works on some of th …

    Centro Cultural El Gran Palenque

    Centro Cultural El Gran Palenque  LH 4

    El Gran Palenque is home to the world-renowned dance troupe Conjunto Folklórico Nacional de Cuba. Opened in 1997, it has its origins in the Patio de la Rumba, founded in 1982 by folklorist Rogelio Mar …

    Planetario

    Planetario  LH 4

    Adjoining Fototeca on the square’s east side, the Planetarium is an interactive cultural center inaugurated on December 21, 2009. It provides a fascinating look into the origins and structure of the u …

    Museo de la Farmacia Habanera La Reunión

    Museo de la Farmacia Habanera La Reunión  LH 4

    Opened in 2004 in the building where the old pharmacy La Reunión was located, this museum is considered the most important pharmaceutical complex in Cuba and one of the largest and most beautiful in t …

    Palacio de los Matrimonios (Casino Español)

    Palacio de los Matrimonios (Casino Español)  LH 4

    Built in 1914 as Casino Español, one of the several Spanish social clubs in Havana, this beautiful Neo-Renaissance building boasts a ballroom that takes up the entire upper floor and that in itself is …

    Coppelia

    Coppelia  LH 4

    Also known as La Catedral del Helado (the Cathedral of Ice Cream), this is the setting where the award winning Cuban film Fresa y Chocolate (Strawberry and Chocolate) begins. Coppelia, named after the …

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