Zanja Real

CA3
General sightseeing
CA Ranking: 3
Admission: Free
Teniente Rey e/ Mercaderes y Oficios, Habana Vieja
  • Mid-way along the west side of the Basílica Menor y Convento de San Francisco de Asís, Calle Brasil (Teniente Rey) leads south one block to Plaza Vieja. Exposed in the center of the cobbled street are two archaeological sites displaying portions of the Zanja Real (Royal Canal)— the original aqueduct that was initiated in 1566 and supplied the city with water before the construction of the Albear Acqueduct in 1835.

    
  • Edificio Rodríguez Vázquez

    Edificio Rodríguez Vázquez  LH 2

    This 1941 building repeats the structure of lines that emphasize verticality and includes a small two story-tower. Initially known as the Rodríguez Vázquez Building, it included two cinemas, a café-re …

    Museo Armería 9 de Abril

    Museo Armería 9 de Abril  LH 2

    The Museo Armería 9 de Abril displays a large collection of firearms and bladed weapons spanning the 18th to the 20th centuries. It occupies the former Compañía Armera de Cuba, a private gun shop that …

    Museo Nacional de la Cerámica Contemporánea Cubana (Casa de Francisco Aguilera Basabe)

    Museo Nacional de la Cerámica Contemporánea Cubana (Casa de Francisco Aguilera Basabe)  LH 2

    Housed within Casa de Francisco Aguilera Basabe, a two-story building built in 1728, this museum exhibits Cuban art pottery from 1950 to the present day on the top floor, while the ground floor has a …

    Fuente de Neptuno

    Fuente de Neptuno  LH 2

    The Fuente de Neptuno (Fountain of Neptune) was imported from Italy. Besides its ornamental function, it also supplied water to three boats at the same time, for which large iron rings were placed for …

    Museo Yoruba de Cuba

    Museo Yoruba de Cuba  LH 2

    Created by, and housed in the headquarters of, the Asociación Cultural Yoruba de Cuba, this museum is dedicated to santería and features sculptures representing the different Afro-Cuban orishas (saint …

    Cementerio de Espada

    Cementerio de Espada  LH 2

    First called Cementerio General de La Habana, the Cementerio de Espada was built after the Spanish authorities issued a Royal Edict banning burials in temples because it was considered unhygienic. The …

    Parque Arqueológico de la Maestranza

    Parque Arqueológico de la Maestranza  LH 2

    By the 1700s, Havana boasted an artillery factory for the manufacture and repair of weapons and ammunition. The factory was demolished and a “castle” was the built for the Police. This archeological s …

    Avenida de Carlos III (Ave. Salvador Allende)

    Avenida de Carlos III (Ave. Salvador Allende)  LH 2

    This street was built by order of Governor Miguel de Tacón in 1836 and connects the intersection of Reina and Belascoaín streets to the Castillo del Príncipe. It was originally named Paseo de Tacón. L …

    Casa Oswaldo Guayasamín

    Casa Oswaldo Guayasamín  LH 2

    This institution honors Ecuadorian painter Oswaldo Guayasamín (1919-1999), a dedicated socialist, supporter of the Cuban Revolution, and close friend to Fidel Castro. It’s located in an 18th-century m …

    Casa Cubana del Perfume

    Casa Cubana del Perfume  LH 2

    This quaint and lovely shop sells perfumes from the Cuban Suchel brand, and prepares personalized fragrances on site according to patrons’ tastes. It also doubles as a small museum, with a 19th-centur …

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