Arguably Latin America’s best-preserved colonial city, Havana is one of the oldest, grandest and safest cities in the Americas, and packs a cultural punch well beyond its size and certainly beyond its economic status. Centuries of Spanish and African interaction have made it a hotbed of culture and the vibrancy of Cuban music and dance alone make it worth the trip. Add in palm trees and a tropical climate and you have a potent cocktail. Ice-cream coloured colonial buildings, cool squares and the waves lapping against the crumbling sea wall make it visually bewitching, while charismatic habaneros take care of the rest.

A World Heritage Site since 1982 (along with the colonial fortresses), La Habana Vieja, or Old Havana, is usually the first stop on the tourist trail. It has five centuries of rich architectural heritage and a high concentration of museums and galleries. A huge restoration project is doing much to preserve the fabric of the old city. In the area, don’t miss Museo de la Ciudad (Calle Tacón No.1, entre Obispo y O’Reilly, +5378612876), housed in a 18th-century baroque palace on the culturally and architecturally rich Plaza de Armas.

Near the main artery of Paseo del Prado (known as El Prado) is another of the city’s highest-profile sights: the beautifully restored Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (+5378612876, closed Mon) divided into two buildings: Cuban art (Arte Cubano, Calle Trocadero, entre Zulueta y Monserrate) and the international collection (Arte Universal, Calle San Rafael, entre Zuleta y Monserrate).

Leafy Vedado, further west, is packed with cultural institutions, restaurants and nightclubs but has a less frenetic pace than the historical centre.

Havana has scores of museums and essential sights but what sticks in most visitors’ minds is the city’s beguiling ambience, so make time for leisurely strolling. But don’t come expecting picture-postcard revolutionary utopia. Havana comes with plenty of grit, gripes and, as any Cuban you let bend your ear will tell you, its share of inequalities. The dual economy (the country is run in hard currency, while its inhabitants suffer on worthless peso wages) is a constant trial for Cubans. Note: almost everything that the tourist pays for will be priced in US dollars. Flowers, fruit and vegetable markets (agros) and a few low-end restaurants are charged in pesos.