Things to See in Havana

Even for teetotalers, this intriguing museum is worth a turn. The interesting bilingual guided tour shows rum-making antiquities (check out the funky terracotta flask), and explains the entire brewing process, from cane cutting to quaffing amber Añejo Reserva in the museum's tasting room. The scale model of the Central La Esperanza sugar mill factory, with working train, is very cool. The dancing lessons here are some of the best in Habana.

Dominated by two unequal towers and framed by a theatrical baroque facade designed in the style of Italian architect Francesco Borromini, Habana's graceful Catedral de San Cristóbal was once described by Cuban novelist Alejo Carpentier as 'music set in stone'.

Pope John Paul II said one of his four Cuban Masses at the cathedral in January 1998 during a groundbreaking papal tour of the island.

Cuba's largest cemetery is famous the world over for its stunning sculptures and decorative mausoleums. Covering 56 hectares (138 acres), the graveyard is the final resting place for over a million souls, though people are being disinterred daily due to lack of space. Laid out like a mini city in the 1860s and 70s, the cemetery's graves read like a who's who of Cuban history, and a visit here justifies a walking tour in its own right .

This is the former workshop and home of the notable Ecuadorian painter Oswaldo Guayasamín, who lived in Habana for many years before his death in March 1999. Guayasamín is most famous for various paintings of Fidel produced during the 80s and 90s, but has painted many other Cuban luminaries, including Raúl Castro, Eusebio Leal, Carlos Puebla and Columbian novelist Gabriel García Márquez. Unfortunately you won't find any of these portraits here.

One of Habana's oldest cigar factories and certainly its most famous, this neoclassical Habana landmark was founded in 1845 by a Spaniard named Jaime Partagás. Today some 400 workers toil here for up to 12 hours a day, rolling such famous cigars as Montecristos and Cohibas. As far as tours go, Partagás is the most popular and reliable factory to visit.

The 24-hour Cafetería Sofía is on busy Calle 23 (La Rampa), resulting in an above-average amount of noisy passing trade. It's a cheap, if slightly seedy, central option with regular live music and a good mix of foreign and Cuban clientele. Look out for the special breakfast offers. The people-watching potential here is excellent.

Constructed in 1922 and burnt down by an arsonist in 1977, this wonderfully decorative neoclassical theater was rebuilt in 1999 in the exact style of the original. Named after Amadeo Roldán, the Cuban composer who was responsible for bringing Afro-Cuban influences into modern classical music, the theater is one of Habana's grandest, boasting two different auditoriums.

Rather unique in Cuba for a number of reasons, the Patio de María is a nexus point for Habana's burgeoning counterculture, hosting everything from rock music to poetry readings. You can catch all kinds of entertainment here, from videos and debates to workshops and theater, but best of all are the rock nights (to canned music) that take off most weekends. Check the schedule posted at the door.

With individual candlelit tables, overstuffed chairs and Sly and the Family Stone on the sound system, this is Habana's (good) approximation of a lounge. The wall of windows make it a great sunset spot and performances in the Teatro Amadeo Roldán downstairs are broadcast via closed-circuit TV - a good alternative if the show is sold out.