Plaza de Armas surrounds a statue of the patriot Céspedes and is ringed by shaded marble benches and second-hand bookstalls. This square, founding in 1519, was the city's first open space, around which the most important political, military, religious and civil institutions were located. The palaces that surrounded it during the 18th century are worthy exponents of Cuban Baroque architecture. On the square’s eastern side a small neoclassical temple, El Templete, marks the spot where the first Catholic mass was celebrated in 1519. Next door is one of the city’s most luxurious hotels, Hotel Santa Isabel. To the north, the squat but angular and moated Castillo de la Real Fuerza (Fort of the Royal Forces) is one of the oldest forts in the Americas.  

The Convento de Santa Clara (Santa Clara Convent) is located at the south of Plaza Vieja Square of Havana. This is the biggest and oldest convent in all of Cuba, built between 1638 and 1643, and it is a good example of early Spanish influenced architecture. It was actually the first female convent in the city. The temple stopped serving for religious purposes in 1920, housing for some time the Ministry of Public Works. It is currently part of the restoration team of Old Havana. It being recommended to visit the Colonial-style interior patio, where the first public fountain of the city was found; the cloister, the cells of the nuns and the small cemetery.

The Edificio Bacardí (Bacardí Building) is the first Art Déco building in Havana. It is considered an architectural jewel of its time, as well as one of the best examples of decorative art. Construction finished in 1930, and it was the tallest building on the island at that time. It is said that the building contains marble and granite from almost every nation in Europe. This building has 12 floors, 5 of which are offices for rent, and a total space of 7,031 square meters. Its facade is covered in Baviera red granite and on the top you will see a bat, the symbol of the Bacardí company. At the end of 19th Century, the Bacardi rum was very famous in Cuba and abroad. Its creator, Don Emilio Bacardi, was a Spaniard settled in the island. It is said that he had a bat as a talisman which was used as logo in the first distillery that made him to win fortune. It has a tiered pyramid design, using tiles as a decorative element from Catalonian Modernism, giving the building a wonderful shade effect. The richness of its interior decoration is given mainly by the natural beauty of its marbles, brought from Europe and the typical accessories of Art Deco like lamps, ironworks, drawings, etc. Currently, the building houses Cuban offices, offices for and international companies. The lobby has a bar open to the public and you’ll be able to climb the tower and get a wonderful view over Havana.

The Palacio del Segundo Cabo (Segundo Cabo Palace) is located on the north side of Plaza de Armas Square, Old Havana. This majestic palace is Neoclassical in style and was built in 1772 with local limestone full of holes and calcareous marine incrustations. This building was first built as headquarters of the Spanish vice-governor. Currently, and after several reworkings during which it functioned as Post office, Senate Palace, Supreme Court, National Academy of Arts and Letters, or the Cuba Academy of Science, nowaday it belongs to the Cuban Ministry of Culture, and it hosts the Centre for the Interpretation of Cuba-Europa Relationship.