Photography locations in Cuba

Old Havana displays buildings from the colonial period spanning the 16th to 19th centuries. The neighborhood features a network of paved streets lined with historic structures. As you walk through the old quarter, the weathered facades and stone pathways carry traces of centuries past. For photographers documenting Cuban landscapes and history, Old Havana offers compelling subjects that reveal how the capital has evolved over time.

Varadero Beach is one of Cuba's most recognized coastal destinations with white sand and turquoise water. This beach extends along the north coast and offers photographers the opportunity to capture the Caribbean landscape that defines Cuba's shoreline. The location serves as a key site for documenting the island's natural beauty and coastal character.

El Malecon is a seaside promenade in Havana that runs along the coast, connecting the old town with the Vedado district. It is an important location for photographers documenting Cuban landscapes and architecture. Here you can see colonial buildings, the city's history, and daily life unfolding. The promenade offers views of the sea and Havana's urban character.

Valle de Viñales is an important location for photographers documenting Cuban landscapes. The valley displays karst formations and tobacco fields with red soil, surrounded by traditional agricultural farms. This place shapes Cuba's visual identity alongside the colonial buildings of Havana, the beaches of Varadero, and the island's rich history.

Morro Castle is a 16th century fortress that stands on a rocky promontory and controls access to Havana harbor. It is part of the colonial architecture that defines Cuba's capital city and draws photographers interested in historic structures. The fortress offers views across the water and the city, making it a key location for documenting Cuba's past.

This beach on Isla de la Juventud is a photography location capturing Cuba's landscapes, with white sand and turquoise water stretching for three kilometers. It complements the photographic opportunities across the island, where colonial buildings in Havana, beaches in Varadero, and tobacco fields in Valle de Viñales can be found.

The Che Guevara Mausoleum in Santa Clara is where history and revolution come together. This complex features a large bronze statue and eternal flame honoring the revolutionary commander. For photographers, this monument offers powerful visual opportunities to document Cuba's political history and capture the significance of this historic site in the Cuban landscape.

The National Capitol Building is a government structure in Havana completed in 1929 that combines neoclassical design with a 92-meter-high dome. It stands as one of the historic buildings that define the capital's character and offers photographers excellent opportunities to capture the architectural details of its facade and commanding dome. This building represents the architectural strength of Cuba's capital city and complements other notable landmarks like the Gran Teatro and Morro fortress when documenting Cuba's colonial and governmental heritage.

The Gran Teatro de La Habana is a neobaroque building from 1915 with marble columns and statues. It stands as one of the most photogenic spots in Havana and showcases the colonial architecture that defines Cuba's capital. The theater hosts regular opera and ballet performances and draws visitors exploring Cuba's cultural heritage.

The Hotel Nacional de Cuba is an Art Deco style hotel built in 1930 and situated on a hill with gardens and terraces. As part of this collection of Cuban photography locations, it represents the architectural heritage of Havanna alongside colonial buildings, the beaches of Varadero, and the tobacco fields of Valle de Viñales.

The Plaza Mayor in Trinidad is a historic square from the 16th century featuring cobblestone pathways and colorful colonial buildings. This plaza embodies Cuban history and showcases the architectural styles from the Spanish colonial period. The old town of Trinidad represents one of Cuba's best examples of colonial urban planning and offers visitors a window into daily life from earlier centuries.

This beach in Holguín is a key location for photography in Cuba's coastal areas. The sandy shore lined with palm trees offers opportunities to capture swimmers, snorkelers, and the clear waters typical of the island. It complements the collection's range of Cuban landscapes, from historic buildings in Havana to rural tobacco fields.

Cayo Coco is an island in this collection of Cuban photography locations, competing with beaches in Varadero and tobacco fields in Valle de Viñales. This island features white beaches, mangroves and flamingos. A reef protects the northern coast with its hotels.

Cueva de Saturno is a natural cave in Matanzas featuring a freshwater lake that reaches 20 meters deep underground. The clear water offers excellent visibility for photographers seeking to explore Cuba's landscape diversity. This cave provides an interesting setting alongside colonial architecture in Havana, the beaches of Varadero, and the tobacco fields of Valle de Viñales. The interplay of rock formations, light, and water creates opportunities for capturing the island's geological features.

The Bacardi Building in Havana is a photography location for those interested in colonial architecture in Cuba. Built in 1930, this building displays granite, marble and terracotta details. The facade features bronze and enamel work that reflects the architectural richness of the capital, where historic structures like the Capitol and Gran Teatro stand alongside colonial buildings from earlier centuries.

This artistic neighborhood in Havana features more than 80 houses decorated with ceramic tiles. The motifs tell stories of Cuban history and culture. The project grew from one artist's vision to transform his residential area into a colorful work of art. Visitors can see how ordinary house facades become canvases for artistic expression. This collection of painted surfaces shows the living connection between art and the everyday life of local people.

This beach lies about 20 kilometers east of the capital and is part of Havana's coastal destinations. It shows light sand, palm trees, and several restaurants nearby. The place fits well in Cuban landscape photography, which documents beaches alongside colonial buildings found across the island.

The Bellamar Caves in Matanzas are part of Cuba's photography destinations, which feature colonial buildings, beaches, and natural wonders. This underground system spans 23 kilometers and contains stalactites, stalagmites, and natural lakes. The caves offer dramatic rock formations and shadowy chambers that reveal the island's hidden interior. They provide photographers with an opportunity to capture the raw beauty of Earth's geological creations.

This mountain range in Cuba's photography locations rises to 1974 meters with the peak of Pico Turquino at its center. The Sierra Maestra shelters tropical forests home to plants and animals found nowhere else in the world. The landscape stands in striking contrast to the beaches of Varadero and the tobacco fields of Valle de Viñales, which are also featured in Cuba's most photographed destinations. Here, visitors capture the wild natural side of the Caribbean island.

Baracoa is a city in Cuba founded in 1511, located in Guantánamo province. It sits surrounded by mountains, cocoa plantations and black sand beaches. The city offers subjects typical of Cuban landscapes: colonial architecture, natural coastal formations and the green vegetation of the mountain region. Photographers find here a mix of history and nature that shapes Cuba's character.

El Nicho Waterfalls in Cienfuegos is among the photography locations in Cuba, where landscapes range from colonial buildings in Havana to white sand beaches in Varadero. These waterfalls feed several clear water basins in Topes de Collantes National Park, surrounded by tropical vegetation and perfect for capturing nature.

The Museo de la Revolucion in Havana is a historical building featuring exhibitions about the struggle for Cuban independence and the 1959 revolution. As part of Cuba's photography locations, it documents key moments in the island's history. The museum occupies a former palace and displays documents, photographs, and personal objects that reflect the conflicts and transformations of that era. Visitors walk through rooms that trace different periods of Cuban history.

The Paseo del Prado is an 18th century wide street in Havana where photographers find historic buildings and a central walkway lined with stone benches and lanterns. This street displays the colonial architecture that defines Cuba's capital and offers opportunities to capture the character of this historic city.

The Cienfuegos Botanical Garden offers tropical plant diversity for photographers capturing Cuban landscapes. Founded in 1901, this garden holds over 2000 plant species across its expansive grounds. It provides lush green spaces that represent Cuba's natural beauty and contrast with the colonial architecture found in Havana.

The Manaca Iznaga Tower is located in Valle de los Ingenios and represents photography opportunities across Cuba that combine colonial structures, beaches, and agricultural lands. This 45-meter tower was built in the 19th century and was originally used to monitor the sugar plantations and workers across the valley. The tower provides sweeping views across the region and stands as an important witness to the area's past.

Parque Cespedes is a central square in Santiago de Cuba where photographers can capture the Nuestra Señora de la Asunción Cathedral and the colonial City Hall. This location offers a window into Cuba's past and complements the historic structures found throughout the island, from the capital Havana to the coastal regions.

Gibara is a colonial city on Cuba's north coast, featuring Spanish architecture, an active fishing port, and an annual international low-budget film festival. This city allows photographers to capture historic buildings and local fishing traditions. The harbor and old structures provide compelling subjects for those documenting colonial architecture and coastal life.

Alejandro de Humboldt National Park is one of Cuba's most important locations for nature photography. The park covers a large area and displays diverse landscapes with dense rainforest, mountain ranges, and exceptional plant diversity. The terrain shows steep slopes, small rivers, and green valleys nestled between the peaks. The forest feels layered and complex, with thick vegetation creating a sense of discovery at every turn. Visitors encounter plant species found nowhere else on Earth and experience the raw power of nature in this remote part of eastern Cuba.

This 17th century fortress stands on a rock overlooking the Caribbean Sea and displays Spanish military architecture. It is part of Cuban landscapes that also feature colonial buildings in Havana, beaches in Varadero, and tobacco fields in Valle de Viñales. The fortress is an important example of the historic structures found across Cuba.

Baconao Park in Santiago de Cuba is a nature reserve that combines an unusual dinosaur sculpture garden, a salt water lagoon, and a 1225-meter-high granite rock formation. This location offers photographers scenes of the Cuban coastal landscape with its distinctive natural features. The park adds to the range of Cuban photography locations by showcasing nature away from the colonial buildings of Havana and the beaches of Varadero.

This museum displays original furniture and personal belongings of writer Ernest Hemingway from 1939 to 1960 at Finca Vigia in Havana. The house shows how the celebrated author lived while based in Cuba, offering visitors a chance to see the spaces where he worked and spent his days. Photographs, manuscripts, and everyday objects fill the rooms, creating a portrait of his life in the Caribbean. Finca Vigia serves as a window into Hemingway's creative process and daily habits. The museum is part of Cuba's cultural landscape, which includes colonial buildings in Havana, white sand beaches in Varadero, and tobacco fields in Valle de Viñales.

The Palacio de Valle is a 1917 building in Cienfuegos that blends Spanish, Venetian, and Moorish architectural styles. It is part of Cuba's photography locations, where colonial buildings in Havana, coastal beaches, and tobacco fields create varied landscapes. This palace features a restaurant and a rooftop terrace overlooking the city.