Plaza de la Catedral is one of Old Havana??? squares, this cobbled open area (pedestrians only) is surrounded by fine buildings and home to the most colourful of all La Habana Vieja??? street people and performance artists. They range from Santer穩a priestesses through sharp-suited street dancers to flower girls and Rastafarians.

The baroque Catedral de la Habana, dating from 1777, dominates the square. Officially the Catedral de la Virgen Mar穩a de la Concepci籀n Immaculada, the great, brass-bound wooden doors are particularly impressive ??locals rap them for good luck at New Year! Other fine buildings around the square include the Casa del Marques de Arcos, today an art gallery, and the Casa de Lombillo (1741) which now houses the Museo de la Educaci籀n. Directly opposite the cathedral is the fully restored Casa del Conde de Casa Bayona (1720), a fine colonial building which contains the Museo de Arte Colonial.

La Habana Vieja (Old Havana) was declared a National Monument in 1977, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. It is the most significant centre of Spain??? colonial heritage in all the Americas.