Best Storyteller In Havana Near Me

4worldlovers: Welcome to La Guarida, an opportunity to travel in time in a place that respects tradition but also bets on the future. An authentic space for those interested in getting to know the real Cuba and immersing themselves in our culture, customs, and way of doing things.

Set in a building from the beginning of the 20th Century, over the last 25 years La Guarida has become a reference for new Cuban cuisine. What started as a small Paladar* with 12 seats has grown and adapted to the constant challenges of our reality, while maintaining the values which make it unique.


*Paladar: The name by which privately-owned restaurants in people’s homes are called in Cuba


Tastes, textures, smells… key elements to present our cuisine, always trying to play with the senses and enjoying the pleasure of surprising our guests and respecting our roots, while reinterpreting and renewing them constantly.


WE WOULD LOVE TO ORGANIZE YOUR NEXT EVENT. LA GUARIDA IS THE PERFECT PLACE IN HAVANA TO CELEBRATE A SPECIAL MOMENT. WEDDINGS, REHEARSAL DINNERS, BIRTHDAYS, CORPORATE AND PRESS EVENTS, RECEPTIONS, AND MUCH MORE. DON’T HESITATE TO CONTACT US TO MAKE YOUR DREAMS A REALITY.

4worldlovers: Somewhere around May 2012, a friend of mine drove across Havana to drop off a sack of books. “They’re good, not great. I don’t have room for them.” Who has room in their life for good, not great, books? Neither me, nor my friend apparently. But as I looked at that yellow bag of books month after month, an idea began to brew: what if Havana had an English-language bookstore and coffeehouse where Cubans and visitors of all types could sit in a hammock with a classic book, sip a delicious cappuccino and make new friends?

And so Cuba Libro was born. In 2013, we set out to build a community around great coffee, art and literature using ethical, sustainable business practices. We would be an oasis of green space and a safe space – zero tolerance for discrimination and 100% alcohol-free – with the best coffee at the best prices, the happiest work team, books galore and cool cultural events. Everyone told us it would fail.

Fast forward 10 years. We didn’t fail. On the contrary. As we near our 10-year anniversary, we are very proud to announce that Cuba Libro is now an official Proyecto de Desarrollo Local. Being a local development project means we can do much more with our donation and other community support programs, maximize our local impact, and continue to strengthen community más allá (farther afield). We have a lot of exciting initiatives underway and several in the pipeline. Please feel free to get in touch to learn more, schedule a group visit to Cuba Libro with our Dig Deeper Program or arrange a donation. You might also enjoy reading this update from March, 2023. We hope to see you on the corners of Calle 24 & 19 the next time you’re in town!

PDL Cuba Libro, a coffeehouse and English-language bookstore, is an ethically- and socially-responsible local development project dedicated to building, strengthening, and supporting the Plaza de la Revolución municipality in which it operates and similar communities around the island.

4worldlovers:
Enjoy the unforgettable show “Habana de Fiesta” at the famous Parisien Cabaret, with lots of music, dance, atmosphere and colors. A very fun way to learn more about Cuba’s history, culture and its people through music.

Located in the center of the Vedado neighborhood, in Havana, housed in an imposing eclectic architecture of the 30s with a view of the esplanade of the Malecón, the legendary Hotel Nacional de Cuba is considered a symbol of history, culture and Cuban identity. It was declared a National Monument and awarded d the status of Memory of the World at the National level granted by the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO).

At the garden of the hotel, you still can see two of the Santa Clara Battery cannons that belonged to the Havana Defense System at the end of the Spanish colonial period, and are now included, together with Old Havana, in the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites.

In its 92 years, the majestic Hotel Nacional de Cuba has witnessed some of the most important events in the history of Cuba that link the republican and revolutionary stages, and it also has a long list of famous guests, including Gary Cooper, Johnny Weissmuller, Buster Keaton, Erroll Flynn, the Dukes of Windsor and José Raúl Capablanca in the 1930s, Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth, Winston Churchill, as well as Italian-American mafia bosses and Mexican movie stars like Maria Felix , Jorge Negrete and Agustín Lara in the 1940s, and Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner, Nat King Cole and Walt Disney in the 1950s, Yuri Gagarin, Gabriel García Marquez, Jean-Paul Sartre and his wife, Fidel Castro and Ernesto “Che” Guevara in the 1960s.

From 1979 to the present, it has been the venue for the International Latin American Film Festival, becoming the meeting place for contemporary actors and filmmakers such as Robert de Niro, Robert Redford, Francis Ford Coppola, Danny Glover, Steven Spielberg, Imanol Arias, Geraldine Chaplin, Kevin Costner, and Gloria Pires.

Hundreds of celebrities and among them more than 100 heads of state have been hotel guests, their photographs, as well as historical objects are displayed in the Hall of Fame, a must-see site when in the Cuban capital.

Learn more about the history of this unique jewel of the Cuban hotel industry by joining one of our free guided historical tours from Monday to Saturday at 10 AM.

Whether you are in the mood for a gourmet dinner, a colorful cocktail, or trying Cuban creole food, we have options for you at Hotel Nacional de Cuba.

At Hotel Nacional de Cuba we offer several choices of restaurants and bars with a full range of dining options and cocktails. From our very popular and convenient buffet to more specialized menus for lunch and dinner with international and local themes.

Our bars are conveniently located throughout the hotel, so you can enjoy one of our memorable mojitos when you are relaxing by the pool or closing a business deal at our Executive Floor.

Our famous terrace, with arguably the best views of the malecón, is the most seek after spot to have a coffee or a sip of a Cuban ron añejo any time of the day, but it is specially during sunset that you might realize why our legendary Hotel is the best choice for accommodation in Havana.

When staying at any of our rooms at the Executive Floor our guests will enjoy some exclusive perks and valued added benefits, such as:

Expedite check-in at the desk situated on the Executive Floor, free early check-in, advanced reservations at the hotel’s à la carte restaurants, free late check-out until 4:00 pm, free access to meeting rooms and printing services, assorted free snacks, tapas, tea, coffee, and Cuban cocktails at the 6th floor between 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm, additional room amenities and daily room cleaning service, free laundry service for up to two pieces of garment, pillow menu and butler service.

In addition to the above, guests staying at our Special Senior Suite rooms, Presidential Suite, and Royal Suite, will also enjoy:

24×7 expedited and private check-in/out, courtesy massages and sauna access during their entire stay, a courtesy Habanos tasting and paring with Cuban coffee or rum (“Ritual Sabor a Cuba”), and a free corporate gift.