October 14, 2025
Havana’s walls tell stories — of identity, rhythm, and resilience. Join Marysol Travel’s urban art walks to explore the city’s vibrant murals, meet local artists, and uncover the heartbeat of Cuba’s creative soul, especially through the captivating Cuba Street Art.
When you walk through Havana, you are not just walking through a city — you are walking through a living canvas. Colors spill from every wall, faces emerge from peeling paint, and every mural tells a story of struggle, hope, rhythm, and rebirth.
I’ve guided travelers through Havana for years under the banner of Marysol Travel, and even now, each time I stroll through the narrow streets of Centro Habana or the quiet corners of San Isidro, I still find something new. Street art in Cuba is not a rebellion against the system — it’s a dialogue with it, a conversation between the people, their dreams, and their city.
This article is not about museums or galleries with marble floors. It’s about Havana’s open-air museums, where the artists are the people and the gallery is the street itself.
The Story Behind Cuba’s Urban Art
Exploring the Essence of Cuba Street Art
Cuba Street Art is not just a visual experience; it’s a cultural journey that reflects the spirit of the people.
Cuban art has always been intertwined with politics, identity, and daily life. From the post-Revolution murals that celebrated national heroes to the contemporary pieces exploring Afro-Cuban roots and modern realities, every wall in Havana speaks.
After the 1990s, when Cuba faced the economic hardships of the “Special Period,” artists turned to the streets as their exhibition space. Paint and concrete were cheaper than gallery rent, and the audience — the people — were always present. What emerged was not just graffiti, but a movement that blended fine art, community activism, and Cuban resilience, encapsulated in Cuba Street Art.
Today, visitors encounter works that mix realism with surrealism, folklore with pop art, and history with irony. The walls of Havana are alive — and every traveler who joins a Marysol Travel city experience sees this transformation up close.
Where the Walls Speak: Havana’s Top Street Art Districts
Over the years, I’ve explored almost every barrio with a camera in hand and travelers by my side. Here are the neighborhoods that never fail to impress — each one with its own rhythm and story.
Just a few blocks south of the polished colonial façades of Old Havana lies San Isidro, one of the city’s most fascinating transformations of the last decade. Once a forgotten and crumbling barrio, it has evolved into a vibrant urban art district, a living gallery where local and international artists paint directly onto the skin of the city.
Walking here with a small Marysol Travel group, you immediately feel the contrast — pastel ruins meet bold murals, poetry meets graffiti. The walls are covered with striking portraits of Afro-Cuban women, surrealist faces intertwined with jungle motifs, and geometric abstractions that seem to pulse with the rhythm of Havana’s music.
The revival of San Isidro began in 2016, when Cuban actor and painter Jorge Perugorría opened Galería Taller Gorría (GTG) on San Isidro Street. His goal was to turn the area into an open-air museum, supporting emerging artists and inviting the community to participate in art-making. From there, other studios, cultural workshops, and street projects followed — transforming narrow alleys into collaborative canvases.
Today, San Isidro is an emblem of Havana’s creative resilience. Art festivals, open studios, and street performances regularly fill its corners. Locals proudly show visitors new pieces, and children often paint alongside artists. It’s raw, alive, and constantly changing — a perfect stop for travelers who want to see Cuban art in its most spontaneous form.
When I bring travelers here through Marysol Travel, I always suggest slowing down. Take your time to wander, listen to the echoes of salsa in the background, talk to a resident, or step inside a tiny studio for a chat. San Isidro’s magic isn’t just in the murals themselves — it’s in the stories behind them, told by the very people who live among these colors.
Havana Street Art tour
If San Isidro is the creative lab, Centro Habana is the open studio. The walls here are layered with decades of paint, posters, and messages — from revolutionary slogans to modern social commentary.
I often tell our travelers: this is where you feel the real Havana. Laundry flutters from balconies, classic cars crawl through narrow streets, and music seeps from open doorways. Then, suddenly, you turn a corner, and there it is — a mural of an elderly man laughing beneath a crumbling archway, the texture of the wall becoming part of his face.
One of the hidden gems is along Calle San Rafael, where a sequence of murals depicts Cuba’s history through faces — José Martí, Alicia Alonso, Celia Cruz — each painted in a distinctive style. Our Marysol Travel guides always allow time here for photos, sketching, or simply absorbing the atmosphere. It’s a place where art and daily life merge seamlessly.
No exploration of Havana’s street art is complete without a stop at Callejón de Hamel, the narrow alleyway near University Hill that has become a shrine to Afro-Cuban spirituality and creativity.
When I first brought travelers here more than a decade ago, it was still an insider secret. Today it’s well-known, but it hasn’t lost its power. The walls are an explosion of color — Yoruba deities, abstract faces, swirling drums — created by the artist Salvador Gonzáles Escalona, who transformed the entire alley into an immersive art temple.
Every Sunday, the place vibrates with rumba performances — drums echo between the walls, dancers spin in trance, and travelers find themselves swept into the rhythm. Many of our Marysol Travel guests say this is the moment when they truly feel Cuba for the first time — not as observers, but as participants.
Even when it’s quiet, you can sense the energy of the place. Every sculpture made from bathtubs and car parts carries meaning: resilience, transformation, the power of creativity to reclaim the forgotten.
While technically an art center rather than a mural district, Fábrica de Arte Cubano is where Havana’s urban art culture takes its most sophisticated form. It’s located in a repurposed cooking oil factory in Vedado, and it brings together visual artists, musicians, designers, and filmmakers in one dynamic space.
When I take groups here, I always advise them: come at night. The walls come alive with projections, the air fills with electronic beats, and you move from one room to another discovering paintings, sculptures, and installations. FAC is a statement — that Cuban creativity is evolving without losing its soul.
In recent years, local street artists have been invited to collaborate inside FAC, blending muralism with multimedia installations. Travelers who want to understand both the grassroots and the avant-garde side of Cuban art will find this stop essential.
FAC Habana, Cuba
Across the bay from Old Havana lie Regla and Guanabacoa, districts deeply rooted in Afro-Cuban religion and music. Few tourists venture here, but those who do — often with our private guides — discover powerful street art linked to Santería and Abakuá traditions.
Walls here show Orishas (deities) rendered in modern graffiti style: Yemayá emerging from waves, Changó wielding his lightning axe, and Elegguá watching from the crossroads. These are not mere decorations; they are expressions of faith.
When Marysol Travel organizes excursions here, we combine them with visits to small community projects and local drum workshops. The experience is immersive — a fusion of spirituality, rhythm, and visual storytelling that stays with travelers long after they’ve left.
The Artists Behind the Walls
It’s tempting to see street art as anonymous, but in Havana, the artists are often community figures. Many are graduates of the Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA) who returned to their neighborhoods to share their talent. Others are self-taught painters or sculptors who learned on the street itself.
During our customized Marysol Travel tours, we often invite local artists to join for a short talk or live demonstration. Travelers can watch them paint, ask questions, and even take part in a collaborative mural.
This isn’t staged tourism — it’s cultural exchange. In one memorable visit to San Isidro, a traveler from Canada painted a small hummingbird onto a mural with the artist’s blessing. A year later, when I returned, it was still there — a small mark of connection between two worlds.
Beyond Havana: Murals Across Cuba
While Havana is the epicenter, Cuba’s urban art movement spreads far beyond the capital. Travelers with more time often join our multi-city cultural itineraries, exploring how street art flourishes in different settings.
Santa Clara: Political Voices & Rebel Spirits
Known for its revolutionary history and youthful energy, Santa Clara’s walls are filled with politically charged murals. Images of Che Guevara mix with surreal dreamscapes and playful pop references. The art here reflects the city’s rebellious soul, and the local university students often guide impromptu tours for curious visitors.
Cienfuegos: Elegance in Pastel
Cienfuegos, the “Pearl of the South,” surprises many with its pastel murals that blend seamlessly with French-influenced architecture. Local artists favor marine themes — dolphins, coral reefs, and mermaids — symbolizing the city’s bond with the sea. It’s a softer, more poetic expression of street art, ideal for travelers seeking a calmer pace.
Santiago de Cuba: Rhythm on the Walls
In Santiago, music and muralism merge. The city’s steep streets echo with son and salsa, and the walls celebrate legendary musicians. Afro-Cuban identity shines here too, with murals dedicated to the roots of rumba and carnival traditions.
The Traveler’s Eye: Experiencing Art, Not Consuming It
There’s an unspoken rule I always share with travelers on our Marysol Travel art walks: Street art is alive — and we are its guests.
That means approaching murals with respect. Don’t touch, don’t climb for selfies, and if you photograph people, ask first. Many locals take pride in these artworks, as they see them as extensions of their homes and communities.
We encourage guests to pause, observe, and listen — to notice how each piece interacts with its surroundings: a crumbling façade, a doorway, a child playing nearby. In Havana, context is everything.
Travelers who follow this slower rhythm often discover more than they expected. They notice details — a hidden signature, a reused symbol, a texture formed by years of salt air. These quiet moments create the lasting memories that define a real travel experience.
Havana’s Art Scene Beyond the Streets
While this article celebrates outdoor art, it’s worth mentioning how street artists increasingly cross into galleries, blending public and private art. Spaces like Galería Taller Gorría in San Isidro or Estudio Figueroa-Vives in Vedado host exhibitions by muralists who first painted on city walls.
For travelers who enjoy meeting artists personally, Marysol Travel can arrange private studio visits or creative workshops. These intimate sessions reveal the techniques behind aerosol art, mixed media, and collage — and often include a cafecito and conversation about Cuba’s creative challenges.
A Day in the Life: Marysol Travel’s Urban Art Walk
To give you an idea of what such an experience feels like, here’s a glimpse from a typical day when I lead one of our Marysol Travel Urban Art Walks through Havana.
We start mid-morning near Parque Central, where travelers get their first taste of Havana’s rhythm — old cars, the scent of cigars, the laughter of street vendors. After a short introduction, we cross into Centro Habana, exploring murals that tell stories of migration, music, and dreams.
By lunchtime, we stop at a local paladar (family-run restaurant) known for its artist clientele — the walls inside are often extensions of the city’s mural scene. Over ropa vieja and a mojito, we chat about what we’ve seen and what it means in Cuba today.
The afternoon continues through San Isidro, ending with a visit to a local art collective where travelers can meet artists and, sometimes, join a small creative workshop.
Each tour is different — new walls appear, others fade, and the stories keep evolving. But what remains constant is the sense of discovery, the feeling of being part of Havana’s ongoing artistic dialogue.
Why Street Art Belongs in Every Cuba Itinerary
Cuba is not a postcard frozen in time. It is a living, breathing culture — and nothing illustrates that better than its street art. For travelers who want to go beyond the beaches and cigars, exploring Havana’s murals is a way to see the island’s spirit in real time.
At Marysol Travel, we design experiences that bring you face-to-face with that spirit. We don’t just drive past murals; we stop, talk, listen, and learn. Our guides are storytellers, many of them artists themselves. They bridge the gap between traveler and local, turning each walk into a shared adventure.
Whether you’re an art lover, a photographer, or simply curious about Cuba’s creative side, this journey offers something unique — a look at the island’s evolving identity through color, symbol, and community.
Final Thoughts: The City as a Living Gallery
As the sun sets over Havana, the murals take on a different tone. The reds deepen, the blues glow, and the faces on the walls seem to whisper stories of the day. From the chaos of Centro Habana to the sacred calm of Regla, from the rhythm of Callejón de Hamel to the sophistication of FAC — the city becomes a gallery without walls.
Every time I lead travelers through this labyrinth of paint and life, I’m reminded of why I started Marysol Travel: to show Cuba as it truly is — creative, resilient, and endlessly surprising.
Havana’s art scene isn’t about perfection. It’s about transformation. The murals may fade, the paint may peel, but the spirit remains. And for those who walk its streets with open eyes, that spirit becomes unforgettable.
Marysol Travel — Discover Cuba Beyond the Postcard.