Plaza Vieja and the layered face of Old Havana
Published on 08/16/2026 at 14:34 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael MĂĽller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Plaza Vieja is one of the clearest places to read Havanna’s colonial layers in one view. Laid out in 1559, it is a square of façades, balconies and arcades in Old Havana, with buildings from the seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Plaza Vieja and the square laid out in 1559
The name Plaza Vieja, or Old Square, belongs to a place that began as Plaza Nueva. Its current form sits within the historic centre of Havanna, where the square’s mixed architecture gives it a distinctive urban profile.
The square is associated with the urban growth of the colonial city and with the public life that gathered around it over centuries. A record of the square’s early layout and later identity links it to the long development of Habana Vieja.
Colonial façades and later layers
The buildings around Plaza Vieja range across several centuries, and the square’s edge reads like an open catalogue of Havana’s changing tastes. Baroque, neoclassical, eclectic and art-nouveau details appear across the façades and upper floors.
One of the most notable elements is the Palacio de los Condes de Jaruco, with galleries, wooden ceilings and carved timber windows. The square also forms part of the historic fabric recognised in 1982 as a UNESCO World Heritage area for Old Havana and its fortifications.
From residential quarter to civic square
Plaza Vieja moved through residential, commercial and public roles in the colonial city. It is linked with markets, ceremonies, processions and other civic uses that filled the square with activity.
Its long history is visible in the mix of restored town houses and larger urban buildings that surround the open centre. The square’s layered appearance is the result of that continuity, not a single period.
Visiting Plaza Vieja: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The square lies in Habana Vieja, the old town of Havanna. It is reached on foot through the historic streets of the centre.
- The ground is level and open, with arcades along the edges and steps at some entrances. The surrounding streets are narrow and closely built.
- The official language is Spanish and the currency is the Cuban peso.
- Plaza Vieja forms part of Old Havana and its fortifications, the UNESCO World Heritage area inscribed in 1982.
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Frequently asked questions about Plaza Vieja
Where is Plaza Vieja?
Plaza Vieja stands in Habana Vieja, the historic centre of Havanna. It is one of the main open spaces in the old city.
What does a visit involve?
The place is an urban square rather than a closed monument, so the experience is about walking the space and reading the façades around it. The surrounding streets and buildings form part of the visit.
What makes Plaza Vieja distinctive?
Its long history and mixed architecture give the square a layered appearance. The result is a Havana square where several centuries of building types stand around one open centre.
