Morning is my favourite time to photograph the Capitolio. Almost anything you put alongside its dome can help tell a story about Havana: an old American car, someone passing by, or the surrounding streets framing the building. Take time to walk around and look for those combinations.

From Paseo Martí, photograph the theatre’s ornate façade with the old American cars passing in front. The interior is beautiful too, especially the grand staircase. Check current access before planning a visit inside: opening information is inconsistent.

Havana’s seafront offers an unusually long stage for street photography: people meet along the wall while waves, passing traffic and the city skyline shape the background. Walk a section rather than staying at one viewpoint, and take care with spray when the sea is rough.

This open-air boxing gym offers a chance to photograph movement, concentration and the relationship between athletes and their training space. It is a working gym, so ask the coaches and athletes before photographing and check whether a visit is possible.

Havana’s historic Chinatown offers another layer of the city’s cultural history, with Chinese-influenced signs and details among the surrounding streets. Look beyond the entrance and make time for quieter street scenes, while respecting people who live and work here.

If you come to Havana and don’t have a mojito at La Bodeguita del Medio, did you really come to Cuba? Inside, look for the inscriptions covering the walls and the atmosphere around the bar. Space is limited, so be considerate of the people working and enjoying their drinks.

The setting of La Guarida is amazing for photography, but the walk there is part of the experience. Take an afternoon to wander through Centro Habana, where the atmosphere shifts from the old town, and make your way to the restaurant. Its stairways and interior are worth photographing; ask before taking pictures and check dinner availability in advance.

Parque Central puts people, traffic and landmark architecture within a short walk of one another. Use the park as a base for observing the changing rhythm around it, then choose a clean background rather than trying to fit every subject into one frame.

This end of the Prado gives you a linear composition to work with: the promenade draws the eye through the city towards the waterfront. Look for people moving along its length and vary your position to include or simplify the buildings around it.

Plaza de la Catedral is one of the most beautiful architectural spaces in Old Havana. Look for the arches near the cathedral and use them to frame it in your photograph—a simple frame within a frame that adds depth to the scene.

You’ll often visit Plaza de la Revolución on a panoramic tour in an old American car. During the day, the vast square and the Che Guevara portrait offer strong compositions, especially with a car in the frame. It’s also worth coming back at blue hour for a different atmosphere.

The basilica and surrounding buildings give this Old Havana square a distinctive architectural anchor. Try a wider frame to show the relationship between the church and the open space, then look for smaller details around the square.

Plaza Vieja’s enclosed square and surrounding façades invite a more graphic approach than the streets leading into it. Look for repeating balconies, colour and people crossing the open space; move around the square to change the background.

The Hotel Nacional offers a landmark building and a vantage point over Havana’s waterfront. Its architecture and grounds can add a different perspective on the city; check access and photography rules before entering private areas.

Rounded limestone mogotes rising above cultivated land give Viñales a landscape unlike the city scenes on this list. Include fields or farm buildings for scale, and treat the valley as a working agricultural landscape rather than an empty backdrop.

Near Trinidad, El Cubano brings forest, water and trail details into the mix. Look for smaller compositions as well as the waterfall; humid conditions and uneven ground call for care with both footing and camera equipment.

The tower at Manaca Iznaga makes a clear landmark in the Valle de los Ingenios. Photographs here also sit within the history of Cuba’s sugar economy and the enslaved people who worked it; keep that history in view rather than treating the plantation solely as a picturesque setting.

The Escambray highlands offer forest, streams and waterfalls for a change of pace from Cuba’s cities. Conditions vary by trail, so choose a route that fits your time and ability and check access locally before setting out.

Trinidad’s main square brings historic architecture and an open public space together in a compact area. Use the surrounding buildings to establish a sense of place, then explore the adjoining streets for details and everyday movement.

The former mansion offers architectural details and a higher perspective on Trinidad. If the tower is open, the view can help place the town within its wider setting; confirm current access before planning around it.

Music can give a photograph of Santiago a sense of rhythm and human connection that architecture alone cannot. At La Trovita, check the current programme and venue rules, and ask musicians before photographing their performance, particularly at close range.

In Santiago de Cuba’s bay, Cayo Granma’s wooden houses and waterfront offer a quieter coastal setting. Photograph the relationship between homes and water, while remembering that this is a lived-in community rather than a staged village.

The flat-topped mountain near Baracoa gives the eastern landscape a recognisable silhouette. It can work as a distant landmark as well as a hiking subject; check current trail conditions and guide requirements locally before attempting an ascent.