Havana

Vintage American cars weave through crumbling colonial architecture, while snippets of salsa music play from smoky bars in Cuba’s iconic capital city. Founded by the Spanish in the 16th century, Havana’s layered history and rich culture have been largely protected from modern influences for decades, thanks to the country’s self-imposed communist rule since the revolution of 1959. As a result, Cuba’s beating heart is awash with untouched customs and traditions, and its defiant art scene can be felt from the sprawling Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes and futuristic Fábrica de Arte Cubano, to the the outlandish street art which adorns the walls of Habana Vieja. Watch out for the capital’s teenagers gathering at government-sanctioned Wi-Fi hotspots around the city — even in Cuba time can’t stand still forever.