The Cathedral of San Cristobal

A place steeped in history, the Cathedral of San Cristobal is one of the oldest buildings of its kind in all of South America. Built in the 18th century at the request of the Bishop of Salamanca, this Spanish Baroque monument is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Its impressive 35-metre-wide structure was made from coral blocks from the Gulf of Mexico. You might spot tiny marine fossils and subtle reddish hues hidden within the stone… At first glance, the cathedral looks like a simple quadrilateral — but the closer you look, the more quirks you’ll notice. For instance, the cathedral’s two towers are asymmetrical. The left one is narrower to make space for the street next to it, while the right one houses two bells — one crafted locally and the other brought from Spain. According to local legend, the remains of the famous explorer Christopher Columbus were kept inside the cathedral from 1796 until 1898. Later, they were moved to the Cathedral of Seville in Spain. Still, Havana’s cathedral continues to honour the man often credited with discovering the Americas.