Visit Fusterlandia: Mosaic Madness
A feast for the eyes, Fusterlandia is a must-visit on your Havana Itinerary. It’s hard to describe other than saying it’s a mosaic castle. Artist José Fuster built this experience for just $1 (100 Cuban Pesos). Fuster has often been referred to as the “Picasso of the Caribbean.”
The entrance is already a dream!
Fuster’s designs feature a variety of themes, from Cuban culture and folklore to abstract and surreal patterns. Fuster’s main inspirations are Picasso and Gaudi.
The entire experience will take about 2 hours of your time: 30 minutes driving one way and at least 1 hour of exploring the neighborhood. (I wish we had more time but our driver was ready to make moves!)
Fusterlandia Complex
Fusterlandia began in the 1990s when Fuster started decorating his own home with elaborate mosaic tiles.
The complex seems larger than it is because many of the sections are closed off. However, visit all that you can and take plenty of pictures! Don’t forget your tripod today… (I did…)
Be sure to visit the tippy top.
And the Cuban Flag.
Mosaics around the Neighborhood
Over time, Fuster asked his neighbors for permission to decorate their houses. Many obliged and today several buildings around the neighborhood have also been turned into magic.
Walk up and down the streets to capture everything…
From the Granma (which looks better here than in real life in Havana)…
To the countries (which still look like they are being made)…
And lots of mermaids!
It’s as magical as it looks in pictures.
How to get to and from Fusterlandia
Fusterlandia is about a 30 minute drive from the old town of Havana. You can take a coconut tuk-tuk as we did or a car around La Floridita.
You’ll want to negotiate with the driver. We were quoted $40 but the driver agreed on $30 to take us there, wait an hour, and then drop us off in the Vedado area. It would have been better for us to use dollars rather than pesos here because the driver had to convert using a (favorable to him) black market rate.
You should definitely have the driver wait for you as there are no taxis around Fusterlandia.
If you want lunch in the area, La Cueva del Zorro Bar de Tapas is the only option.
Shopping in Fusterlandia
The artist sells artwork for $100 or more on the ground floor and first-floor showrooms. I was hoping to find some interesting tile art but most of the artwork is on canvas or paper. Instead, we bought little magnets.
Shops around the area are worth walking into. One of the most unique items (which I regret not purchasing and regret not taking a picture of) is jewelry made out of silver forks and spoons. The shop is across from the main Fusterlandia building and the pieces are about $30. It’s so worth it and I wish I bought one!
I also loved this painting (for $400).
Figure out what else to do in Havana with my 5-Day Havana Itinerary
