Colon Cemetery

The Cementerio de Cristóbal Colón was laid out from 1876 on a grid like a city, with avenues, blocks and a central chapel, and it holds several hundred thousand graves across around fifty hectares. The monuments run from restrained neoclassical tombs to full sculptural set pieces, including the memorial to the firefighters killed in 1890 and the chess player's tomb marked with a carved king. The grave of Amelia Goyri, known as La Milagrosa, is visited continuously by people who approach it and leave without turning their back.

What you actually see

• The main avenue - a formal axis of marble tombs running to the central chapel.
• La Milagrosa - the most visited grave in the country, approached and left without turning away.
• The firefighters' monument - a large sculptural memorial to those killed in the 1890 fire.
• The sculpture - carved tombs across the whole cemetery, including the chess player's king.

When to go

November to April is the drier season, which matters on a site with almost no shade. Mornings are cooler. The cemetery is open daily and is quiet apart from around La Milagrosa.

Honest expectations

It is very large and very hot, with little shade on the avenues, so a full circuit is more walking than most people expect. Guides at the gate solicit business firmly. Photography of funerals in progress is obviously not appropriate.

Nearby

Vedado's hotels and the Malecon are north, and Plaza de la Revolucion is east.