The José Martí Memorial

Rising high above the Plaza de la Revolución, this striking monument honours one of Cuba’s most beloved and influential figures: José Martí. A symbol of courage, perseverance, and devotion to his homeland, Martí was a leading voice in the fight for Cuban independence, leaving a lasting mark on the nation’s history. He wore many hats—writer, poet, essayist, translator, philosopher—and each role only sharpened the power of his words. He wrote some of the most powerful patriotic works, calling on the Cuban people to rise up against Hispanic-American nationalism and anti-imperialism. Yet Martí himself, who dreamed so passionately of a free and sovereign Cuba, never lived to see it. He was killed in battle in 1895, before the war ended and before the Republic of Cuba was proclaimed in 1902. Beyond his face on the one-peso banknote and the commemorations held each year on his birthday, José Martí’s legacy lives on through this striking monument, inaugurated in 1958. It consists of two main parts. First, a 109-metre-high tower shaped like a five-pointed star, symbolising both the heights of freedom and the lone star on the Cuban flag. Then, an 18-metre tall white marble statue of Martí, seated in deep thought, capturing the thinker he was. There’s also a small museum dedicated to the “Apostle of Liberty”, as Cubans call him, and his writings. At the top of the tower, you’ll find a panoramic viewing terrace. You’ll have to pay to go up—but this may be your only chance to stand at the highest point in the Cuban capital!