World Travel Guide

City Guide  - Havana  - Shopping
Shopping

Cuba is not a shopper's paradise, and although the situation is improving, items of interest are unlikely to be particularly cheap. Shops that do sell items of interest for visitors are the Dollar shops, which are well stocked in comparison to the Peso shops, which have a poor selection of the basics for the local population. The best-known Dollar shops are Caracol, which has several outlets in the major hotels throughout the city. A popular and often crowded shopping street is Obispo that is crammed with Dollar shops, small galleries and bars. Shopping malls have now arrived in Havana and the modern Tiendas Carlos Tercero, Avenida Salvador Allende, is stuffed with clothes, shoes and beauty products. Cuba will be forever associated with cigars. Long acknowledged as producing the best in the world, Havana cigars fetch outrageous prices internationally but are much cheaper on home soil. Good quality cigars can be bought at Casa del Tabaco, 53 Calle Oficios, or at the factory Real Fabrica de Tabacos Partagas, 520 Industria. Local rum is a good buy, as is Cuban coffee. Most visitors are enchanted by the infectious rhythms of music to be heard constantly in the city and many Cuban artists have their own compact discs for sale. Colourful t-shirts are popular souvenirs as are musical instruments, traditional dolls, pāpier-maché items and locally designed jewellery. Typical Cuban crafts are made from coconut fibre, seashells and seeds. Market lovers will enjoy the rapidly growing tourist handicraft market on Tacon, a recent arrival, as well as the smaller one on the Malecon, near the Riviera Hotel. The markets open daily apart from Sundays, and bargain hunters should expect to haggle hard. Despite the many hardships experienced by Cubans a number who have access to US Dollars are able to purchase designer items and can be seen shopping at La Maison, Calle 16 No 701 in Miramar which sells exclusive clothes, jewellery and cosmetics. Shops should open 0900-1900 including Sundays, in reality they often close for no reason and their advertised opening hours are quite meaningless.



Copyright © 2001 Columbus Publishing
    
GENERAL
City Overview
City Statistics
Cost of Living
 
GETTING THERE
Air
Road
Rail
 
GETTING AROUND
Getting Around
 
BUSINESS
Business
 
SIGHTSEEING
Sightseeing
Key Attractions
Further Distractions
Excursions
 
ENTERTAINMENT
Nightlife
Sport
Shopping
Culture
Special Events