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© Lonely Planet Publications
Shopping
Habana Vieja
151
Centro Habana
153
Vedado
153
Playa & Marianao
154
Shopping
If shopping is one of your favorite vacation pastimes, don’t make a special trip to Habana.
To the relief of many and the disappointment of a few, Western-style consumerism hasn’t
yet reached the time-warp streets of Cuba’s austere capital. That’s not to say you have to
walk away empty-handed. Cuba’s tourist industry has upped the ante considerably in recent
years and specialist shops are spreading fast.
The holy grail for most foreign souvenir hunters is a box of Cuban cigars, closely followed
by a bottle of Cuban rum, both of which are significantly cheaper than in stores overseas.
Another often overlooked bargain is a bag of Cuban coffee, a potent and aromatic brew
made from organically grown beans and best served espresso style with a dash of sugar.
Elsewhere memorabilia is thin on the ground. Aimed strictly at the tourist market, there
are cheap dolls, flimsy trinkets, mediocre wood carvings and low-quality leather goods, but
Cuba is a world leader in none of these things. Far better as long-lasting souvenirs are salsa
CDs, arty movie posters, musical instruments or strings of Santería beads.
In the realm of books you’ll find plenty of erudite exposes of Che, Fidel and José Martí in
a number of different languages plus a plethora of glossy coffee-table books. Look out in par-
ticular for cheap books at the famous secondhand book market (p152) in Plaza de Armas.
Painting is another of Cuba’s fortes, and local artists are both numerous and talented. If
you buy an original painting, print or sculpture, be sure to ask for a receipt to prove you
bought it at an official sales outlet; otherwise, it could be confiscated by customs upon
departure (see Exporting Artwork, below).
In a country where clothes were – until recently – rationed, and lycra is still considered
to be the height of cool, finding the latest pair of Tommy Hilfiger jeans could prove a little
difficult. Incurable fashion junkies can spend their convertibles on
guayaberas
(pleated,
buttoned men’s shirts) or a yawningly predictable Che Guevara T-shirt. Take your pick.
Opening Hours
Cuba is different to other Latin Ameri-
can countries in that there is no afternoon
siesta; however, some stores do close for
lunch. In general, opening times are 9am
to 5pm Monday to Saturday, with some of
the more tourist-orientated stores opening
on Sunday from 9am to noon.
EXPORTING ARTWORK
When buying art at an official outlet, always ask for
a receipt to show Cuban customs, especially if the
object won’t fit in your suitcase.
To discourage private trading of works of art,
officials often confiscate undocumented artwork
at the airport. If you’ve purchased a work of art
at a state-run gallery and have the receipts, you
shouldn’t have a problem, but it’s always better to
have a certificate to export artwork anyway (and
you’ll definitely need one if you’ve purchased di-
rectly from the artist).
Certificates to export artwork are issued by the
Registro Nacional de Bienes Culturales
(Map
pp224-5; Calle 17 No 1009 btwn Calles 10 & 12, Ve-
dado;
h
9am-noon Mon-Fri). To obtain an export
certificate, you must bring the objects here for inspec-
tion, fill in a form, queue for two hours, pay a fee of
between CUC$10 and CUC$30 (which covers from one
to five pieces of artwork), and return 24 hours later to
pick up the certificate.
It makes sense not to leave this bit of business
until your last day.
Consumer Taxes
Most stores list their prices with the tax in-
cluded. The price you see displayed is thus
the price you pay at the till.
Bargaining
Although bargaining is almost nonexistent
in shops in Habana, you can try out your
haggling skills at open-air markets that sell
souvenirs to tourists. If it’s your first time in
the city, don’t expect Moroccan-style deals
and discounts; after nearly 50 years of state-
sponsored socialism, bartering isn’t really
part of Cuban culture.
150
HABANA VIEJA
Habana Vieja is as good as it gets shopping-
wise in Cuba, with plenty of stores and gal-
leries aimed directly at the tourist market.
TOP 10 SOUVENIRS
Bottle of rum
Box of cigars
Movie poster
Musical instrument
CD of Cuban music
Guayabera
(pleated, buttoned men’s shirt)
Handicraft
Painting or print
Secondhand book
Humidor
CASA DEL ABANICO
Map p220
Handicrafts
%
863-4452; Obrapía No 107 btwn Mercaderes
& Oficios;
h
9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon Sat
The Abanico is a small specialist store that
sells fine-quality hand-painted fans. It is
primarily aimed at the tourist market.
ESTUDIO GALERÍA LOS OFICIOS
Map p220
GALERÍA MANOS
Map p220
Handicrafts
Obispo No 411 btwn Aguacate & Compostela;
h
10am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm Sat
This gallery is effectively a small craft outlet,
with dolls, masks and other handmade
souvenirs supplied by local people. Many of
the objects are inspired by the city’s vibrant
Afro-Cuban community.
Art
%
863-0497; Oficios No 166;
h
10am-5:30pm
Mon-Sat
Situated next door to the Galería de Carmen
Montilla, this gallery is worth seeing for the
large, hectic but intriguing canvases by Nel-
son Domínguez, whose workshop is upstairs.
FERIA DE LA ARTESANÍA
Map p220
Handicrafts
Tacón btwn Tejadillo & Chacón;
h
Wed-Sat
Habana’s best open-air handicraft market
is on Calle Tacón, and sells all kinds of
interesting souvenirs. Paintings,
guayaberas,
woodwork, Che everything, leather items
and jewelry are all on display and, if you
thought communism had put an end to the
fine art of business negotiation, try your
haggling skills with the amiable stall hold-
ers here. If you buy paintings, make sure
you arrange an export license (it’s easy –
see Exporting Artwork, opposite), or you
risk losing your loot at customs upon
leaving Cuba; if they’re deemed ‘national
treasures’ they’ll be confiscated. Smaller
artworks can be tucked safely in luggage.
GALERÍA VICTOR MANUEL
Map p220
Antiques, Art
Plaza de la Catedral;
h
9am-9pm
Taking pride of place in Plaza de la Cat-
edral, this expensive gallery is about as
high-end as Habana shopping gets. Dis-
played in a beautiful baroque building
you’ll find wonderful humidors, captivat-
ing paintings, Tiffany-style glass lamps,
fantastic wooden figurines and lots of fine
silver jewelry.
HABANA 1791
Map p220
Perfume
%
861-3525; Mercaderes No 156;
h
9:30am-6pm
A specialist shop that sells perfume made
from tropical flowers, Habana 1791 has
the air of a working museum. Floral fra-
grances are mixed by hand and you can
see the petals drying in a laboratory out
the back.
GALERÍA DE CARMEN MONTILLA
Map p220
Art
%
866-8768; Oficios No 162;
h
9:30am-5pm
Mon-Sat
This important art gallery is named for
Carmen Montilla, a celebrated Venezuelan
painter who maintained a studio here until
her death in 2004. Spread across three
floors, the house exhibits the work of Mon-
tilla, plus paintings by other popular Cuban
and Venezuelan artists. The rear courtyard
features a huge ceramic mural by Alfredo
Sosabravo – it’s worth a peep.
LA CASA DEL HABANO
Map p220
Cigars
%
862-9293; Hostal Conde de Villanueva,
Mercaderes No 202;
h
9am-6pm
Cigar aficionados flock to this smoky cigar
shop situated inside the beautiful Hostal
Conde de Villanueva, popularly considered
to be the expert’s choice. Dodge the rogue
cigar sellers on Calle Obispo, and come and
join them.
151
LA CASONA CENTRO DE ARTE
Map p220
PALACIO DE LA ARTESANÍA
Map p220
Art
Shopping Mall
%
861-8544; Muralla No 107;
h
10am-5pm
Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat
This state-owned foundation on Plaza Vieja
is located in the baroque
Casa de los Condes de
Jaruco
(p69) and sells some fantastic original
handicrafts and works of art (with receipts
that should allow their export). It also hosts
great solo and group shows by up-and-
coming Cuban artists.
Cuba No 64;
h
9am-7pm
For one-stop shopping for souvenirs, cigars,
crafts, CDs, clothing and jewelry at fixed
prices, join the gaggle of tour-bus escapees
here. This building is the former Palacio de
Pedroso, erected by Habana mayor Mateo
Pedroso in 1780; in the mid-19th century it
was Habana’s high court, and later it be-
came a police headquarters. Today’s small
stores are gathered around a beautifully
shaded central patio replete with verdant
plants; it’s something akin to an 18th-
century version of an American shopping
mall, but with oodles of charm.
LA MODERNA POESIA
Map p220
Books, Music
%
861-6640; Obispo No 527;
h
10am-6pm
Mon-Sat
One of Habana Vieja’s most comprehensive
bookstores, La Modern Poesia also sells CDs
and posters. The store, which fills a bulky
art deco building, also has a considerable
English-language section.
PUBLICACIONES DE LA OFICINA
DEL HISTORIADOR
Map p220
Books
Mercaderes No 111 btwn Obispo & Obrapía;
h
9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat
The definitive word on Habana Vieja’s colo-
nial history can be uncovered here in large,
photo-friendly coffee-table books that
showcase the development and restoration
of Old Habana. The small store sells mainly
books, postcards and back copies of the
cultural magazine
Opus
(which prints part
of its text in English).
LONGINA MÚSICA
Map p220
Instruments, Music
%
862-8371; Obispo No 362;
h
10am-7pm Mon-
Sat, 10am-1pm Sun
One of Habana Vieja’s top-quality music
shops, this place has a good selection of CDs,
plus musical instruments such as bongos,
guitars, maracas, guiros and congas. It often
places music speakers in the street outside to
grab the attention of passing tourists.
SECONDHAND BOOK MARKET
Map p220
Books
Plaza de Armas;
h
9am-5pm Mon-Sat
This is a popular book market held in Haba-
na’s oldest square. Amid the Che polemics
and the ubiquitous translations of Castro’s
‘History Will Absolve Me’ speech, you can
find a few literary gems.
MARCO POLO
Map p220
Spices
Mercaderes No 111 btwn Obispo & Obrapía;
h
9am-7:30pm
This is a popular spice and herb store that
is always busy with both foreigners and
locals. Run by Habaguanex, its large range
of varied products can be used for both
gastronomic and medicinal purposes.
TALLER DE SERIGRAFÍA RENÉ
PORTOCARRERO
Map p220
Art
Cuba No 513 btwn Brasil & Muralla;
h
9am-4pm
Mon-Fri
The Taller de Serigrafía René Portocarrero
has paintings and prints by young Cuban
artists in the CUC$30 to CUC$150 range.
You can see the artists at work here.
MERCADO DEL ORIENTE
Map p220
Souvenirs
%
Mercaderes No 109 btwn Obispo & Obrapía;
h
9am-6pm
Calle Mercaderes (Merchant St) is chocka-
block with eclectic shops such as this one.
Revamped by the City Historian’s Office a
few years back, the Mercado del Oriente
has a Far Eastern theme – the
Casa de Asia
(p69) is next door – and sells furniture,
textiles, porcelain, glass and silver objects
from places such as China.
TALLER EXPERIMENTAL DE GRÁFICA
Map p220
Art
%
862-0979; Callejón del Chorro No 6;
h
10am-4pm Mon-Fri
Habana’s funkiest art gallery sells engrav-
ings and prints (CUC$15 to CUC$800) that
152
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