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SHOPPING HAVANA :
What and where to buy
Cuba is no shopping paradise; in general the choices are very poor, although some large hotels like Havana Libre and Melia Cohiba have modern clothing shops.
For tourists the most important items to get are Havana cigars, Cuban rum, Cuban coffee, music CD’s and some paintings or craftwork. For T-shirts, wooden handcraft, ceramics, and Cuban gadgets (often made of empty beer cans), go to the outdoor market on Tacon Avenue just outside Plaza de la Cathedral.
In the smaller shops like the ones on Obispo Street there is only limited access, and as a security measure you have to wait at the entrance until any clients that are inside finish shopping and leave. If you are carrying a handbag or a shopping bag you have to leave them at the desk against a receipt till you leave the shop.
Shopping in the OLD HAVANA district
Obispo Street is the main shopping area in Old Havana, with several clothing stores and shoe stores, jewellers and watch shops.
Near Obispo Street you’ll find HARRIS BROTHERS SUPERMARKET at Monserate (avenida de Belgica) corner O’Reilly Street, Havana Vieja. At the ground level are a cafeteria, and the food and beverage departments. At the first and second floors you’ll find clothes, perfume, and shoes.
PALACIO DE LA ARTESENIA at Cuba Street 64 between Cuarteles and Pena Pobre Streets is a very nice place to shop: modern stores in a historical building selling shoes, clothes, perfume, T-shirts, and sports gear.
Shopping in the CENTRAL HAVANA district
PLAZA DE CARLOS TERCERO at Avenida Salvador Allende between Arbol Seco and Retiro streets, Havana Centro is a large shopping mall with 3 floors, always crowded with people, sometimes with long queues at the shop entrances. The plaza has food shops, cafeteria, clothes, electronic consumer products, (VCR, TV etc.), and peso shops where you can buy all items for a fixed price of one or five peso. The plaza is a typical Cuban shopping experience.
LA EPOCA at the corner of Avenida de Italia and Neptuno Street in Havana Centro is a Cuban shopping centre with cheaper clothes.
Shopping in the VEDADO district.
GALERIA DE PASEO at corner Paseo and 1st Street, Vedado is a classic shopping mall with food stores and clothes, and is the home of the well-known Jazz Café, with excellent music but slow service.
Shopping in the MIRAMAR district
The biggest and best-stocked supermarkets and shopping malls are located in the more residential Miramar district, where you find all the embassies and the diplomats’ residences.
SUPERMERCADO 70 at 3rd Avenue and 70th Street, Miramar is one of the biggest supermarkets in Havana. It carries wealth of choices by Cuban standards, with a well-stocked food department and clothing shops.
SUPERMERCADO FLORES at 176th Street between 1st and 3rd Avenue, Miramar is another large food store, well stocked by Cuban standards.
LA PUNTILLA at corner Street A and 1st Avenue, Miramar is a large mall selling a wide variety of clothes, food, perfume and electronic consumer products.
MERCADO CUBALSE at 5th Avenue and 42nd Street, Miramar is a classic mall with food and clothing departments.
CENTRO COMERCIAL PALCO at 5th Avenue and 188th Street, Miramar is one of the best-stocked supermarkets in Havana, with more expensive and higher quality food items. For example, among their cheese products range you’ll find Italian Parmesan and French Roquefort (1.4 kg at 125 CUC). It’s a place where the average Cuban never shops: it’s too expensive. It appears that the orders and the buyers come from the embassies and the diplomatic corps.
LA MAISON at 16th Street Nº 701, between 7th and 9th Avenues is a nice mansion, with clothing, perfume and jewel shops, a swimming pool and an excellent restaurant where you can admire models showing off the latest clothes. This is a rather expensive place designed for tourists and business people.
Street Markets
· Mercado de la Catedral, Tacon Avenue (near plaza de la Catedral) Old Havana
· Feria del Malecon, between C and D streets, Hotel Riviera, Vedado
· Mercado de la Rampa, at La Rampa between M and N Streets, Vedado
· Mercado de Cuatro Caminos, Maximo Gomez 256, Havana Centro
Cigar And Rum Shops
CASA DE HABANO PARTAGAS
Industria Street, Nº 520, between Dragones and Barcelona streets,
Havana Centro.
Factory tour and complete cigar shop.
LA CASA DE TABACO Y RON
Corner Obispo and Monserate Streets,
Old Havana
RUM FUNDACION DISTILERIA HAVANA CLUB
Avenida de Puerto 262, between Sol and Muralla Streets
MUSEO DEL RON
Rum Museum.
Guided tours available.
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