Havana Shopping Tips by Jefie

Name of Shop: Feria de los Artesanos in La Habana Vieja

No matter what kind of souvenir you're looking for, from original paintings to hand-made cigar cases and Che Guevara t-shirts, chances are you'll find it at this huge outdoor arts & crafts display located just a few steps away from the Plaza de la Catedral. I was pleasantly surprised to see that they were far from trying to rip off tourists - everything sells at a pretty good price and there's no need to bargain, a simple hesitation is usually sufficient to make the original price drop down to a couple CUC. And even if you're not planning on buying anything, it's still fun to walk around the crowded stands!

What To Buy: I got a lovely hand-painted sketch of La Bodeguita del Medio for only 1 CUC

What To Pay: Not too much, less than in any other souvenir shop

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Theme: Local Craft
Directions: Not far from the Cathedral, it's so big, you can't miss it

Name of Shop: La casa del ron y del tabaco cubano

Cuban rum, cigars and coffee probably are some of the most attractive items for visitors and you can get them all in one place, at la Casa del ron y del tabaco cubano. Just to give you an idea, a bottle of 7-year-old Havana Club sells for about 11 CUC (you'd have to pay about $30 in Canada). Cigars are pretty expensive but apparently that's the price to pay to get the real deal. And if, like me, you can't get enough of the strong, sugary taste of Cuban coffee, you won't want to leave the country without a couple pounds of the good stuff!

What To Buy: Rum and coffee for sure, and cigars make nice gifts for folks back home

What To Pay: Cigars: quite expensive
Coffee: about average
Rum: very cheap

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Theme: Food and Drink
Address: Calle Obispo
Directions: Next to the Floridita, not very far from the Capitolio