Must-see shopping in Havana

  • Clandestina

    Habana Vieja

    Cuba's first indie design store when it opened in 2015, Clandestina makes its own T-shirts, bags and accessories out of any old junk it can find, 99% of…

  • Memorias Librería

    Havana

    A shop full of beautiful artifacts, the Memorias Librería opened in 2014 as Havana's first genuine antique bookstore. Delve into its gathered piles and…

  • La Casa del Habano Quinta

    Havana

    Arguably Havana's top cigar store – and there are many contenders. The primary reasons: it's well stocked, with well-informed staff, a comfy smoking…

  • Piscolabis Bazar & Café

    Habana Vieja

    Perfectly located just steps from Havana’s 18th-century cathedral, this small but eclectic shop is run by a group of Cuban artists of various disciplines…

  • Alma Shop

    Havana

    Whether you're searching for jewelry, embroidered cushions or a vintage cigar humidor, this privately run shop is a great place to pick up a high-quality…

  • Librería Venecia

    Habana Vieja

    Wonderful little private bookshop in Calle Obispo selling yellowed secondhand tomes, esoteric film posters and other random print work that you won't find…

  • True beauty in the simplicity of exclusive

    ROX 950

    Vedado

    ROX 950 is the creation of self-taught silversmith Rosana Vargas. She opened her first shop at this Vedado mansion in 2012, and today her work can be…

  • La Marca

    Habana Vieja

    Should you want a more permanent memento of your time in Cuba, try La Marca, the first licensed tattoo shop on the island. The parlor is run by a group of…

  • Salomé Casa de Modas

    Havana

    Every single piece at this private boutique reflects authentic Cuban style. It specializes in all things linen – dresses, blouses, trousers and guayaberas…

  • Galerías de Paseo

    Vedado

    Across the street from the Hotel Meliá Cohiba, this dated-looking relic from the 1980s with its tinted glass and curvaceous windows is considered upscale…

  • Secondhand Book Market

    Habana Vieja

    Relocated from Plaza de Armas, much to the chagrin of many vendors, Havana’s famous secondhand-book market now convenes in the open-air ruins of the…

  • Casa Obbatalá

    Habana Vieja

    This specialist religious shop in Habana Vieja sells all manner of Santería offerings and cult objects, almost exclusively to religious-minded locals. The…

  • Plaza Carlos III

    Havana

    After Plaza América in Varadero, this is probably Cuba's flashiest shopping mall – and there's barely a tourist in sight. The place has taken a step up in…

  • Palacio de la Artesanía

    Habana Vieja

    If only all shopping malls could be this attractive! Encased in an 18th-century colonial palace and gathered around a shaded central patio, this place…

  • La Maison

    Havana

    The Cuban fashion fascination is in high gear at this small boutique complex hidden in a Miramar villa. It has a limited selection of designer clothing,…

  • Habana 1791

    Habana Vieja

    A restored colonial-era shop on historic Calle Mercaderes that sells perfume made from tropical flowers, Habana 1791 retains the air of a working museum…

  • Andare – Bazar de Arte

    Vedado

    A selection of old movie posters, antique postcards, T-shirts and, of course, all the greatest Cuban films on videotape are sold at this state-run shop…

  • Miramar Trade Center

    Havana

    Cuba's largest and most modern shopping and business center houses myriad stores, airline offices and embassies. Look out for the offbeat art…

  • Bazar Estaciones

    Vedado

    This lovingly curated private shop sells some interesting and unique souvenirs (not the standard government-branded stuff). It's on the upper floor of a…

  • Taller de Serigrafía René Portocarrero

    Habana Vieja

    Paintings and prints by young Cuban artists are exhibited and sold here, with prices ranging from CUC$30 to CUC$150. You can also see the artists at work…

  • La Habana Sí

    Vedado

    This government-run ARTex shop opposite the Hotel Habana Libre has a good selection of CDs, cassettes, books, crafts and postcards.

  • La Puntilla

    Havana

    A 20-year-old shopping center spread over four floors at the Vedado end of Miramar. By Cuban standards it's fairly comprehensive, if a little rundown.

  • Estudio Galería los Oficios

    Habana Vieja

    Pop into this gallery to see the large, hectic but intriguing canvases by Nelson Domínguez, whose workshop is upstairs.

  • La Casa del Café

    Habana Vieja

    For a range of coffee and a decent taster cup, pop into La Casa del Café, just off Plaza de Armas.

  • Museo del Tabaco

    Habana Vieja

    At Museo del Tabaco you can see various indigenous pipes and idols and buy some splendid smokes.

  • Casa Guerlain

    Havana

    Well, it's an interesting idea. This exclusive perfume parlor reopened on the same premises as the original 1917 shop and sells high-end perfume and…

  • Longina Memorias Cuba

    Habana Vieja

    Part of the government-run Artex chain, the small, succinctly curated Memorias is where to come for a guayabera (men's shirt), a Museo de Bellas Artes…

  • Fayad Jamás

    Habana Vieja

    This bookstore, a throwback to the 1920s, was refurbished by the City Historian to fit in with its Old Town surroundings. Editions are mainly in Spanish,…

  • Ediciones Boloña

    Habana Vieja

    Small bookshop in the historic center that sells books published or sponsored by the Office of the City Historian. Most are in Spanish and track the…

  • Librería Rayuela

    Vedado

    This small but respected store in the bookish Casa de las Américas building is great for contemporary literature and CDs, and has some guidebooks.

  • Librería Luis Rogelio Nogueras

    Havana

    Literary magazines and Cuban literature in Spanish at one of Centro's best bookstores, named for one of Cuba's finest post-revolutionary poets.

  • Egrem Tienda de Música

    Havana

    There's a small CD outlet hidden here in leafy Miramar at the site of Havana's most celebrated recording studios.