This is an excellent café selling strong espressos for 1 Cuban peso (extremely cheap about four pence!)
Unlike most of the tourist cafés and restaurants, there were always Cubans there enjoying a coffee.

On the corner of Calle Amargura and Mercaderes, Habana Vieja

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Old style perfumery where one can buy cologne and perfume with scents such as citrus, jasmine, rose, orange blossom, lavender and tobacco.
If you bring your own container you can purchase the scent for the bargain price of 0.20CUC per 10ml. If you want to splash out you can buy the scent in one of the ceramic perfume containers or bottles of varying sizes that make a nice present.

Mercaderes No 156 bwtn Obrapia & Lamparilla, Habana Vieja.

Google map: tinyurl.com/ycvewkp

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Hello, I found this wonderful page about bus schedules on Cuba. It was very useful on my trip to the island a few weeks ago.

horariodebuses.com/cu

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It is a gay-friendly guest house in the centre of Havana. Jorge, the landlord of the place, is a wonderful gay man who will give you plenty of tips during your trip. He has also a great sense of humour and speak many languages.

The rooms are nicely decorated and very comfy with private bathrooms and air conditioning. He can cook breakfast, lunch and dinner if you wish.

Security: this place is very safe as Jorge takes all necessary measures. Nothing will ever happen to your wallet!

I will definitely go back to Jorge very soon as all gay travellers who have been to his place do.

Casa Jorge Silvio
Calle e/oquendo y Soledad
Centro Habana
Tel:00 53 78790789
Mobile:00 53 52951543
Email: bojimor@yahoo.es
Photos: casajorge.50webs.com

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Casa Carlita is a casa particular with the feel of a B&B - a set of three guest rooms with an immaculate shared bathroom.

The casa is located right next to Havana University and within a short walk of Havana Libre and The Nacional, two big hotels where you can change money, hire a car, book excursions or top up on food/drink.

The Casa offers good food whenever you want it, though it is located in the Vedado area, which also has a range of alternatives. Vedado is supposedly great for nightclubs, though we hit it while jetlagged on a Monday, so can't vouch for this.

It is a 30 minute walk (or $2-4 taxi ride) along the Malecon (sea wall) to Old Havana. We stayed in Old Havana later in our trip but would be happy to stay in Vedado again.

This was a great first stop on our tour of Cuba. It was also good value. I would recommend it wholeheartedly.

Avenida San Lazaro no 1207
entre Mazon y Basarrate
Vedado
10400 Havana

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This is the sea wall around Havana, and a fantastic place to cool off after a hot day. You can sit in the night's cool air, feel the sea breeze and enjoy the local rum.

It's also a great place to meet and talk with the locals.

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Rooftop Bar with live Cuban music and beautiful views over Havana at night.

Parque Central

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This is the place from which Fidel Castro gives most of his famous 2-4 hour long speeches. You can also sit within the chair where Fidel Castro sits. Behind the José Marti statue there is also a museum located there which talks about the history of Cuba and Havana. However most of the exhibits are in Spanish – but it is easy to understand what is going on.

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Visit the Castillo de Morro fort and the Jesus statue which is located opposite the bay of Havana. From here you can see spectacular views of the city as well as a fort used to protect Havana. You can also see the spectacular statue of Jesus and opposite Ché Guevara’s house – now a museum.

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Discoteca el Rodeo, Parque Lenin, about 20 kms outside of Havana, is a cheap weekend club with a fun, easy atmosphere, very good live bands and a mostly young Cuban crowd.

No phone.

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It has something of a student union about it but is fun, fast and friendly, with good live bands and fantastic dancing. Upstairs is Delirio Habanero, (+53 7 8735713), overlooking Plaza de la Revolucion - for hot jazz and trad Cuban music.

Paseo, corner Plaza de Revolucion, +53 7 8790710.

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Casa de la Musica is a late night, live music venue with a big stage and a dance floor in front. It’s bigger and more upmarket that its downtown sister (on Calle Galiano in Havana Centro, +53 7 8624165) showcasing some of Cuba’s top bands, playing anything from reggaeton to classic salsa.

A good place to go dancing but at around a £15 entrance charge, there won’t be many Cubans in there.

The Calle Galiano Casa de la Musica (above attracts more of a local crowd, especially for the regular matinees. Not particularly comfortable, but excellent bands and a friendly, atmosphere.

3308 Calle 20, corner Miramar
Tel: +53 7 2026147

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Just 20 minutes by taxi from Old Havana there are perfect Caribbean beaches – fine white sand and inconceivably turquoise water — which are the perfect escape from the heat of city. There are a few beach bars serving decent fried fish, etc. Swimming pools are a rarity in Havana, but there is a good one in the lovely Hotel Sevilla — cocktails available.

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We stayed in the wonderful Sevilla Hotel in Havana and then 2 Casa Particulars (people's houses) in Trinidad and then back in Havana. In retrospect I would probably have finished with the hotel as after 2 weeks in Cuba you really need a bit of luxury! The casas are great however, as you get to stay with a proper Cuban family and they love kids.

Carrie found us all the casas, and she was invaluable. Her site is www.cuba-particular.com and you can contact her at carrie@cuba-particular.com

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Cubans love kids! We went everywhere and did everything and heard constant moans from fellow tourists about being hassled and ripped off - we had none of that and can only assume that they left us alone because we had kids in tow. So, they can be an invaluable asset.
 

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It's not cheap, it's touristy, but it's the most fantastic show that you'll see outside Vegas. The orchestra is the best on the island and the dance numbers are amazing. Glitz, cheese, tack, yes, but it's very nicely done. All of this and a half bottle of Havana Club too!

Calle 72 y 43, no. 4505

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You can tell a lot about people by the way they treat animals and although the Cubans have very little wealth they will still spend pesos for the care of their pets. Take 150 euros or so of medicines purchased from your local vet (and free reps food supplement samples if you can get them) and introduce yourself to the diminutive but highly energetic Doña Milagros Reyes at Havana's main veterinary clinic. Wonderful way of meeting people off the tourist track, (si puedes hablar Español) and even if you don´t, you´ll get showered with thanks anyway. Get there before Fidel goes folks, because while it may be far from perfect, for people who have nothing the Cubans still give everything. It´s about 3 Conv. pesos from the city centre by taxi and then walk back to find dozens of front parlours converted into sales points selling everything from used wood screws to mallets for crushing sugar cane.

Avda. Carlos III y Requena
Municipio Plaza, Havana

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A little off the beaten track. In the midweek it's full of locals, very cheap to get in and to drink, and amazing bands. Seems the place Cubans go to meet people of the opposite sex. Best thing we did in Cuba

Ave. 20 No. 3308 esq. a 35, Miramar, Havana, Cuba

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Bim Bom is an ice cream place at the end of La Rampa near the Malecon. They have lots of great flavours, with the best pistachio in town! There are lots of sauces and toppings to choose from, at low prices and with friendly staff. It's the best place to cool down.

Calle 23 y Infanta, Vedado. Plaza de la Revolución, at the bottom of La Rampa, near Malecon;
tel: (53) 7 879-2892

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The Parque Central area is the place to stay when visiting Havana. A cheaper alternative to the Parque Central Hotel is the adjoining Hotel Plaza, which was built circa 1905 and has since been renovated, with a marvellous entrance and lobby. Rooms are small and dark, but you only use them for sleeping. No pool but you can use the one down the street at the Hotel Sevilla for a few CUCs (1.08 $ U.S.) One should visit the rooftop dining room at the Sevilla, have a drink at the sidewalk cafe of the Inglaterra, and see what's happening on the Inglaterra roof, Friday or Saturday (all within 1 minute from the hotel). The roof of the Plaza gives the best view of the Bacardi building just to the east. The Sevilla and the Telegrafo are intermediate in quality and price, between the Plaza and the Parque Central. Also, it’s very close to the two art museums (don't miss the modern one of Cuban art, in between the Sevilla and the Museum of the Revolution).

Ingnacio Agramonte 267, Habana Vieja, Havana, in the north east corner of Parque Centrale, adjacent to Hotel Parque Central. Food, drinks, bottled water, bank just across the street

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