Best Cuban Souvenirs

If you’re visiting Cuba it makes sense to bring home some of the products difficult to find outside the island.

No. 1 on the list of souvenirs is cigars, perhaps Cuba’s most famous export. Make sure you buy from an official shop rather than a friendly man on the street, as fake cigars are a common scam.

Next is rum, which you can buy far cheaper here than at home. Go for Havana Club, or try the less common Santiago de Cuba rum, hard to get elsewhere.

Head to the Plaza de Armas in Havana to get some interesting antiques from the street sellers. Old books, magazines and posters make for great souvenirs. There are plenty of Communist-era pieces as well as pre-Revolution items showing the decadence of Havana when it was a haven for U.S. tourists.

Another good shop is Clandestina, a boutique in Old Havana. You can take home t-shirts, bags and prints from one of the new wave of Cuban designers. Interestingly the company just started selling online, too.

Take a look around the fair on La Rampa in Vedado to pick up small ornaments and knick-knacks for family and friends.