With Cuba being the interesting and unique
place that it is, you can imagine that shopping here is sure
to be anything but boring. Hard currency shops are those that
deal in dollars and which usually sell their goods to foreigners.
A great place to see when shopping is the crafts market in
Cuba's capital city, Havana, which is set up behind the Plaza
de la Catedral in Old Havana.
It is okay to bargain a little regarding the
price, in general it is expected. Prices will vary as you
move around, generally the further you are from the large
cities and towns, the cheaper the prices. Beware of goods
made with illegal items, such as animal parts of animals that
are protected species. Also be aware that for certain art
products and books you will need a special license to be able
to take them out of the country. Some
great things to shop for in Cuba...
Currency
The legal currency in Cuba is the Cuban Peso. One hundred
cents (centavos) make up one Cuban peso. Notes come in denominations
of peso 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations
of peso1, and 20, 5, 2 and 1 centavos.
The US dollar is also accepted as legal tender since 1993
In larger tourist and urban areas, the Euro is also accepted.
Hard currency must be used in most transactions. This is usually
referred to as hard currency and most visitors are expected
to use it. Pesos are rarely accepted from tourists.
Exchanging Currency – you should change
all money at official foreign exchange bureaus, banks or international
airports, in which you will be issued with a receipt for each
transaction. Even so, remember that pesos are not usually
accepted coming from tourists, so it won’t really be
necessary to change much money.
Payment
The prices in places usually frequented by foreigners will
be marked in US dollars.
