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| Partagas Factory - Havana City |
Havana is by no means a great shopping city (although it is the best in Cuba). All shops selling to tourists operate exclusively with hard currency, Cuban Convertible Pesos or Euros. Most are run by big state-owned enterprises. The most common stores belong to the Caracol chain, which is geared primarily to tourists, while the Tiendas Panamericanas chain specializes in household and domestic items aimed at foreign residents. In recent years, modern malls have begun popping up. Everything stated above holds true for the offerings you'll find here.
Cigars
Cigars are Cuba's most-prized product. The word "Cubans" is synonymous with the highest quality cigars on the planet. Locally, they are called puros or habanos; the latter is the name of the country's official cigar company. All of the various brands -- Partagas, Cohiba, Romeo y Julieta, Punch, and so on -- are marketed by Habanos S.A. Habanos markets its product through a series of storefronts usually called something like La Casa de Tabaco or La Casa del Habano.