Almacenes San José Artisans' Market in La Habana

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comments 5

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  John Wendeborn

  :: 06 June 2018 10:39:50

  If you're looking for some souvenirs, then you've come to the right place. Nothing here, at least that I could see, was original or particularly unique. As such, we walked straight through and didn't buy anything. Some of the art was interesting; there is quite a variety of paintings here. But I have a hard time imagining that any of them were true originals or anything other than just tourist fodder. The building is also right next to the water, which could be a perfect opportunity to sit and relax, but across the way is all shipping and stuff, not nice to look at. Not to mention the water is entirely slicked by oil...

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  Janis H.P.

  :: 21 May 2018 14:24:16

  So much to see and choose from. Some prices are negotiable. This place is huge and is a wee bit noisy but that's to be expected. We wanted to buy 1 Cuban cigar to take home as a souvenir which we had trouble finding. The vendors we encountered wouldn't sell just 1 cigar...they requested that we buy more. Finally a man walked up to us in the aisle and sold us 1 cigar. Success. In a little jewelry shop I found a necklace with a dragon fly which I loved. I didn't care for the necklace part of it so the young lady, Yenny, working there changed it and put the dragon-fly on a chain necklace instead.

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  writemesoon100

  :: 15 March 2018 10:00:38

  Nice market if you wish to buy any kind of “classic” souvenir. From nick nacks to leather goods, hats, shirts, dresses and paintings. Please note: no art work is authentic. There will be others with the same painting you bought. Having said that I managed to get a lovely painting there that expressed Cuba to me for not too much.

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  cardonman

  :: 06 March 2018 21:20:53

  I liked it! Arrive by horse and buggy or leave so afterwards. Sure - a few of the vendors had a lot of repeat souvenirs. Others had some very interesting and unique wares. IE What I call the “speedy-run-away-toy-turtle”. It’s shaped like a turtle and made from a half coconut. Powered by a string spool and rubber bands underneath. The operator walks it on the ground like you would a yo-yo. Very clever!!. Another was a cedar box that locks on closure. No visual lock mechanism. It comes in many sizes and can only be opened in a special way. Lots of leather goods and remarkable paintings for all kinds of tourists. (Sorry no pictures to add.) You can negotiate the price on anything. See if you can avoid paying in $US. (You lose more.) Pay in Euros, Mex Pesos or CUCs for a better deal. Lots to see in Havana - put this spot on your “must-see” list. My $.02 C

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  Alan Brill

  :: 08 December 2017 14:42:46

  Wish we had more time here. You will see the work of very talented people at very reasonable prices. There's a lot of repetition of products. You should always bargain. The more you buy, the better should be the deal you should get. We were happy with our purchases. It was with walking distance -- 10 - 15 minutes -- of where the ship was docked. Hope this is helpful. Enjoy your visit there.