Country Information

Surprisingly for an island so rich in marine life, fish and seafood rarely top the menu - most seafood is exported. Cuisine is a mix of Spanish and Afro-Caribbean, heavily reliant on rice, beans, chicken and pork. Fresh vegetables are hard to come by, and flavours are limited by the lack of available herbs and spices. Some of the best cooking, and often an illegal lobster or two, is found in paladares (small, private restaurants). In state-run establishments, service can be painfully slow and sometimes even surly.

National specialities:
• Soup made of chicken or black beans.
• Black beans and rice (known locally as Moors and Christians).
• Chicken or pork with rice, or occasionally french fries.
• Plantains, baked or fried.
• Omelettes.

National drinks:
• Cuban coffee (very strong).
• Cuban beer (tasty, yet weak).
• Rum cocktails.

Legal drinking age: There is no minimum drinking age, but buyers must be at least 16 years old to purchase alcohol.

Tipping: A 10% gratuity is appreciated.

Havana is renowned for its after-dark entertainment scene, and only the tip of the iceberg is visible to tourists on a short stay. Even medium-sized bars usually have a house band playing Cuban classics. The Casa de la Música in Havana attracts tourists and locals alike, the latter distinguished by their accomplished salsa dance moves and ability to consume whole bottles of Varadero rum. The famous Tropicana nightclub (www.cabaret-tropicana.com) stages nightly open-air cabarets that are a throwback to the decadent days before the Revolution. The Cabaret Parisien at the Hotel Nacional is similar, and both attract tour groups on ‘day and night' packages from the coastal beach resorts.

Theatre, opera and ballet are staged all year round in Havana and seats are very cheap. Cinemas show films in Spanish, but some have subtitles. Santiago de Cuba is the spiritual home of Son - the music that gave birth to salsa, and regular live sessions are on offer at the Casa de la Trova. In beach resorts, nightlife tends to mimic what is on offer in Havana, with varying degrees of success. Varadero has a thriving scene, but in the smaller resorts (many of which are all-inclusive) most entertainment is planned and formulaic.

Those hoping to spend, spend, spend will be disappointed in Cuba. There are a few luxury shops in Old Havana and in large hotels like the Habana Libre. Some offer tax-free purchases, but stock is generally uninspiring.

Cuba makes the world's finest cigars. Buy the real thing at factories such as Real Fábrica de Tabacos Partagás in Havana, which also sells fabulously ornate cigar boxes. Cigars from street vendors will probably be fakes or factory rejects, and may be confiscated at the airport. Castro's favourite brand (before he gave up) was Cohiba, Ché Guevara favoured Montecristos, and, before he put the blockade in place, JFK stocked up on Upmans.

Santiago de Cuba was once home to the Bacardi family distillery, but Havana Club is now the most famous Cuban rum. Good though it is, connoisseurs prefer Varadero.
The rich seven-year-old variety is sipped like fine malt, while younger and lighter blends are used for cocktails.

Ché Guevara merchandise is everywhere.

The famous outdoor crafts market next to the cathedral in Old Havana has moved much further south in Old Havana to Almacenes San José, Avenida del Puerto, next to the church of San Francisco de Paula; open 1000-1800 daily.

Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1700, Sun 0900-1200.