Havana, Cuba
Traditions and customs in Havana
5 customs and traditions in Havana — what they are, and how to take part without causing offence.
Last updated 2026-08-11
1. Son and rumba
Photo: No Door An Aperture · CC BY SA 2.0 · source
The root of what became salsa, played live in the old city most nights.
Watch outBands who circulate a CD for sale mid-set and treat the price as non-negotiable; a small tip is the norm, not a purchase.
2. Casas particulares
Photo: motumboe · CC BY 2.0 · source
Licensed home stays, and both the cheapest and the most useful way to stay here.
3. Cigar rolling
Photo: OctopusHat · CC BY SA 2.0 · source
Hand-rolled at the factories, with tours in Centro Habana.
Watch outStreet-sold 'factory' boxes are almost universally counterfeit, and taking them out is a customs problem as well as a waste.
4. Dominoes on the street
Photo: Giuseppe Milo (www.pixael.com) · CC BY 2.0 · source
Played loudly on folding tables in every neighbourhood, all day.
5. Classic American cars
Photo: ahisgett · CC BY 2.0 · source
1950s Detroit iron kept running on improvised parts, working as taxis.
- Cost: CUP/USD 20–40 for an hour's tour
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