varadero street market

We took the Hop On Hop Off bus (5cuc unlimited all day) to travel downtown. Market owners are friendly and we didn't feel pushed at buying. They will introduce you to some of their products but you just smile and say no thank you. We didn't feel rushed or harassed at all. There is a nice little drink bar in the middle of it all to grab refreshments - a bottle of Cristal and a bottle of water for 3.50cuc.

Visited here for a few hours after getting the hop on hop off bus (just 5 pesos return).Mostly lots of small shops and market type areas all selling similar wooden ornaments,paintings , hats etc the stuff is a lot cheaper than I expected and we didn't,t feel pressured into buying.I did buy a wooden hand carved lizard and a small painting both really cheap. There is also a UNICEF school on the Main Street and we went and bought some pencils and books from a local shop to give to them. They have to be careful when accepting gifts as the teacher we spoke to was careful when she took our gifts as the police were across the road but they didn't really take any notice. They need pens,pencils,paper etc. all in all worth a trip.

This is a must do but if you don't like waiting for the bus take a cab from your resort because waiting for the bus can take a while!Lot's to see and the best street for many goodies is 15 street flee market my advice is look around before you buy because the same stuff is available for much cheaper just a few boutiques down the isle! and if you like paintings don't fall for the it's a one of a kind original because it isn't! most are prints.I have to admit they are very good at selling but you can chop the price by 5 pesos minimum if you tell them you seen it in another booth for less! Get a horse and buggy ride there fun and you can deal with the driver for an all day ride if you want to go to a few booth's on the main drag.

tipping ans tp. Two negatives for me. theres a huge premium on tp. Locals ration it and want tips for it. I had my own but there was a dirty look if you had you own and one old woman in the museum was biligerant when she insisted on a tip just to use the bathroom (I can tell you the tip reflected the service). She responded inkind. The hand out for everything got to the point of being ridiculous. I'm not a cheapskate and if I handle my own luggage and you try to take it and move it a foot I'm not tipping you! It's enough to affect my desire to go back.

It is nice to leave your resort and if you don't want to do an all day excursion take a trip into Varadero. You can go to different bars at night or during the day you can shop, go to the park, and eat at different restaurants. The rum is worth buying here as the duty free is similar price and doesn't have the same selections.

Very touristy, better deals in Havana if you get there, but really lots of fun souvenirs. The people are a bit sales pushy but very friendly still

There is one main street where the local vendors are. The leather souvenirs were priced so reasonable and the quality is good, they are made of raw hide leather. I bought many leather souvenirs for our family. Keep your money close to you, we wore our fanny packs and brought our passport with us. You just never know....Enjoy your shopping. From our resort we took the smaller version of a voyageur cost of 2CUC, drops you off at a particular street and returns every hour on the hour for your return cost again of 2CUC. Varadero airport duty free times 4 stores has good souvenirs and leather goods. After visiting Varadero and seeing the poverty, we are truly appreciative of what we have back home in Ottawa, Canada

The people who were selling on the streets were NOT Pushy!! We were able to look with out purchasing!

You will find something for everyone here. Prices are reasonable overall but we found the market across from the Beatles bar was the cheapest.

We enjoyed this lots to see. Eventually after a few stops we found even in Havana everyone offer the same things over and over. Kinda makes you wonder where the items are made if they are even from Cuba

lots of vendors selling souvenirs leather purses, dresses, jewelery. ash trays, etc cheapest way of shopping while seeing how the people live. great way to see downtown double decker bus 5/person you can ride all day get off and on. lots to see and worth the trip downtown. plus gets you out of the resort to do something

Took a Double Decker Bus from our resort into the Varadero Market.My husband is in the business of negotiating prices for his job and shopping at the market was no different.We did get some money off at a few places but some people wouldn't budge no matter what.My husband was amused to find that a lot of the merchandise at the market was made in China.There were a lot of boxes that said Varadera made in China.We did meet a lot of nice people on our venture and enjoyed the day out..

Probably the best place to buy souvenirs and anything Cuban locally. Hotel prices are way higher for goods and these guys will barter pretty low. Enjoy the experience and buy any souvenirs you want to bring home here. Good for an hour or so of browsing while visiting the Varadero strip.

I'm not a big market guy, but the women in my house love to wander through the stalls and look at all the things you can buy. I enjoyed the stalls with the art work in primarily as that was what I was looking for. My teenage girls also found some great, unique local art and my wife could shop for hours so she always enjoys all the stalls no matter what they were selling.

We got away from the markets and found really good deals walking down the street. Some were so good it was shocking how much we could get for so little. The government stores were no haggle, and pricy. Get the coffee from a general store/supermarket - it makes a great gift, but was equivalent in taste to my usual brew.