For a tourist, finding good nightlife in any foreign city is always a challenge. To avoid tourist traps and hustles you have to use whatever resources you can find to zero-in on the legitimate night scene. As a traveler, finding good Havana nightlife is even harder because there’s little publicly accessible media, and almost everything is promoted by word-of-mouth. So if you don’t speak the language or have reliable contacts to hook you up, you can end-up left-out.
If you rely on the recommendations for Havana nightlife from a travel guide book researched years ago you’re likely to find yourself in some tired government-operated tourist traps along Calle Obispo in Old Havana, one of a few large nightclubs like Cafe Cantante, La Cecilia or Casa de la Música. Don’t get us wrong – there are some nights when Cafe Cantante is a blast, but there are others when it’s, well, abysmal. Or worse yet in attempting to access local insight you might put yourself in the hands of the Jineteros (Cuban slang for hustlers and hookers) who prey on nightlife hungry foreigners and find yourself in a really bad scene.
The reality is that the Havana nightlife scene underground privately-owned and operated nightlife is booming. So what’s a fun-seeking foreigner in Havana to to do? The easy (and self-serving) answer is to contact us here at Havana VIP to let us plan your entire trip and take you out for nights on the town on our Havana After Dark Nightlife Tour. Whether it’s restaurants, bars and lounges, discos and live concerts, ballet and opera, the gay scene, or even just a walk on the Malecón we’ll show you the best Havana nightlife for your tastes and interests. We’ll put you at the right seat, at the right table, and the right place at the right time. And of course, we’ll keep you safe and unmolested by scammers and hustlers. If that sounds good, contact us and we’ll take care of everything.
For the DIY’s (do-it-yourselfers) reading this who are undaunted by things like language barriers or unknown geography, there are some other resources you can turn to as well. Our first recommendation is to check out our listings of Havana’s Best Places to Eat & Drink for our curated list, and check ARTempoCuba’s Indie/Alt Spaces to see what their curators and artists recommend.
Our second suggestion is “What’s on Havana” a free monthly e-zine published by some friends of ours that provides an extensive rundown of what’s happening during any given month here in Havana. We recommend everyone coming to Cuba, including all our clients to avail themselves of this excellent resource.
Havana nightlife is some of the funnest nightlife on the planet. It just takes a little extra help to find the right places to go here. Don’t end-up hustled or Havana Bad Time. Havana VIP is here to show you the best of Havana – day or night.