Cuba Attractions – The Havana Book Market

From Wednesdays to Saturdays, an improvised market of book sellers opens up in the Havana’s Plaza de Armas, the oldest square constructed in Havana, where the book sellers exhibit their titles and rare books. This square dates from the 16 century and is a must-see for tourists. The book sellers in this square work under a legal status and pay a lease for the place and a license for freelancing. 

Among the book sellers we can find a woman that inherited her skills as a seller from her mother and who has been selling hundreds of books during 12 years in the square; or a married couple, she is a lawyer and he is an aviation mechanic, who do not think to return to their professions and prefer selling books even though some days they go back without having sold a single book. However, not all the books are sold to foreigners; the sellers have regular Cuban customers for whom they keep books by Cuban writers who live exiled or  books that are not printed or legally sold in Cuba for being forbidden by the Cuban regime. Other customers are collectors who are always looking for an important or lost title. These particular books are not always shown on the shelves, but the sellers admit that they have not had any problems with the authorities for selling them.

Generally speaking, the prices are really low for the tourists, but Cubans are not likely to afford that sort of money. Tourists buy mainly books related to everything that means communism in Cuba (Ché, Fidel, the Revolution, etc.) and books on santeria. Very ancient books dating from the 19th century are likely to be found at bargain prices (up to 30 CUC). In general, what customers look for the most in these shelves of the Arms Square are books on Afro Cuban folklore and on Cuban history.

Old editions of Cuban recipe books can also be found (the books by TV presenter and cook Nitza Villapol are much-sought after).  The sellers have old editions of books on Cuban art, almost all the books printed on Cuban music and Cuban musicians, and recently they have included among their offers stamp collections and collections of ancient photographs. Some sellers have specialized in selling illegal editions of books that are about to come out from the printers.

In recent years, the visitor can find all kinds of rare souvenirs: commemorative medals from the post-soviet stage in Cuba, old foreign bills and coins belonging to Cuban collectors, acetates of Cuban and international music, and every time more books, photographs and papers that belonged to important figures of the Cuban history and culture.

It is important to mention that in Cuba there is a law that forbids the taking out of the country Cuban or foreign books and publications of patrimonial interest. The Cuban registry of Cultural Goods issues an exportation certificate to those titles that are considered as “exportable”. Customs can confiscate any item you are carrying in your luggage that is not properly registered.

About the Author

This introduction to the Havana Book Market in Cuba was written by a Cuba travel expert from Cuba For Less, a specialist in fully customizable Cuba vacation packages.

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