Gays in Havana

When I googled “Gays in Havana” prior to my trip, I found a host of information. It seems to me that many establishments in Havana are gay-friendly. Cuba, I reckon, would be the next gay destination. It’s a gay-friendly country and bisexuals abound. It’s safe, too. I was told that “straight” men do it for the money, out of their jobless situation. Life in Cuba is hard, so can you blame them? Find a job? What job? Though education in Cuba is free, many university graduates couldn’t find work. But, don’t ever think everyone there can be bought. Nice people are everywhere.

In Old Havana, I was followed four times by four different men who have gaydar more functional than mine. It turned out all of them were not gays. They don’t even call themselves bisexuals. They’re still straight, they believe. According to one, “I’m not gay. I’m top”. I was appalled at the brutal frankness of their approach. They didn’t beat around the bush. After exchanging niceties, they asked me what I wanted and they named their price (write me in a comment below if you wanna know).

Read: Can Americans go to Cuba? Yes, they can! Read here.
Read: The Gayest and Most Straight-friendly Casa in Havana

There’s this macho guy who left his girlfriend somewhere and followed me until the end of Calle Obispo. I know they’re in relationship because I saw and met him holding hands with her a few minutes ago. When I looked back, he was alone and smiled when our eyes locked. He came up to me and introduced himself. And just like that, he offered himself. Boy, I was caught off guard. He said his price without me asking it. To escape from the flesh trade, I told him I was staying at a hostel so there’s really no privacy. But, he was quick to say that he knew a place to rent for $10/hour! Oh boy, it was tempting! LOL….

Even in bars, guys would just come up to you when they sense you are fabulous. They’re really sweet and friendly. And toned. Yum.

While not all of them are into such trade, few were contented to accompany you around. They will feel indebted to you if you treat them to bars or to restaurants they’ve never been to or they could never afford. They’ll treat you well in return. 😉

So, where do you go and find the boys and gays in Havana?

Read: Things to do in Cuba

MALECON

Malecon is classic. The sunset is stunning and romantic. It never fails to amaze you, unless, of course, a rain threatens the late afternoon spectacle. In Malecon, people from all walks of life congregate, especially in late afternoon ’till late evening. Walk the seawall from the edge of Prado (Paseo de Marti) all the way to Hotel National. Or just sit there but let your eyes wander around. Make eye contact and the rest will be history.

LA RAMPA

At night, the intersection at Malecon and the hill where Nacional Hotel sits atop is the main thoroughfare of young partygoers. It’s kind of dark and a loud music blasts from a battery-powered stereo. Few steps from the seawall are rows of bars with shows, cabarets, and DJs playing. Most of them charge 3CUC, a hefty amount for Cuban standard. So, don’t be surprised if there are a lot of guys waiting outside. They can’t afford to go in. Many of them are actually waiting for someone to befriend them (or vice versa) and hopefully bring them inside. A French gay guy I met told me that two good-looking guys swarmed around him when he bought half a dozen cans of beer from a nearby store and brought it to the Malecon. He was alone so he loved a company. Don’t ask me how they ended the night. LOL…

LA GRUTA

It’s a disco place. They have a cultural/cabaret show at 11:30 and dancing followed. Though it’s mixed but mostly men with their girlfriends clinging on them. The show was ok, with a lot of fashion disasters.

CINEMA YARA

Stand outside the cinema in the afternoon and make eye contact. I tried and was approached by three guys in less than 10 minutes but I wasn’t interested. I stayed at the hostel at that time. LOL….

PARQUE CENTRAL

Sit on one of the benches there. Just like any public cruising place, make an eye contact. If they stare back at you, wait until they come to your highness. If they wink, give them your welcoming smile. 😀

CENTRO VASCO 

I don’t exactly remember where this place is but it’s in Vedado. Take a taxi and say its name, the driver surely knows it. It’s $5 from Parque Central. If there’s one gay bar you MUST go in Havana, this is it. As we were told by our Cuban guide from our casa, most of the guys here are bisexuals, including him. Gawd, there were so many hot guys there and I don’t have many Spanish hookup words to start with. LOL…

By midnight, we were treated to a show—three well-sculpted men appeared on stage, teasing us with their sexual moves that left every audience a painful groin. But that was only for 20 minutes. Then, there was a drag contest; five contestants doing their best impression of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”. Dancing followed after that.

At 2:00 A.M, the most delicious Cuban guys I’ve seen were back on stage. This time, there were five of them and did a 45-minute show of sweat and hotness, too much teasing of flesh. Think about Magic Mike the movie but sexier moves and skimpier shorts. There was no frontal nudity but they left little to our imagination. Bulging eyes, bulging crotches and wide open mouths were everywhere.

Read: The Gayest and Most Straight-friendly Casa in Havana

Mi Cayito: A Gay Beach in Havana

This is not in Havana but it’s a 20-minute drive outside the city.

I’ve never been there. I didn’t have much time to spare so I skipped this very important gay scene in Havana. But the gay travelers I met in Casa Aleido were the ones who told me about this. They really loved it there and this is what they said:

“It’s a beach with a lot of locals up for a good time whoever fancies them. You can even join them in playing beach volleyball. They’re very welcoming. While most locals were on the beach, majority of the foreign gays were on a bar nearby (the locals can’t afford it so they prefer to stay in the beach area).”

How to get there: Negotiate with a taxi from Havana to Mi Cayito. It costs 10CUC, one-way. Don’t pay beyond that. But, don’t take a really nice classic car. Tell the driver to pick you up at a certain time in the afternoon and he’ll be glad to come back.

Another way to go there is by taking the red sightseeing bus from Parque Central. Take the bus (there are two) that goes to the hotels outside the city. Tell the driver to drop you off at the nearest hotel for Mi Cayito beach. From there, the gay beach can be reached on foot from 5-10 minutes, depends on how to strut. 🙂

Bus ticket costs $5. Make sure to check the time when the last bus returns to Havana. Use the same bus ticket.

And oh, if somebody asked if you were a mariposa (no, not the butterfly), he wanted to know if you were a bottom. 😀

HOSTEL / HOTEL IN HAVANA, CUBA

If you think Havana is cheap – think again. It’s ruthlessly expensive for foreigners. Businesses and hotels suck big time from tourists. Don’t ever think you’d live on your usual backpackers budget. $25 a day? Forget it! The casa particular I stayed cost me $30/night. There was one hostel though I paid $12. If you can afford a medium-price casa particulares, your option would be staying in at Casa Aleido right at the center of the city. If you can afford a hotel, try Hotel National or Hotel Inglaterra. These two are the nicest ones in the city.