Cuba, May 2018

[DutchDork]

11 hours ago, sanddunes said:

When you go to Cuba, make sure to check out the sanddunes at Mi Cayito beach 

I plan to. Can you tell me more about it?

[Alaskabear]

Micayito is great!  It’s the gay beach near Havana.  It’s a part of a series of beaches called playas de este which you can access via a tourist bus in parque central (sometimes there are boys in this park as well)in old Havana.   The bus leaves every hour starting around ten a.m.  Just tell the driver you want micayito and they will drop you off near it.  It’s the last and farthest stop of four or five stops along the way.  Just remember to catch the last bus back to town around 430 or 5 pm.   The beach is cute and there is an umbrella and drinks vendor there.   Lots of boys walking the beach in their underwear.  Sometimes they are with their wealthier suitors other times alone looking for the next client.   Also non money boy gays from the city are there.    It’s a fun time cruising.   Just be aware of the patrolling cop walking his beat down the shore.    The boys are smart about him though.    There are some abandoned structures in the area as well.  Fun can be had in relative privacy.    Enjoy!  

[DutchDork]

22 hours ago, Alaskabear said:

Micayito is great!  It’s the gay beach near Havana.  It’s a part of a series of beaches called playas de este which you can access via a tourist bus in parque central (sometimes there are boys in this park as well)in old Havana.   The bus leaves every hour starting around ten a.m.  Just tell the driver you want micayito and they will drop you off near it.  It’s the last and farthest stop of four or five stops along the way.  Just remember to catch the last bus back to town around 430 or 5 pm.   The beach is cute and there is an umbrella and drinks vendor there.   Lots of boys walking the beach in their underwear.  Sometimes they are with their wealthier suitors other times alone looking for the next client.   Also non money boy gays from the city are there.    It’s a fun time cruising.   Just be aware of the patrolling cop walking his beat down the shore.    The boys are smart about him though.    There are some abandoned structures in the area as well.  Fun can be had in relative privacy.    Enjoy!  

Thank you very much! I will surely visit this place. Is it busy everyday or is there a good day to go?

[sanddunes]

Saturday and Sundays are the best days to go.  There is a trail that goes through the sanddunes, but you have to walk east a little ways from the main entrance to get to it.

On a separate note, before you go to Cuba one interesting book to read is “Before Night Falls” by Reinaldo Arenas. It gives some insight into the Cuban Revolution and persecution that LGBT people faced in the 1960’s (forced labor camps).  He also talks a lot about cruising and sex in Havana.  Some of the spots are still the same..

[DutchDork]

16 hours ago, sanddunes said:

Saturday and Sundays are the best days to go.  There is a trail that goes through the sanddunes, but you have to walk east a little ways from the main entrance to get to it.

On a separate note, before you go to Cuba one interesting book to read is “Before Night Falls” by Reinaldo Arenas. It gives some insight into the Cuban Revolution and persecution that LGBT people faced in the 1960’s (forced labor camps).  He also talks a lot about cruising and sex in Havana.  Some of the spots are still the same..

Thank you! I have seen the film but I'll surely read the book.

Aside from Malecon, Las Vegas, and Bimbom, are there any other spots you would recommend me not to miss?

[SolaceSoul]

1 hour ago, DutchDork said:

Thank you! I have seen the film but I'll surely read the book.

Aside from Malecon, Las Vegas, and Bimbom, are there any other spots you would recommend me not to miss?

In February, Las Vegas had still been closed (since September) due to renovations and Binbom was closed with no word on reopening. 

As far as gay nightclubs, there are Karabali on Ls Rampa (only certain nights), Cafe Cantante on Saturdays, and a club on Thursday nights only that is near Parque Central (name escapes me, but it’s near the Inglaterra Hotel).

There’s hustler / hookup cruising at and around Toke, the restaurant next to Vegas, and the Wi-Fi park around the corner from it, and Parque Central. 

AYOR and YMMV disclaimers apply.

[torogen]

2 hours ago, DutchDork said:

Thank you! I have seen the film but I'll surely read the book.

Aside from Malecon, Las Vegas, and Bimbom, are there any other spots you would recommend me not to miss?

I'll weigh in here. Las Vegas is fun, but was closed for renovations the last time I went, so I'm not sure what it will be like now. A few doors down on the corner is Restaurante Toke, a small restaurant with a gay theme (rainbow flag flown), that happens to face all the street trade that gathers on that corner or in front of Club Las Vegas. If you grab a seat in the front (outside) the restaurant, the guys will cruise you nonstop, hoping to make some money, be invited to sit down for a beer, or be invited into the club when it opens.

Bimbom was closed both times I visited, so I assume it is gone. Same for a rumored hotspot called Club Myxto...I found the place, but it was closed and looked like it had been that way for a while.

There is a small park around the corner from Club Las Vegas and Toke where lots of the guys gather, because it is one of the few wifi hotspots. Lots of guys hang out in that park, offering sex, massage, blowjobs, whatever.  It's on the corner of Calle O and Calle 25.

I found the beach Mi Cayito and the surrounding dunes fun, but the crowd was pretty small and tame. There is a stand that is run by the government that fronts on the beach (so you are renting your umbrella and chair directly from a park ranger, basically). Although they seem to have a pretty laid-back attitude about what goes on, that is totally dependent on the people actually working that day, and the last time I visited, one of the guys was standing around glaring at everyone, so it kind of put a damper on things (along with the high winds, which were blowing the sand so hard that it actually stung). Don't go in expecting a packed party beach like Los Muertos in Puerto Vallarta or any of the beaches in Rio, and you will still have fun. There were always a few guys standing around trying to make money providing massages, or taking guys into the dunes, but I found the working guys average, so I never hired anyone there.

Ask any of the boys in front of Toke/Club Las Vegas which nights to go to which clubs. If I remember, it's Club Las Vegas on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Bar Karabali on Fridays, and Proyecto Divino on Saturdays. Bar Karabali does not have a sign in front, at least nothing that says Karabali. It is on La Rampa (lower end of Calle 23, near the Malecon) between Calles N and O, and I think the name on the front is Cafe Amor (it is BEHIND something that looks like a subway entrance, on the left side...NOT down the subway entrance...I had a friend make that mistake and sit in the underground jazz club waiting for me for 45 minutes before he realized it wasn't a gay bar, lol).

To be clear: at each of these clubs, there really will be guys waiting in front, hoping that you will pay their cover and maybe buy them a drink. Cuba is a nation of face-to-face interactions. I hope you have fun.

 

 

[torogen]

10 minutes ago, SolaceSoul said:

In February, Las Vegas had still been closed (since September) due to renovations and Binbom was closed with no word on reopening. 

As far as gay nightclubs, there are Karabali on Ls Rampa (only certain nights), Cafe Cantante on Saturdays, and a club on Thursday nights only that is near Parque Central (name escapes me, but it’s near the Inglaterra Hotel).

There’s hustler / hookup cruising at and around Toke, the restaurant next to Vegas, and the Wi-Fi park around the corner from it, and Parque Central. 

AYOR and YMMV disclaimers apply.

I was typing my reply at the same time as you, apparently. Much of the same info.

And Cafe Cantante and Proyecto Divino that I mentioned are the same event. It's so popular that the other gay clubs actually close for the night. It's in the basement of the National Theater. One disappointment: they don't offer mixed drinks except rum and coke. So you have your choice of two or three beers, rum and coke, or straight rum. Even though it's a pretty fancy place.

[sanddunes]

Bim bom got wiped out in last year’s hurricane.  The storm surge flooded many buildings on the Malecon up to the first floor.  

I didn’t know that Las Vegas is closed also.  It was open when I went in December...if you get a chance let us know its current status.

 

[torogen]

16 minutes ago, sanddunes said:

Bim bom got wiped out in last year’s hurricane.  The storm surge flooded many buildings on the Malecon up to the first floor.  

I didn’t know that Las Vegas is closed also.  It was open when I went in December...if you get a chance let us know its current status.

 

Yeah, Las Vegas was open over Thanksgiving weekend. But closed in March. Not sure of its current status

[floridarob]

I just called one of the bartenders there...he said they reopened about 15 days ago....

[DutchDork]

All your replies are very helpful and truly appreciated!

How risky is it hiring guys from the wifi parks? What common schemes should be avoided? Of course I'll keep my valuables in the safe. 

[Latindude]

Thats is a pity that I haven't seem this forum before, last year I spent 1 week in Havana, after a Cruise. But actually no action at all, just found some guys on grindr , however they were really below average. I went to Malecon few times to check what was going on, but none of the guys gave any signs that they were there for "sale".... well, I am a 30yo Brazilian, so maybe they got me as a local.... 

Las Vegas was closed on the day I tried to go. I went to downtown Plaza Central, but the guys who were sitting there were not attractive at all... once when I was having dinner on La Rampa, a cute swiss guy (28-30 yo) asked if he could seat with me, since the restaurant was fuĺl... we had a great conversation, and I understood he was gay, but I was a bit afraid to ask the confirmation. After dinner he told me that he knew a nice club close by, and invited me to another drink (of course I accepted, already quite excited to have some action after a week) - this club was in a basement in La Rampa. 

Entering the place, I realized it was a brothel! A straight brothel! What a deception... we were immediately approched by 2 girls around 19-20yo. Of couse, I politely refused, but the swiss guy decided to go with her LOL ... again after some drinks, with a broken heart I walked back to my "casa particular". LOL

[Latindude]

But just to make it clear that despite of my unfortunate experiences, I really loved Cuba, and I had a lot of fun, it is a true cultural experience!

[sfcastro]

On my trip to Cuba, when I went to Las Vegas, even being one of the first people in the bar, when I tried to sit at one of the tables closer to the stage even being willing to pay for the bottle of liquor & mixers, I was told that almost everyone of the tables was reserved.  This happened on two occasions.  Is this the case or is there another method to getting a decent table?  Supposively, the only ones available were far away from the stage/middle area.

Also, what is the current rate for the guys in Las Vegas?

[torogen]

3 hours ago, sfcastro said:

On my trip to Cuba, when I went to Las Vegas, even being one of the first people in the bar, when I tried to sit at one of the tables closer to the stage even being willing to pay for the bottle of liquor & mixers, I was told that almost everyone of the tables was reserved.  This happened on two occasions.  Is this the case or is there another method to getting a decent table?  Supposively, the only ones available were far away from the stage/middle area.

Also, what is the current rate for the guys in Las Vegas?

The tables are indeed reserved, for those purchasing bottle service. They have many regulars. I was able to buy a table close to the front for 10 CUC plus a few drinks (no bottle).

There is no rate for the guys in Las Vegas, because not all of them are selling themselves, and the ones that do, it's totally negotiable. The guys in front of Las Vegas and around the corner quoted me anywhere from 5 CUC to 30 CUC. Many of them did not want to quote a price, saying "If I go with you, whatever you wish to give me would be appreciated", basically. I wrote up a report about my first trip here:

 

[DutchDork]

Just came from Las Vegas! It's packed with people although the usual big crowd outside of pingueros wanting to get in seems to be missing. It's been raining here  apparently the past few days so maybe that kept the crowd away. 

The quality of the guys are not bad at all although only a few will compare to the guys from Brazil. But it’s just my first day, maybe I’ll see more later on. Also, somebody got a proposal today! The couple is from Miami. 

I went to Malecon too and just a handful there.

[DutchDork]

Bim Bom is open and it's fully renovated! 

 

 

[Pinkeey22]

I have been Cuba many times with the last time being January. I'm not going to go back.

Things have gotten really bad. Most of the guys in the bim bom area, Toke Park, and Vegas are straight and often say they'll do things and end up not doing them. They come up with the wildest excuses. The deceit has gotten really bad. Sometimes they will demand more money than what was agreed upon. They'll come up with something like "well that was just for ....."  Most guys will go throw your things if you let them. They ask for everything.  I've had many items stolen too.  It seems as all the guys talk and exchange 'ways of doing things" because their strategies to get more money, win sympathy, etc., are strikingly similar.  Any sex that does happen and is enjoyed, is aggravated by what happens after.

If you go to one of the other gay bars, Mixto, St John's on Monday, or Cafe Cantante on Saturday, you will inundated with guys being friendly to you only because they want free drinks. These places have more gay guys than pingueros, but the gay guys are bad and just taking advantage of you for drinks and end up walking away after they gotten what they could. This has happened to me many, many times over the years, but they are getting particularly aggressive at doing it now.

Many gay guys won't even go to bim bom, the Toke park, or Vegas anymore. They don't want anyone who might see them thinking that there is a pinguero. There are a few who don't care, but a lot of gay guys won't go in this area anymore. As a result, it is now mostly straight guys looking to make money without having to really do anything. The police know this, and police presence has increased substantially in these areas. The cops often won't even let people sit on the steps at Infanta y calle 23. 

It has gotten really bad and I'm very disappointed about it.

I have a list of guys that I can call when I go, but even the ones who were nice previously and constantly asking for things (in addition to the money you agree upon) and using new stories as a strategy of getting them.  Also, no matter what you give them, they seem to always ask for more.  

Time for me to travel elsewhere.

[floridarob]

I've said it many times here...Cuba's golden age for us is long gone....late 90's early 2000 was great.