Don’t date Cuban women in Cuba. I can’t say this enough. If you believe you’ve found a good girl in Cuba and you’re planning to help her out financially, think again. She likely has several other boyfriends, all doing the same.
If you’re a tourist in Cuba, and you’re only here for a few weeks at most, you’ve likely found yourself a jinetera, prostitute or escort. The good girls, who don’t date for money or material gain, aren’t to be found. Instead, the good girls will find you. And it takes months to meet them.
In this article, I cover everything you need to know about Cuban women. And it’s based on my own experience dating dozens of women in Cuba. I spend months each year in Cuba. And I’ve dated just about every type of Cuban woman, that you could possibly imagine.
Yet, I hop back and forth between Argentina, Colombian and Cuba. And I have also dated dozens of Argentinian, Colombian and Venezuelan women. So, if you’re looking for a comparison of Cuban women versus Argentinian, Colombian and Venezuelan women, you should also see this article.
What you need to know about dating Cuban women in Cuba!
Cuban Slang – Jineteras Or ‘Jockeys’
The term ‘Jinetera’, which literally translates to ‘Jockey’ in English, originates with a speech by Fidel Castro. Castro famously proclaimed that Cuba has no prostitution, because Cubans didn’t need money.
Castro’s central premise, was that the communist state provided all of the necessities of life. From education and healthcare through to housing, food and employment.
According to Castro, the good little Cuban communist ladies that got involved with tourists, were only riding the tourists for their own pleasure. The good little communist ladies of Cuba, weren’t sleeping with foreigners for cash or material items. Castro even went as far as to say that if there ever were prostitutes in Cuba, that they would be the best educated prostitutes in the world.
Well, sorry Castro, but there are prostitutes in Cuba. And they aren’t the best educated in the world.
The ‘jineteras’ or jockeys, ride tourists for material goods and cash. It is often their sole occupation. But they should not be confused with standard, run of the mill, prostitutes. They aren’t conventional prostitutes or escorts.
Jineteras should be thought of as ‘gold diggers‘ in western society. They have shelter, food and clothing. And they could get a real job, but they prefer to sleep all day and party all night. They want fancy restaurants, jewelry, holidays and luxury goods, without ever working.
Jineteras are just ‘gold diggers‘. They want to be your girlfriend, so they can sponge off you. And all the other men, that they will be simultaneously saying and doing the same things with, while they’re pretending to be your girlfriend.
They’re just gold diggers sponging off many men, to afford a life of restaurants and manicures, without ever working. And you can guarantee that any girl you meet on Tinder in Cuba, is a jinetera.
Prostitutes And Escorts In Cuba
Yes, prostitutes and escorts also exist in Cuba. And they are literally everywhere, on the island. Kick a can on the street in Cuba and you’ll likely hit a working girl. Cuban prostitutes are even now on the internet and available through escort agencies.
Cuban prostitutes and escorts differ from jineteras. The prostitutes don’t waste time pretending to like you. They will walk up to you and state the price for their services. Walk down any street in Havana, as a single man, and you will have several of them walk right up to you and tell you prices.
Whenever I wander out to my local corner store to buy drinking water, I get propositioned at least once. Generally, it starts with a kissing noise or whistle. And then you’ll hear ‘mira‘ (look in Spanish – pronounced ‘me ra‘). If you make the mistake of actually looking, they will be on you like white on rice.
The street hookers that chase men day and night in Cuba are usually from the lowest rung of Cuba’s socio-economic ladder. They’re poorly educated and often act as prostitutes, to feed addictions or pay for their children.
They should never be engaged with or trusted. Because they will steal from you, if they can’t get you to hire them. And even if they could get you to hire them, they will still steal from you.
The list of horror stories that I’ve heard, from casa particular owners, of silly single men who’ve brought these women into their accommodations, is endless. They will have pimps and they will try to extract as much money from you as they can get, through extortion or theft.
Escorts In Cuba
Escorts are the higher end version of prostitutes. They don’t work the streets. They’re hired through escort agencies or online. These aren’t cheap women.
Escorts are usually educated, well dressed and well spoken. They charge much more than the working girls on the street. Particularly if they’re hired through private escort agencies. But their fees and services are set in advance and they will not waver from their agreement.
Where a street prostitute will walk up to random strangers and tell you what they’ll do for 3000CUP ($18.75USD), and then try to extort more money, an escort won’t talk to you for less than $200USD per night.
Escorts are the smart, business minded women of Cuba. Beautiful women with charm, intellect and a mind for business. They will be investing their funds into buying houses and starting businesses, both in Cuba and abroad.
Now, I need to put a disclaimer here. I don’t hire escorts. But I have had many opportunities to talk with them, over the many months I spend in Cuba each year. And, I can assure you, that these ladies are not only gorgeous, they are smart, business minded and future focused.
They’re not out to hustle men for money. They know that they’re gorgeous and they know how to manipulate men to benefit their own futures. They use the tools available to them (their looks), to build themselves business empires.
And, while I don’t hire Cuba’s escorts, I do have much respect for them. Unlike Cuba’s jineteras and prostitutes, for which I have no respect at all.
Where To Find A Regular Girl In Cuba?
Generally, the main way that foreigners meet real Cuban ladies who don’t fall into the categories above, is through a mutual acquaintance. Or, through meeting a member of the girls family and then being introduced, if that family member thinks you might be a good match.
You won’t just happen upon the love of your life at a bar in Cuba, or walking along the street. The good girls in Cuba will see a foreigner walking up to them on the street, or in a bar, and think you’re a sex tourist.
The good girls in Cuba won’t want to talk to you, until you’ve proven to them, that you’re anything but a sex pest. Or until a mutual acquaintance has vouched for you. Until you’ve been vetted by someone they trust, then to a good Cuban girl, you’ll be lower than pond scum.
Example Scenario – Meeting A Good Girl In Cuba
In this example, I’ll change her name to ‘Penny’ to obscure her identity. Penny is a casa particular host and I moved into her house for a 2 month stay. She didn’t even meet me, until the second month of my stay.
Instead, she had her cleaners and other intermediaries deal with me. One of them spent a month learning as much as she could about me. Then, one day, a dog appeared in the apartment, with the cleaner.
Penny had sent her dog down to the apartment, to see how I would treat the dog. And if the dog liked me. A final test, before she decided she wanted to meet me.
As it turned out, the cleaner was relaying everything about me to Penny and was recommending me as a good match. The cleaning lady was playing cupid.
So, once the final hurdle was cleared and it was known I’m a dog lover and the dog decided it liked me, because I kept feeding it salami, Penny started coming to visit. She then spent another week or two, randomly stoping by for a coffee and chats.
After Penny had seemed to confirm for herself, what everyone else was telling her, she decided she liked me. And we went on a date. And the rest is history.
Things To Be Aware Of When Dating A ‘Good’ Cuban Lady
You need to be aware that when you do date a real Cuban lady who isn’t a jinetera, prostitute or escort, that she still may ask you for favors and money. Never in the early stages of a relationship and never for luxury items, someone else’s kids or to feed addictions. The money or favors they ask of you, will be to contribute to the daily necessities of life in Cuba.
In Cuban households, the men are the providers. And, as a foreign man, you’ll have access to the outside world and the ability to do things outside of Cuba, that are difficult for a Cuban.
They may ask you to contribute to the daily necessities of life in Cuba, or to family events. Or, they may ask you to get hard to find items, that are abundant outside Cuba. They may ask you to contribute money and goods necessary, for themselves and their immediate family.
If you take a Cuban woman to dinner, you will be the one paying. As there is no bill splitting in Cuba and you earn far more than she does. Particularly, if you’re changing money outside the regular places.
Once you know you have a ‘good girl’ in Cuba, you should be a man and help her. You shouldn’t be stingey. And you shouldn’t mess around with the good girls. If you are just looking to get laid, go further up in this article. And find yourself a Cuban escort.
Where Can I Get More Information About Cuba?
I’ve made my Complete Guide To Traveling Cuba available on this website. And I recommend you read it, before traveling to Cuba. It will help you navigate Cuba and Cuban society.
My Cuba travel guide will save you a lot of time and money on your next trip to Cuba. Cuba is not the sort of destination in which you can arrive unprepared. Read the most complete Cuba Travel Guide.
