Update on Cienfuegos for Noonsite May 2015 – Yacht ‘Wapiti’

Formalities and Fees:

There is plenty of room to anchor off the marina and the entrance channel is well marked and lit. A rubber dinghy with officials was waiting for us as we were anchoring. Various officials came on board including quarantine who checked our temperatures and asked a lot of questions about health, then we went ashore to complete formalities.

Arrival Fees:

These were 55CUC, normally payable by card except when it is raining.

Immigration fees were 15CUC per person. These have to be paid in cash but you are not allowed to go and get cash until you have a visa! After some discussion, we were allowed to go to the Jagua hotel a few minutes away to change US$ at a fairly unfavourable rate. No “gifts” were solicited by or offered to any of the officials. Later customs came on board and carried out a random search. No food was confiscated. There are no departure fees.

Mooring Fees: 

For anchoring are 0.20 CUC per foot per day which includes the use of the fairly run down showers and toilets and using the recently refurbished dinghy dock.

In the marina, fees range from 0.55 CUC per foot per day for a boat of under 45ft, to 70 cents CUC per foot per day for a boat of over 100 ft., with lower rates for longer periods. Water is metered and costs 5CUC per cubic meter. and electricity is 0.45 CUC per kWh.

It is hard to find space and the best way is to find somebody who is leaving then tell the harbourmaster. We had a berth within 24 hours of arriving.

Diesel is 1.10CUC/ltr.

Supplies:

There is a minimart at the marina, a small one at a service station and another a little further along on the road to town. These contain large quantities of a small range of products and it is luck of the draw as to what you will get. Rum is always available everywhere and is very good and very cheap. Prices for everything seems to be state regulated, so there is no need to shop around.

In town, there is an excellent fresh market in Calle 31. Cuban fresh produce is some of the best you will find anywhere as they do not use chemicals nor do they chill.

A taxi to town will cost 2 or at most 3 CUC. Any other price suggested is for the tourists. There is also a bus service, horse-drawn taxis and pedal taxis, or you can walk.

Communications:

There is a booth selling phone cards and internet cards not far from the marina – these are OK for local calls, but rates for international calls are very high. It is theoretically possible to get a SIM card for your unlocked phone if you are prepared to queue all day at the state-run telephone office.

The Internet is available at some hotels and you log on using a prepaid card. WIFI is available at only a few places in Cuba.

Travel:

Car hire is readily available but is expensive – about 60CUC per day. There is two hire places a short walk from the marina. Roads are quite good apart from potholes which you have to watch out for.

See note about taxis above.

Roger Morgan and Sue Lister 

Yacht ‘Wapiti’

Related content

Cienfuegos