Prior to 1959, Cuba was the only island in the Caribbean with a significant tourism industry. It was only after Castro’s  revolution in ’59 that tourism on other Caribbean islands became viable. As the largest island in the West Indies and one with such diversity there is little wonder that it was a vacation destination for anyone looking to visit the Caribbean.

Cuba’s landmass is equal to the total combined landmass of all the islands in the West Indies. Consequently, Cuba has over 2,000 nautical miles of coastline, almost 4,000 islands and cays, 200 sheltered bays of which 81 are unique pocket bays. Cuba also boasts beautiful sand beaches and hundreds of miles of unspoiled coral reefs.

The reefs shelter both the island’s Atlantic and Caribbean shores. “Jardines de la Reina”, an extensive reef area on the south coast named by Columbus. It is considered one of the world’s larger coral reefs. Water visibility is 30 to 40 meters and the surface water temperature averages between 24°C and 29°Celsius. The island also boasts an average of 330 days of sunshine per year. Cuba’s interior contains three mountain ranges. The highest range is the Sierra Maestra in the far southeast. Its summit, Pico Turquino, towers to 1995 m (6542 ft).

Other inland features include rivers, creeks, marshes and lagoons. Despite its impressive natural beauty most travellers are drawn to Cuba’s cities, towns and small villages where the quantity of striking Spanish colonial architecture is astounding. Some of these buildings date as far back as 1519 and have UNESCO world heritage designation. Imagine, Havana will soon celebrate  its 500^th anniversary. It is safe to say that Cuba has some of the most historic sites in the Americas.

For the yachtsman, Cuba is easy to reach. A boater whose departure point is anywhere on the eastern seaboard of North America (including the Great Lakes) will find that the passage is via inland and/or coastal waters to the Florida Keys and then an overnight passage of only 90 nautical miles.

When the time comes to decide on a winter cruising destination, be it the Bahamas, farther south to the Windward and Leeward Islands or to Cuba, you will soon realize that Cuba is the most logical choice. Its close proximity to North America, an almost infinite choice of great anchorages and much to see and do leaves little doubt that Cuba will once again become the winter destination of choice for yachtsmen the world over.

The passage of time has stood so still in Havana that, even today, age old pirates, explorers and conquistadores would not feel lost wandering her narrow, cobbled streets and alleys. Habana Vieja (Old Havana), founded in 1519, is packed with colonial buildings of great architectural and historical significance. The red clay roofs, original Spanish ceramic tiles, the decorated patios and arched porticos, all speak softly to passersby of an era long past.

The streets that run the length and breadth of Old Havana contain over 3,000 buildings with not less than 144 dating from the 16^th  and 17^th  centuries. Inside the former walls of the old city there is a wonderful range of structures from large stone mansions, churches and palaces to humble wooden homes and lodgings. Old Havana is so extraordinary that in 1982 UNESCO designated it a Class One World Heritage site. The fact that very few modern buildings have been constructed within the UNESCO zone makes Habana Vieja unique. Architecturally speaking, it surpasses the most impressive cities of Europe where old buildings are greatly mixed with new and modern architecture. Havana is a street photographers’ dream destination.

Over the past twenty years, the Cuban government has made incredible inroads with the restoration of its heritage buildings and the results are truly awe-inspiring. Over 300 landmark buildings have undergone amazing facelifts while other more historically significant structures have been authentically restored with dazzling results. Many of the reconstructed buildings are now hotels, bars, restaurants and museums. Also refurbished were some of the more famous 1950’s nightclubs and hotels. The heart of the restoration, however, has been the buildings around Havana Vieja’s five main squares: Plaza de Armas; Plaza de la Catedral; Plaza Vieja; Plaza de San Francisco; Plaza del Cristo.  The fortresses, too, have been restored as well as Drogeria Sarrá, the oldest pharmacy in the Americas.

North Coast
Cabo San Antonio – Marina Los Morros
Havana—Marina Hemingway,
Varadero—Marina Gaviota
Cayo Guillermo—Marina is depth restricted. This is an exit port only.
Puerto Vita—Marina Puerto Vita (replaced Naranjo)
Baracoa is not a port of entry

South Coast
Santiago de Cuba—Marina Santiago
Cienfuegos—Marina Cienfuegos
Cayo Largo del Sur—Marina Cayo Largo
Maria La Gorda and Manzanillo are not ports of entry

Entry Procedures

Boaters will arrive on the shores of Cuba from many different regions. The most common sailing routes are those between Cuba and: Florida, Mexico, and the Bahamas. Europeans are most like to arrive from the Eastern Caribbean.

Cuba has only seven ports of entry (PoE) and your landfall must be at one of these designated ports. To arrive in any other location—regardless of your circumstances—will result in being turned away and with the likely-hood that you will not be granted entry into Cuba when you do finally reach a designated port of entry. This may sound harsh but Cuba has a set of rules and procedures for foreign boats entering the country and these rules are strictly adhered to.

The first thing you must do when you are roughly 12 nm from the PoE is to make contact via VHF. Often 12 nm is too far away as most officials are using only a hand-held radio – contact will likely not occur until 3 nm from the coast. In most ports the harbour master will respond in English but often with a heavy accent. In all the years we have been entering Cuba we have not needed any advanced knowledge of the Spanish language. Once you have made contact, the harbour master will give you all the pertinent information for entering their port—buoyage, depth, courses, where to tie etc. After your vessel is secured the officials will come aboard. Everyone on your vessel must have a valid passport.

The entry process is relatively quick and easy. Expect it to take up to 2 hours. American’s with firearms can expect the clearance procedure to be much longer.  Cuban officials will be friendly and happy to welcome you to their island. The number of officials and inspectors that will come aboard will vary from port to port and the procedure will vary slightly too. For example at Puerto Vita the Doctor will actually take everyone’s temperature, this does not happen in Varadero or Havana. For your check-in expect anywhere from two people to a dozen people including drug sniffing dogs in the larger ports. It is recommended that a member of the crew accompany any official who searches your boat.

In 2015, the entry fee was $55CUC and this is paid to the marina at your port of entry. The break down is: $20CUC for customs entry, $20CUC exit fee and $15CUC cruising permit. Once clearance of the vessel has been granted tourist visas will be issued for each member of the crew.

NOTE:  Some officials will ask for a “tip or donation”. You are not in away way obliged to tip them and in many ports a handout is frowned upon by the ranking official. Tipping should never be more than 1-5 dollars.

Cruising within Cuba

If you will be doing any coastal cruising then you must have a cruising permit. The fee for the permit (despacho) was paid as part of your entrance fee.

Arriving at an out port where there is a Guarda Frontera post you will need to present the despacho for the official signature with a time/date entry. This is a quick procedure and no vessel search is required by the official.  If, however, they insist upon a vessel search, then a crew member should accompany the person doing the search.

Provisioning the boat for a Voyage to Cuba and Dining and staying ashore

For any voyage to Cuba it is essential that you have a well-provisioned vessel. Cuba is off-the-beaten- path despite being only 90 nm from the United States. It is best to assume that nothing will be available to you in Cuba this way, any food or grocery items that you do obtain will be a welcome bonus. When cruising, much of the time you will be anchored in bays where there is no habitation so you must be
prepared. What you can expect to find in Cuba is an abundance of fresh seafood whether caught by you or procured through trade with local fishermen.

Stock up with bottled and canned goods: ham, chicken, fruit and vegetables, soups, sauces, mayo, jam, peanut butter, UHT milk. Tinned ham and chicken make a change from a daily diet of rich lobster and grilled fish. Take packaged dried goods: rice, a variety of beans, pasta, flour, powdered milk, tea and
coffee, yeast, spices, hot and cold cereals, cake mixes, fruit/nuts, chips, cookies, crackers. Rice and
beans are rationed items and there is not enough to go around. Cubans must supplement these staples
buy purchasing them on the black market. Don’t forget chocolates, gum and candies, etc.—wonderful for the sweet tooth cruiser but also to give to the officials that come aboard and for the kids ashore.

Items that are hard to get in Cuba are: milk, butter, good bread, potatoes (though South American root
vegetables are nearly always found at the market). Sugar and coffee are also rationed items.

If you have a freezer then you will be able to purchase meat in Cuba—mainly chicken (frozen) and freshly butchered pork. Chicken is often available at ship chandleries and also some hard currency stores. Prices will be in Convertible Pesos (CuC). Fresh pork at the local market is always available and is very good. I learned the following from an Italian gentleman I met in Cuba. He told me “never purchase
fresh meat that doesn’t attract flies. If flies are absent, assume there is some sort of pesticide on the meat. Cubans probably couldn’t afford a can of “Raid” but I always keep this little gem of wisdom in
mind.

The ship chandler at Marina Hemingway often has fresh eggs. Stock up when available. Sometimes you will find eggs at the local markets too. They come in flats of 36 so I suggest bringing some empty 12 and
18-sized egg cartons and transfer the loose eggs into these for safe storage. A type of Gouda cheese can
be purchased at chandleries and in some supermarkets at fairly reasonable prices. Some supermarkets also stock Cuban cheese a.k.a. frying cheese at a good price-when available. Cuban cheese is very different to the cheeses we are used to. It is somewhat like very rubbery feta compressed into a block and if bought by the roadside can have a strong smoky flavour.

At the market you will only find fresh seasonal produce. Now that farmers are able to sell their produce
and retain a good percentage of the sales, the supply at the weekly markets has increased by leaps and
bounds. Unfortunately, there is still little if any shipment of product between provinces.

You will have no problem finding fresh tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, lettuce, onions, cabbage, carrots,
garlic, coriander, bananas, plantains, yams, malanga and other root vegetables, papayas, pineapple, mangos, guava, and watermelon.

You cannot over stock toiletries. What you don’t use you can always give away or use for bartering.
Since Cubans must spend what little money they have to supplement their food rations, they rarely have
money left over to buy toiletries. The elderly will approach you on the street or in bus stops asking for soap and toothpaste etc. Take plenty of: soap, toilet tissue, toothpaste and toothbrushes, disposable razors, laundry soap, shampoo and conditioner, Tylenol and or aspirin, cough-syrup, antihistamine creams for cuts etc., mosquito smoke coils and repellent, band-aids, hair colour…whatever you use take some of it with you. Popular gift items can include: nail polish, perfume and men’s cologne.

If you take any medications, have your doctor prescribe all that you will need for an extended vacation
as you will not be able get any medications in Cuba. In a medical emergency you will be taken to a tourist-only hospital. These hospitals are good and can handle any situation that may arise. Herbal
tinctures and remedies are commonly used in Cuba and are inexpensive. I particularly like Propoleos, a
tincture made from bee pollen. Good for all that ails you…this reportedly includes shingles.

Beer, rum and bottled water and colas are available throughout Cuba. Wine too but it is not cheap so
bring your own table wine. Fruit juices, in UHT boxes, are readily available but have become more
expensive. Most paladars (restaurants) will offer fresh, seasonal juices which are cheap and delicious.

On-site at most marinas there is a small grocery. These shops are not well stocked but prices tend to be
a little less expensive than in the main centres. Grocery stores in Havana and Varadero carry a selection of North American and European goods but these are expensive. It goes without saying that tobacco products are sold everywhere and are inexpensive.

Follow similar guidelines when stocking the boat with spare parts and marine supplies. Marine parts are
virtually non-existent in Cuba. Cuban mechanics are miracle workers but there is only so much one can
do with nothing. By now, you should have a good idea of what you need for a Cuba cruise.

Extra Tips

At local markets, use the Pesos Nacional but don’t convert too much, no more than a few CuC worth at a time. The $ symbol is the same for both CuCs and Pesos. In 2015, the exchange rate was 1 CUC for 24 Pesos. Note: There is talk of reverting back to a single currency.

Take your own shopping bags to the market. You cannot count on the vendor having them.It is handy to have a bicycle if staying in one location for any length of time. Have a carrier to bring your purchases back to the boat. (Don’t forget the bags)

If dining out, go to a Paladar (a privately owned and operated restaurant) rather than eat at a government-run eatery. The prices are roughly the same but what you get at a paladar will be much better. A good meal at a hard currency paladar will cost $4-8 CuC, drinks not included. If you can find a local peso paladar a meal with a juice will cost the equivalent of $1-2 CuC.

If staying ashore, stay in a casa particular (now called a hostel). A blue upside down anchor painted on or by the door indicates rooms are rented to tourists. In the cities, the standard price for a room/night is $35 CuC. In the country, the price is cheaper, typically $25 CuC. These rates are set by the government.

If your hostess offers a meal at night ($6-8 CuC/person) I suggest taking your meal at the house the food will be absolutely worth it. Breakfast is not included in the room fee but for $3-4CuC/person they will make you a good breakfast.

Our 2014 expedition to Cuba was very rewarding. Not only did we enjoy the company of more cruisers, better food, access to day-to-day items that we couldn’t buy in other years but we also completed research for Volume 2 of the Cruising Guide to Cuba series. To do this, we covered a lot of ground including car trips into the interior in order to visit as many unique, out-of-the-way places as we could.

What stood out the most was the number of tourists that we encountered. There were buses loaded with visitors in colonial towns and villages and even cruise ships in remote ports that, until now, rarely saw foreigners. An upside to all this appears to be more restoration of Cuba’s beautiful historic buildings in places you wouldn’t expect. Helping this along is the fact that Cubans now own the home they live in. As a result of ownership there is more pride and – paint. Many of the ordinary stuccoed cinder block buildings have been brightened up in beautiful Caribbean pastels and surprisingly, many for sale signs.

The farther east we travelled the better the food became. Now that farmers are allowed to retain more cash received from the sale of their produce there is a huge incentive to grow more produce and more varieties. This year was the first time in our many visits to Cuba that we ate lamb (ovejo). It was mouth-watering when cooked in yerba buena (mint) sauce. We were delighted to find that, like the south coast, shrimp grow large and plentiful along Cuba’s northeast coast—look out Aussies, the Cubans are throwing shrimps on the barbie and they are positively delicious. At times, pork and chicken were the only meats offered. This is odd considering that cattle are grass-grazed by the thousands in Oriente (the eastern half of Cuba) but beef never makes it onto the table. It is still illegal for Cubans to eat beef and what little might be slaughtered makes it no further than a few hotels. And yet, some all-inclusive hotels apparently serve nothing but hot dogs. “Where’s the beef?” is another Cuban mystery yet to be solved.

The price for a good restaurant meal in a (paladar) was cheaper this year than in other years. Meals ranged from $1 to $10 Cuban Convertible Pesos (CUC) though you could pay much more for the same thing if you didn’t shop around. For $1 or $2 you can get fried pork, chicken or fish with seasonal salad, rice and plantain or malanga. For $10 it is possible to have a lobster supper with a mojito included. For about $20 per week a live aboard couple can eat very well provided they stick with fresh pork, organic produce, herbs and spices, eggs, bread and other food staples that are available from farm markets, street vendors and bodegas (ration stores where rationed items such as sugar, rice, beans are sold when available).

Diesel had increased to $1.40 per litre but it could be had on the black market for $0.90. Dockage rates remain unbeatable with an average price of 0.40/ft/day for a boat less than 45 feet. The customs fee to enter a boat into Cuba increased in early January 2014 to $55 (up from $20). This, however, includes the exit fee and the cruising permit which were sold separately—still a bargain compared to the Bahamas and many other Caribbean islands. And compared to Mexico, the check-in procedure is a breeze.

The above-noted prices are in Cuban Convertible Pesos. In 2014, the average exchange rate for the Canadian dollars was 1.14. After the 10% discount on the USD the exchange on that was also about 1.14. National Pesos (MN) (used for all local purchases including some restaurants) were exchanged at a rate of 1 Convertible for 24 Nationals. Cuba is planning on reverting back to the Peso National as its single currency. This may occur as early as summer 2014. Credit cards are still not widely accepted but there are more ATM machines in the large tourist centres. Since cash remains king in Cuba, banks are open 7 days a week.

There has been no change to the cruising restrictions on foreign vessels. Entering into pocket bays, anchoring off villages and going ashore is still not possible. Fortunately, the coastline is so extensive and sparsely populated that there remain plenty of cruising options and places to go where these limitations have little affect—this is particularly true on the south coast.

In 2012, we completed our sixteenth cruise of Cuba with a focus on the Western portion of the island (both north and south coasts). This enabled us to gather the details needed to complete Volume 1 of Cruising Cuba.

With each visit we see changes and 2012 was no exception. Some changes are working toward the betterment of the Cuban people while other changes may not pan out so well. Cubans are now free to travel within their own country however the cost of transportation for most remains high. On the positive side, any Cuban who has a car is permitted to drive it as a private taxi. Consequently, the roads are filled with more classics (1940’s and 50’s GM’s, Ford’s, Chrysler’s) than ever. The operators of these classic cars accept fares in Pesos Nacional making it much cheaper to get around. The ratio is 24 Pesos (MN) to 1 Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC). It is now possible to get into Old Havana from Marina Hemingway for 30 MN. If you don’t have pesos they will accept the equivalent in CUCs ($1.25CUC). This is about a tenth of the cost from a year ago. Note: In 2013, 1 CUC was equal to $0.95 Canadian and $0.85 USD.

For a tourist and probably the locals, the dual currency definitely makes life more difficult. The problem becomes who accepts what currency, where to get it and will they have any. No country can operate for long with a dual currency system. The exchange rate for foreign currency definitely favours the Canadian dollar. At the moment, it pays to load up with Canadian cash (or Euros and Sterling) before heading to Cuba as one loose too much when exchanging US dollars.

The restoration of Habana Vieja (Old Havana) and the Malecon continues to progress. More of the old, narrow streets have been blocked to vehicle traffic. The shops along these pedestrian-only streets were well-stocked and some even have window displays of expensive, high-end European apparel! Shopping by Habaneros was unprecedented.

Many new “Paladars” (private restaurants) have opened creating competition which has resulted in better food and service. For the penny-saving boater it is now possible to eat at a peso paladar on a back street and have a good meal for 25-35 pesos (roughly $1.50 CUC). In Old Havana you will only find CUC paladars and the price ranges greatly…expect to pay $4.00-40.00 CUC for a meal (drinks not included). Shop around as the same meal could be available for half the price in the paladar across the street.

The biggest change, however, was the apparent easing in U.S.—Cuban relations. What we noticed were large numbers of U.S. tourists in Havana, Pinar del Rio province and Trinidad on the south coast. American tourists are now able to fly to Cuba under the Dept. of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) “people to people” general license. This educational exchange provision does not, however, apply to individual tourists travelling to Cuba by boat!

For years, the annual number of tourists to Cuba stood at roughly 2 million. The new OFAC provision is expected to cause this number to surge by 1 million in 2014. Cuba’s answer to the problem is to add 10,000 new hotel rooms through 2016 and, in response to the high demand for accommodation created by U.S. tour companies, they will be raising hotel and other tourist service rates by 25 percent. Compared to other Latin American cities, Havana’s already expensive hotels will be grossly overpriced.

As well as Havana, the tourist towns of Viñales in Pinar del Rio and Trinidad are already sold out for the next season and beyond and there is no evidence that new hotels are being planned for these tourist hotspot. Without new infrastructure, the only way for Cuba to regulate the influx of tourists may be to introduce a visa system and/or limit airplane landing rights.

For the time being, everything seems focused on land travellers. The only exception is the new marina at the eastern tip of the Hicacos Peninsula at Varadero. This project has progressed over the past few years and is set to open in 2015. At this time, no other marina projects are underway and even the marina rebuild at Tárara has stopped.

As for existing marinas, some have become quite run-down and services cut. This is particularly true of Marina Hemingway. There is no longer water or power available at canal number one so they are offering a 30% reduction to those docked in that canal. The swimming pool at the customs dock is now closed so there is no pool available to boaters (the pool at Hotel Acuario will cost $20 CUC/person/day. The biggest negative change, however, is the increased restrictions on where boaters can cruise. Today, all the pocket bays on the north coast are closed to yachts and throughout the country it is only possible to go ashore at designated ports where there is a marina or tourist facility. It is still possible to anchor in remote areas where there are no settlements. The few designated stops are: Puerto Vita, Cayo Coco, Marina Darsena in Varadero, Marina Hemingway, Cayo Levisa, Marina Cabo San Antonio, Cayo Largo, Cienfuegos, and Santiago.

Fuel was still available at Marina Hemingway, Marina Cabo San Antonio and Cayo Largo Marina. In 2013, the price was $1.20 CUC/Litre. Minor boat repairs can still be arranged at Marina Hemingway and the large, haul and storage yard at the new Gaviota Marina in Varadero is, for the most part, operational. The Sepsa security guards are gone from Marina Hemingway and a new system is in place with much fewer on-site guards so it is recommended that vessels be locked when owners are not aboard. Security is still very good at Marina Darsena in Varadero.

The fruits and vegetable markets are stocked in Havana but far less produce is available in out-lying areas especially on the south coast.

For now, the reefs remain in good shape but lionfish (an aggressive predator) have moved into Cuban waters—a bad sign for the future of small reef fishes. Lionfish were also seen in the canals at Marina Hemingway.

The number of yacht visitations this year remains the same…low. The predominant cruisers were from France, then Canada and Germany. Other European countries were also represented as well as a few U.S. flagged yachts. We will report on their experience with US customs as we get information from them.