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Yachtbasis Cuba - Platten Sailing

Bunker shopping + provisions, the new MIPYMEs makes it easier to procure provisions


New in 2023: In Cienfuegos and all other cities, small MIPYME (private stores) have now opened that sell a wide variety of food like small corner stores.

New in 2024: Order provisions and have them delivered to your charter yacht - on request.

In Cuba, you can buy almost everything for a perfect charter. However, the necessary food can be procured in various shops. Bunkering provisions in Cuba is a special experience and brings you closer to the lives of Cubans.

Important: You can only pay with credit cards or Cuban MLC cards at most grocery shops in Cienfuegos and at the Marina Shop.
At the food market stalls in the city you pay in Cuban pesos.

Marina Shop Marina Cienfuegos

There you will receive the following foods:

  • drinks of all kinds
  • rice and pasta
  • jam
  • canned vegetables
  • coffee, milk, sugar
  • one or two cheeses
  • eggs
  • salat oil, olive oil, vinegar, cooking wine
  • mayonnaise, ketchup, tabasco, soy sauce
  • olives, onions in the glass
  • canned goods
  • cleaning products, toilet paper, garbage bags
  • ect.

Further information can be found in our provisions list in our Dowload area / Service. Send your provisions list before the charter, so that we can order the goods in the Marina Shop or use the list as a shopping list, for the goods you can buy directly in the Marina Shop.

Marina Ceinfeugos Transporter

The young team on site will gladly bring the purchased goods from the shop to the ship.

vegetables and fruits

In the Marina Cienfuegos there is since 2017 a shop selling vegetables and fruit.

  • onions, potatoes
  • beetroot, cabbage
  • bananas and plaintain
  • pinapple, limes
  • tomatoes, avocado

A complementary offer has small retailers in the center and all districts that sell all sorts of fruits and vegetables depending on the seasonal offer. The fruits are always delicious, as they do not have long transport routes, even if they are not so "polished" and illuminated as representative as in the supermarket shelves known to us.
Here we recommend again the local taxi driver as a source of information to find the small traders.

bread

Classic "bakeries" are only available near the city center. The area around the marina is supplied with sales cars by "flying bread merchants". They can be heard from afar when they offer with loud shouts "pan suave" (soft bread) and "pan duro" (firm bread). Both breads are white breads. We have not yet discovered black bread in Cuba.

If you inform the Security Personnel or the Dockmaster, they can stop the bread traders and inform them about your order.

fish

Fish can be purchased from the local dealers, the Dockmaster help here happy.

Fishing: All our boats have an official fishing permit.


The authorities pay close attention within a radius of about 5 nm around Cayo Largo, that this is also kept.

The story is told in Cuba that Barracudas and other delicious fish are best with 5 to 7 cm long fishing hooks. With a simple colored rubber bait or simply a plastic bag bait. Without plumb line, on a leash approx. 50 to 80 m long. At water depths of within 8 to 15 m, be pulled behind the yacht. The leash is loosely attached to the tail rail and secured at another point.

Shopping in the city center

For shopping in the city we recommend the non-expert to charter a taxi driver. The taxi drivers we know help against a small extra charge to get the food that is not available in the Marina Shop. Our base manager will be happy to help and call a taxi driver. Many taxi drivers also speak English.

MIPYME - private mini-markets

MIPYMEs in the city are small private stores that have been established since the end of 2023. You can buy a lot of local and imported food there. Payment is made in euros or Cuban CUP.

In the supermarket in Punta Gorda (distance from the marina about 500 m) you can buy more drinks and canned food.

market hall Cienfuegos

In the city center (distance from the marina about 1,800 m) there is a small market hall where you can buy more vegetables and fruits.

In the city center there are other supermarkets with similar products as in the supermarket in Punta Gorda.

If important products are missing in the supermarkets, we recommend to visit the local shops which are known by the taxi driver. Most drivers know where you get the needed products.

What food should you bring from home

In Cuba there are many things, but not everything that we are used to at home. If you don't want to do without certain items during your cruise, you should bring them with you from home. Below is a list of our recommendations. Some of the foods on our list are also available in Cuba. However, there is often not enough time to procure the food, as it is not available everywhere or not always.

 

  • Foodstuffs
  • Spices except salt
  • (pepper is usually available)
  • Chocolates and sweets
  • cookies
  • Bread baking mixes
  • Canned sausage
  • Various types of cheese
  • salami sausage / hard sausage

 

other items that you should bring from home

Some of the following list is also available in Cuba. But often very expensive or difficult to find.

others

  • Music on USB stick or cell phone
  • Sunglasses
  • Sunscreen and sun protection
  • Long-sleeved T-shirt or long-sleeved shirt
  • for sun protection
  • Insect repellent as a pump spray
  • (e.g. Autan tropical has proved its worth)
  • Reading material / books
  • Hygiene articles
  • Bathing shoes / flip flops
  • Fishing hooks and line
  • Sailing gloves
  • Fishing knife
  • Flashlight or headlamp
  • Batteries for devices brought along
  • Navigation tablet if required
  • Voltage converter 12V / 230 V
  • (e.g. Autan tropical has proved its worth)
  • Reading material / books
  • Hygiene articles
  • Bathing shoes / flip flops
  • Fishing hooks and line
  • Sailing gloves
  • Fishing knife
  • Flashlight or headlamp