Hemingway Marina (Havana) - Provisions & Laundry

Provisions:

It is advisable to head to Cuba very well stocked up as the majority of goods are hard to find or unavailable. Load up with bottled, canned and dried goods. Items that are just not available in Cuba are milk, butter, good bread, potatoes. Sugar and coffee are in very short supply. Rice and beans are rationed. Good cheese is not available.

You can find eggs, seasonal fruit & veggies, frozen chicken, pork and fish in limited quantity and selection but beef is difficult to come by.

On Saturday mornings there is a big market with a huge range of Cuban vegetable and fruit.

Toiletries are luxury items in Cuba. Stock up at home with soap, toilet roll, toothpaste, toothbrushes, disposable razors, clothes powder, shampoo & conditioner, pain relief, cough-syrup, antihistamine creams, antiseptic creams, mosquito smoke coils and repellent, plasters, etc.

Beer and rum are available everywhere and is cheap. Wine and fizzy drinks are not.

There are some state-run shops at Marina Hemingway including a grocery with a decent selection of dried goods and a deli counter with frozen meats. Other local shops are within walking distance where you can get essentials such as bread, eggs, vegetables, and pork. Turn left outside the marina, walk along the main road for a ½ mile, over a bridge and turn left at the first crossroad. 400 meters along the street, there’s a junction with the shops.

A new bakery opened in Marina Hemingway in 2018. The Dulceria Dulcinea is located in the annex of the Viejo el Mar Hotel. High-quality pastries, sandwiches, and freshly baked rolls, buns, baguettes, and croissants. The prices are a little higher than their main outlet in Flores but you avoid the 2-mile walk in each direction. The product in the store comes from the main outlet but it is delivered fresh as required. They normally sell out by 2pm.

Fresh bread is also available most mornings from the coffee shop in the La Cova complex.

Laundry:

There is a small laundry in the shower complex. Wash, dry and fold for $ 4-6 CUC per bag depending on size.

There is a girl in the snack bar who does laundry.