Mariel Manufacturing Feasibility — Deep Dive
A deeper feasibility trip for a manufacturer weighing a plant in the Zona Especial de Desarrollo Mariel, with Havana for the commercial layer and Matanzas for the industrial and port hinterland.
For: Manufacturing & industrial investors
1 · Budget first
A transparent, itemised estimate for 1 traveller · 5 nights · business tier. Every line is a planner range in USD — an estimate to budget with, not a quote.
| International airfare | $300 – $950 |
| Entry documents (tourist card) | $30 – $75 |
| Travel insurance | $40 – $150 |
| Accommodation | $475 – $975 |
| Local transportation | $450 – $885 |
| Food | $450 – $825 |
| Guides & activities | $200 – $600 |
| Connectivity | $15 – $55 |
| Tips | $25 – $100 |
| Water, laundry & sundries | $15 – $60 |
| Emergency reserve | $170 – $559 |
| Total (1 traveller) | $2,170 – $5,234 |
- Per traveller
- $2,170 – $5,234
- Per day
- $434 – $1,047
- Ground only (no airfare)
- $1,700 – $3,725
- Airfare est. / traveller
- $300 – $950
Basis: business hotel · business food · private driver · 5 guided days.
Adjust every number in the planner →Estimates in USD to help you budget — not observed prices, quotes or guaranteed availability. Most US cards don’t work in Cuba; carry cash and keep the reserve.
2 · Fly in
Miami (MIA) → Havana (HAV) — José Martí International
Cuba's principal international gateway — the only truly diversified one, with links across the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa.
Example dates 2026-09-15 → 2026-09-20 (adjust on the live search). CubaAtlas books nothing — these open live results:
3 · Day by day
Where to sleep and dine each day is a real listing from the CubaAtlas provider dataset, nearest your base.
Morning
Land at José Martí; settle in Havana.Afternoon
Brief on Law 118 forms (JV, wholly-foreign, ANEI) and the ZED Mariel special regime.Evening
Working dinner on the week's objectives.Business step: Study the CubaAtlas ZED Mariel and foreign-investment sections.
StayHotel Blau Arenal Habana Beach4★ · Grupo Cubanacán · La Habana(53 7) 77991200/ 77991274Website ↗Map →Source: Cuba Travel (MINTUR official portal)DinnerCantabria, Restaurante Hotel Armadores de SantanderCimex · Internacional · La Habana(537)8628000Map →Source: Cuba Travel (MINTUR official portal)Open Havana on the map →Nearby: Viñales, Varadero, MatanzasMorning
Drive to Mariel; orientation on the zone layout, industrial parcels and the container terminal.Afternoon
Review of the ZED tax and customs incentives and the concessionaire process.Evening
Working dinner on parcel-selection criteria.Business step: Request an orientation briefing from the ZED Mariel office (Oficina de la Zona) on user-approval steps.
Morning
Orientation on power, water and the ZED labour-contracting model (employer-agency intermediary).Afternoon
Discuss input-import routing through the port and local-supplier availability.Evening
Working dinner on cost-model assumptions.Business step: Map utilities and labour terms using the CubaAtlas ZED Mariel section.
Morning
Drive to Matanzas; orientation on the industrial and port corridor east of the zone.Afternoon
Discuss supply-chain links, warehousing and inter-provincial logistics.Evening
Working dinner on distribution reach from a Mariel base.Business step: Assess hinterland logistics with the CubaAtlas logistics and land-use layers.
DinnerRanchón del TenisrestaurantMap →Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)Open Matanzas on the map →Nearby: Varadero, Havana, CárdenasMorning
Return to Havana; consolidate findings — site, utilities, labour, logistics.Afternoon
Draft next-step questions for the ZED office and MINCEX; buffer for travel.Evening
Closing working dinner.Business step: Arrange an orientation contact at ProCuba and confirm which authority owns each open question.
StayHotel Blau Arenal Habana Beach4★ · Grupo Cubanacán · La Habana(53 7) 77991200/ 77991274Website ↗Map →Source: Cuba Travel (MINTUR official portal)DinnerCantabria, Restaurante Hotel Armadores de SantanderCimex · Internacional · La Habana(537)8628000Map →Source: Cuba Travel (MINTUR official portal)Open Havana on the map →Nearby: Viñales, Varadero, Matanzas
4 · Visa, entry & customs
Every visitor needs a Cuban tourist card (tarjeta del turista) plus a passport valid for the stay and proof of onward travel and medical insurance. Buy the tourist card before you fly — the price and colour depend on your departure country and airline.
Travelling under US jurisdiction: there is no general tourism licence. US persons travel under one of OFAC’s authorised categories — most commonly Support for the Cuban People or family visits — which carry record-keeping duties and a full-time-schedule requirement. The tourist card for US departures is the pink one. Confirm your category before you book.
5 · Shipping & commercial issues
Bringing goods, samples or equipment is a commercial import, not baggage: most inputs move through a Cuban state comercializadora, and a foreign business operates under a Law 118 form (joint venture, wholly-foreign enterprise, or international economic-association contract). Currency is a real constraint — plan around MLC/USD accounts.
Embargo / OFAC: the US embargo restricts what US persons and, in places, third parties can do with Cuba. Property transactions and many dealings carry sanctions exposure — this is orientation, not legal advice. Verify with counsel and the relevant ministry before committing.
Sectors in focus: Manufacturing · Logistics & ports
Orientation only. ZED Mariel incentives (tax, customs, foreign-investment terms under Law 118) are summarised from primary sources in the CubaAtlas guide; the ZED Mariel office, ProCuba and MINCEX are the authorities to confirm terms.
6 · Book direct, or compare an agency
This plan is costed to book direct — the $3,298 (expected) above is what the trip actually costs, itemised, with no package margin. A travel agency bundles flights, hotel and transfers into one price and adds a service fee for the convenience. We don’t quote agencies (we’d never invent a price) — so take a package quote and compare it line-for-line against the breakdown above.
Operating United States agencies serving Cuba, if you prefer a package:
- Cuba Travel Services (CTS) ↗
Long-running US seller of scheduled and charter air to Cuba plus packages.
Sells: flights, charters, packages, hotels
- ABC Charters ↗
Miami charter operator to Havana and other Cuban cities.
Sells: flights, charters · +1-305-263-6555
- Marazul Charters ↗
One of the oldest US–Cuba travel providers.
Sells: flights, charters, packages
- Xael Charter ↗
Direct flights Miami/Orlando/Tampa to Havana, Cienfuegos, Santa Clara, Camagüey, Holguín; since 1988.
Sells: flights, charters, hotels, cars, tours · (305) 643-2200
- insightCuba ↗
Non-profit people-to-people and custom group tours; since 2000.
Sells: tours, packages
- Cubamax Travel ↗
Flights, packages, shipping and remittances; 13 Florida branches.
Sells: flights, packages, hotels, cars · +1-305-512-0303
CubaAtlas is non-commercial and takes no commission. Agency links go straight to the operator; we don’t book, broker or earn from them.
Every Cuba agency, compiled — with the free equivalent for each →Questions
- How much does the "Mariel Manufacturing Feasibility — Deep Dive" trip cost?
- An estimated $2,170–$5,234 all-in for 1 traveller(s) over 5 nights ($3,298 per traveller expected), including airfare, lodging, food, transport and a reserve. It is a planner estimate, not a quote — you book each part direct, with no agency margin.
- Do I need a visa to travel to Cuba?
- Every visitor needs a Cuban tourist card. Travellers under US jurisdiction have no general tourism licence and travel under an OFAC category such as Support for the Cuban People or family visits. See the CubaAtlas visa & entry guide.
- When is the best time for this trip?
- Best months: Year-round.
- Can I book this trip on CubaAtlas?
- No — CubaAtlas is a free, non-commercial planner. It gives you the itinerary, the budget, live flight-search links and real hotel and restaurant listings, and you arrange each part directly at the source. We book nothing and take no commission.