Mariel is a town and bay on the north coast of Cuba approximately 40 kilometres west of the city of Havana. On the east side of the bay are a port, cement works and a power station. On the west side of the bay is a former submarine base, now designated as a free trade zone. In 1980, some 120,000 Cubans left Mariel and went to the United States; they are referred to as "Marielitos ".

In 1983, a movie about a Marielito starring Al Pacino was remade (the orginal was done in 1932). The movie was called Scarface.