Baseball, the national sport
Béisbol was introduced by North American students in 1864 in the secret hope of countering Spanish influence in the Caribbean. Clubs were soon formed, and the first championships were contested from 1878 onwards. Now a national sport, it unleashes passions and is the object of much attention. Wherever you go, you'll see children playing. And since space is at a premium, they often take over the roads. Be careful! For Cubans, sport is a source of pride and a matter of honor. And baseball is no exception. With three Olympic titles in Barcelona (1992), Atlanta (1996) and Athens (2004), a semi-final and a silver medal in Sydney (2000) and Beijing (2008), and 25 world titles, the Cuban team is the symbol of a winning nation. Although baseball disappeared from the Olympic program in 2012 and 2016, it made a comeback in 2021 for the Tokyo Olympics (before being withdrawn for the Paris 2024 Games, but is expected to be reinstated for the 2028 Games). A return that took place without Cuba, since the national team failed to secure its ticket to the event during the qualifying tournament held in Florida, a trip to the United States that was marked by hostile slogans against the Cuban government in the stands and above all by the desertion of César Prieto, considered one of the country's best players, as soon as he arrived on American soil. Note that since 2018, Cuban players are (finally) allowed to play in Major League Baseball (MLB), the prestigious North American league.
Boxing, a part of Cuban culture
Boxing is a veritable institution in Cuba! On the island, boxing is to Cuba what soccer is to Europe. For over four decades, Cuba has been one of the leading nations in the sport, a veritable factory of champions, with no fewer than 41 Olympic medals and 80 world titles to its name. History will probably remember the name of Félix Savón. This Cuban boxer, three-time Olympic gold medallist in the top heavyweight category, boasts an impressive record of 387 victories and just 21 defeats! In this respect, the Cuban school is copied the world over. A school that was exclusively amateur for decades. While professional boxing has not been authorized on the island since 1962, when it was banned by Fidel Castro, in the spring of 2022 we learned of a veritable revolution: Cuban boxing will open up to professionalism. The Cuban Boxing Federation has signed a deal with a Mexican promoter to enable its athletes to earn a living by stepping into the ring (80% of the sum will go to the boxer and 20% to the Federation). Many boxers have fled the island in recent years in order to be able to box professionally. A move into the professional world is almost mandatory for local boxers to enable them to keep up with the world's best, keep the island as a boxing benchmark and continue to attract boxers from all over the world who arrive for their training camps, like Tony Yoka before his Rio Olympic title in 2016. At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Cubans picked up two medals: one gold (Erislandy Álvarez, men's lightweight) and one bronze (Arlen López, men's middleweight).
In Greco-Roman wrestling, Mijaín López became a legend at the age of 41 by winning gold at the Paris Olympics in the men's under 130 kg category, as he had done in the same discipline at the previous four Olympics. An unprecedented feat! Three other bronze medals were won by Cuban men and women in wrestling (as well as another in taekwondo and canoe-kayak).
Swimming and water sports
With almost 4,000 km of coastline, the island of Cuba offers an impressive number of superb beaches with crystal-clear waters. These include, but are not limited to, Varadero, Playa Pilar on Cayo Guillermo, Hemingway's favorite beach, Guardalavaca and a whole series of islets(cayos), each more beautiful than the last. Beaches are generally more beautiful on the north coast. So you'll find everything you need for lounging on a towel or practicing all kinds of water sports, including windsurfing, paddleboarding and kayaking, as well as motorized sports such as jet-skiing, water-skiing, wakeboarding, tow-boating and more.
Superb scuba diving spots
Visitors will appreciate the opportunities offered by diving. With almost 4,000 km of coastline and islets encircled by vast coral reefs, often close to the coast, the seabed is a treasure trove. The flamboyant colors and strange, unique shapes of the coral and fish are the perfect ingredients for underwater excursions. On the south coast, the Bay of Pigs (Playa Larga and Playa Girón), Cienfuegos and Playa Ancón, Isla de La Juventud, and, on the north coast, Jibacoa and Bacunayagua (on the road from Havana to Matanzas) are the places to go. On the western tip of the island in the province of Pinar del Río, Maria La Gorda is undoubtedly one of the best diving sites in the country and in the Caribbean. The water is crystal-clear on the Caribbean side. The underwater landscape is rich in flora, with coral-covered caves inhabited by the most colorful fish. You can also admire beautiful tubular sponges and even black coral. Finally, turtles are plentiful and you'll regularly come across stingrays, groupers, parrotfish, triggerfish and, above all, schools of barracudas and lutjans. Not to mention Cuba's famous lobsters.
Finally, as a general rule, go diving around all the cayos where the waters are so translucent that you'll already see perfectly, simply equipped with the flippers-mask-tuba trilogy.
Fishing, in the footsteps of Hemingway
The main black trout fishing areas are the provinces of Pinar del Río (Río Cuyaguateje and Lago Grande), Villa Clara (Lake Hanabanilla), Sancti Spíritus (Lake Zaza), Ciego de Avila (Lake Redonda). But the real fishing, the one that attracts enthusiasts and delights Hemingway, is of course swordfishing. You can try your hand at this sport thanks to a number of tourist operators and, every year in June, at the Havana International Competition named after the famous author of The Old Man and the Sea. The best period is from April to September, and the best spots are off the north coast. Here you can tease swordfish, tuna, mackerel, barracuda and sharks. Cayo Guillermo, Hemingway's favorite spot, is a must.
Assaulting an exceptional nature
Hiking. Cuba is well known for its architectural and cultural wealth, its unforgettable beaches and the warm welcome of its people, but you'd almost forget that the country is blessed with an exceptional natural environment that is still highly protected, with numerous national parks, biosphere reserves and nature reserves. Given the way tourism is organized in Cuba, almost all treks are now systematically accompanied by a guide, most of whom are foresters who know their adventure terrain inside out, as well as being very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna, making your outings very rewarding. To avoid the heat and the rainy season, it's best to plan your walks between December and April.
The Viñales Valley in the province of Pinar del Río, THE Mecca of Cuban hiking, is a must-see for those who want to work up a sweat and take in the sights. This superb valley, a Unesco World Heritage site, boasts a unique landscape and exceptional colors, with trails running through red earth fields, close to tobacco farms, with mogotes - karstic reliefs inherited from the Jurassic period - looming up on the horizon. In the center of the island, the Topes de Collantes Natural Park, located in the heart of the Sierra del Escambray, attracts lovers of unspoilt nature. Between mountains and tropical forests, the natural environment is perfectly preserved.
Four more demanding mountain systems lend themselves particularly well to trekking. The Cordillera de Guaniguanico, formed by the Sierras de Los Órganos and Del Rosario; the Cordillera de Guamuhaya, incorporating the Sierras del Ecambray and Sancti Spíritus; the Cordillera de la Sierra Maestra and its extension to the east with the Sierra de la Gran Piedra; finally, the Cordillera de Sagua - Baracoa for hardened hikers. In the Sierra Maestra, two or three days of intense hiking can take you to the summit of Pico Turquino (1,974 m), the highest peak on the island.
For some years now, Cuba has been developing ecotourism, with a view to protecting the environment and promoting sustainable development. Even if there aren't many opportunities for hiking, a great deal of work has gone into creating itineraries and adapting equipment and structures to respect the sites. Noteworthy examples include the development of tobacco drying sheds in the Viñales region, the reconstitution of huts where escaped slaves, known as "cimarrones", took refuge in the Las Terrazas sector of the Sierra del Rosario, tents around former haciendas in the Sierra del Escambray, and refuges in the famous Sierra Maestra.
Caving. For caving enthusiasts, numerous caves, some of them among the largest in Latin America(Gran Caverna de Santo Tomás), offer a fascinating insight into the country's underground world. On the surface, you'll appreciate the variety of flora and fauna, where endemism remains extremely high.
Cuba, cowboy style
Horseback riding in the Cuban wilderness is a great opportunity not to be missed, often at low prices and with an experienced guide. Many ranches offer this activity as soon as you set foot in the countryside. But, for safety reasons, don't go with just anyone! Horses that are too young or badly trained can get carried away. So be sure to check your guide's professional license. We particularly recommend horseback riding in the lush hills of Viñales, among the famous mogotes and tobacco fields.
