The offer of outdoor activities that you can do in Cuba is infinite! With six Unesco biosphere reserves, thousands of caves, three mountain ranges, numerous species of birds, the second largest coral reef in the world, almost virgin tropical forests and expanses of unbuilt countryside it is undoubtedly a paradise to practice outdoor sports.
On your trip to Cuba with Espíritu Travel you will be able to go hiking through the tropical forest while looking for the places where Fidel Castro hided during the Revolution or swimming among colorful fish in one of the many reefs that the island has. If you are a bird lover, Cuba is your island!
Continue reading if you want to discover what sports you can practice while you discover Cuba.
A little history…
After the Revolution in 1959, the government saw the country’s reactivation in sport. Before the Revolution, sport lacked state support, there were no plans for sports infrastructure or specialized schools. Therefore, an entire movement to promote Cubans to practice sports and to obtain satisfactory results at the international tournaments.
Despite training most of the athletes in training academies, the prestige of the sports system in Cuba always began as street sports, that was born in the neighborhoods and with rudimentary implements. Currently volleyball, baseball and boxing are the most popular sports in Cuba, being baseball the national sport. During your trip to Cuba you can attend a baseball game or a boxing match!
Outdoor sports in Cuba
Hit the road by bike, fish like Hemingway, go on excursions along the guerrilla trails, jump from a plane or rediscover a Spanish ship on the south coast. If you like trips with adventure activities, Cuba has it all, from hiking, to diving or caving.
Diving
It is the star activity of Cuba. There are numerous dive sites and the most recognized are Jardines de la Reina, María la Gorda and Isla de la Juventud. Probably the south coast, that is more protected, guarantees the balance between clarity and safety of the waters, although the north coast, which has one of the largest reefs in the world, is not a bad option.
What makes diving in Cuba special are its uncontaminated waters, its clarity (the average visibility under water is 30-40 m), its temperature (average of 24 ° C), the abundance of coral and fish.
You can read more about the best places to dive in Cuba here.
Speleology
Cuba is full of caves – more than 20,000 – and both tourists and professional can explore them. The Great Cavern of Santo Tomás, near Viñales, is the largest in the country, with more than 46 km of galleries; the Cueva de los Peces, near Playa Girón, is a flooded cenote where you can enjoy a colorful snorkeling dive; and the cave of Ambrosio and those of Bellamar, both in Matanzas, will not leave you indifferent.
Kayak
During your stay in the Keys or Varadero, take a kayak ride and explore the Caribbean Sea while admiring the coast from the distance. Most of the tourist beaches have a water sports point where they rent kayaks.
Fishing
Thanks to the rapid passage of the Gulf Stream along the north coast of Cuba, you can sport fish and find sailfish, tuna, mackerel, swordfish, barracuda, blue marlin and shark. Fishing is a way to relax, make friends, watch the sunsets, and leave problems behind.
Among the most popular places to practice this sport are Cayo Guillermo or La Habana, which has two ports, one in Tarará and the other, the best, in Marina Hemingway, to the west. Take a look at our tour in Havana and add a day of fishing to your trip.
Hiking
Hiking has always been limited and highly regulated, but the restrictions have changed in recent years. Cuba offers a wide variety of excursions and even multi-day hiking. You can go on excursions of more than one day in the Sierra Maestra and the Sierra del Escambray. Without a doubt, the most famous is the three-day excursion to the top of the Turquino peak, followed by the San Claudio route, in the Sierra del Rosario Reserve.
If you are looking for one-day excursions from Espíritu Travel we recommend that you visit Las Terrazas and climb El Yunque, a mountain near Baracoa or do the Balcón de Iberia circuit, in the Alejandro de Humboldt National Park. Take a look at our combined tour of Havana and Viñales, it is the perfect combination between culture and nature.
Horse riding
Cuba has always had a cowboy culture and you can ride horses all over the country. If it is hired privately, it is advisable to first check the condition of the horses and the material. Riding horses kept in poor condition is cruel and potentially dangerous.
From Trinidad Espíritu Travel offers an activity on horseback to tour the Topes de Collantes natural park. Take a look at our tour Uncovering Cuba to check our horseback riding activities.
How says you can practice a sport while traveling? Cuba is full of landscapes to discover both by land and by sea. The offer of outdoor activities that you can do in Cuba is infinite! If you like adventure travel and you love to enjoy doing outdoor activities, you should add Cuba to your list of destinations. Enter Espiritu Travel and request for a personalized trip to Cuba!
