Active Pursuits

Active tourism is in its relative infancy in Cuba. Still, the island offers myriad opportunities to add a bit of adrenaline and adventure to your vacation. Watersports are the main draw here, and Cuba abounds with outstanding opportunities to fish, sail, snorkel, and scuba dive. For those looking for some dry-land adventure activities, there are great options for biking and rock climbing, and you might even be able to get on a diamond to play some baseball.

Baseball

Baseball is the national sport and, after salsa dancing and sex, Cuba's greatest national passion. Cuba's amateur players are considered some of the best in the world, and the premier players are aggressively scouted and courted by Major League Baseball. The regular season runs November through March, and playoffs and the final championship usually carry the season on into May. Most major towns and cities have a local team. Some of the consistently better teams include Pinar del Río, Sancti Spíritus, Santiago de Cuba, Santa Clara, and of course Havana's Industriales. It's usually easy to buy tickets at the box office for less than 5 Cuban pesos, or ask at your hotel and perhaps they can get you tickets in advance.

If you want to actually get out and play, you should be able to find a pickup game to join. Although they have temporarily suspended their organized trips, check out the website of Baseball Adventures (tel. 707/937-4478; www.baseballadventures.com), which used to offer fully-hosted trips geared toward serious players looking to play and train with local Cuban pros.

Tip: If you're planning on playing, bring some extra equipment -- balls, bats, and gloves -- to leave behind. It'll be greatly appreciated and is a great means of getting into a game.

Biking

With a local reliance on bicycles for everyday transportation and a relatively well-maintained road network serving a small motor vehicular fleet, Cuba is a great country to tour by bicycle. There are very few operations renting decent bikes in Cuba, so it's best to bring your own. I also recommend organized trips, as the logistics of traveling through Cuba still make it a bit difficult for independent bike touring. One dependable operation offering regular bike tours and quality bike rentals in Cuba is Wow Cuba (tel. 800/969-2822 or 902/368-2453; www.wowcuba.com). Anyone thinking of bicycling in Cuba should pick up a copy of Wally and Barbara Smith's Bicycling Cuba: Fifty Days of Detailed Rides from Havana to Pinar Del Río and the Oriente (Backcountry Guides, 2002).

Bird-Watching

Over 350 resident and migratory species of birds can be spotted in Cuba, including some 24 endemic species. True, experienced Cuban bird guides are still rare, and there are few established bird-watching tour operations in Cuba. A couple of organized tour options are offered by the British company Cuba Welcome (tel. 020/7731-6871 in the U.K.; www.cubawelcome.com) and the Canadian operation Quest Nature Tours (tel. 416/633-5666; www.questnaturetours.com). Some of the best places to go bird-watching in Cuba include La Güira National Park, the Zapata Peninsula, Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo, the Sierra Maestra mountain region, and Baracoa. Bird-watchers will want to bring a copy of Birds of Cuba (Comstock Publishing, 2000), by Orlando Garrido, Arturo Kirkconnell, et al.

Fishing

There's fabulous deep-sea sportfishing for marlin, sailfish, tuna, dorado, and more off of most of Cuba's extensive coastline, while the Zapata Peninsula and Cayo Largo del Sur may just be some of the best and least exploited bonefishing spots left in the hemisphere. The mountain lake and resort of Hanabanilla is getting good grades as a freshwater ground for widemouth and black bass. A half-day of fishing should cost between CUC$150 and CUC$400, while a full day can run between CUC$300 and CUC$1,400, including gear and lunch, depending on the size of the boat and number of fishermen. There's a broad network of state-run marinas all around Cuba; the greatest number are run by Cubanacán (tel. 7/208-6044; www.cubanacan.cu) and Gaviota (tel. 7/66-9668; www.gaviota-grupo.com). All offer sportfishing charters. For more information, see individual destination chapters.

Golf

The country's only regulation 18-hole golf course is the Varadero Golf Club (tel. 45/66-8442; www.varaderogolfclub.com). The course is a relatively flat resort course, with lots of water, plenty of sand, great views, and almost no rough. Greens fees run CUC$77 for a round, plus an extra CUC$33 for a cart. Club rental will cost you CUC$15. Golfers would probably want to stay at the adjacent Meliá Las Américas (tel. 45/66-7600; www.solmeliacuba.com), although you can make reservations and play here from any hotel in the area.

In Havana, there's the Club de Golf Habana, Carretera Vento Km 8, Capdevila, Rancho Boyeros (tel. 7/55-8746 or 7/649-8820), which has a decent little 9-hole course.

Mountain & Rock Climbing

These sports are in their infancy in Cuba, but excellent opportunities abound, especially around the Viñales Valley. Cuba Climbing (www.cubaclimbing.com) can point you to the right rocks and answer any questions you might have.

Sailing

Whether you take a day sail, or decide to go cruising the coastline for a week or so, opportunities to sail the clear waters off Cuba abound. The state-run marinas in Varadero, Jardines del Rey, Camaguey, Santiago, Cienfuegos, and Cayo Largo del Sur all offer charter sailboats, as well as a variety of day sailing options. See the individual destinations for more information.

Scuba Diving & Snorkeling

There are fabulous scuba diving and snorkeling opportunities on the coral reefs, ocean walls, and ancient wrecks that lie just off Cuba's coasts. María la Gorda, Isla de la Juventud, Playa Larga, Playa Girón, and Los Jardines de la Reina are widely considered the absolute top scuba-diving destinations, but in each case, the accommodations options are either rustic or decidedly geared toward hard-core dive enthusiasts and almost no one else. You will also find perfectly acceptable dive opportunities and operations in Varadero, Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo, Guardalavaca, and Cayo Largo del Sur, as well as far more comfortable and varied accommodations. For more information, see specific destination chapters.

Surfing

Cuba is not considered a world-class surfing destination, and there are very few Cuban surfers or surf tourists. Still, this is part of the charm of surfing in Cuba, and there are waves and breaks all along the island's long coastline, including right off the Malecón in Havana. For good information and a primer, check out www.havanasurf-cuba.com. You will definitely have to bring your own board, and I would recommend bringing a board (or two) that you wouldn't mind leaving behind for some very appreciative Cuban grommet.

Tennis

Many of the large-scale beach resorts have tennis courts. Almost all are outdoor courts, and very few are lit. If you're set on playing tennis on your trip, be sure to check in advance if you hotel or resort has courts. Your options are much more limited in Havana, unless you're staying at one of the few city hotels with a court. Your best bet in Havana is to try to book a court at the Occidental Miramar, Avenida 5, between Calles 78 and 80, Miramar, Playa (tel. 7/204-3584), which has six courts, or head to the Club Habana, Avenida 5, between Calles 188 and 192, Reparto Flores, Playa (tel. 7/204-5700), or Club de Golf Habana, Carretera Vento Km 8, Capdevila, Rancho Boyeros (tel. 7/55-8746), which each have a few courts open to the general public. All charge around CUC$10 per hour.