Cuba Things to do

A host of tropical beaches await visitors to Cuba, with idyllic stretches on both the Caribbean and Atlantic Coasts boasting powdery white sands, swaying palms and warm azure seas. From deserted stretches for secluded sunbathing, to commercial beaches with plenty of tourist-friendly amenities, Cuba has it all.

Scuba-diving is offered all around the island, with the north coast, home to the second largest coral reef in the world, boasting first-class sites. Resorts such as Cayo Largo, Cayo Guillermo, Santa Lucia and Holguin attract avid enthusiasts, with warm waters and excellent visibility creating great conditions for the sport. Well-equipped dive centres offer varied excursions to coral gardens, tunnels, caves and preserved shipwrecks, where divers can also view tropical marine life, sponges and colourful fish.

Water sports fans can enjoy year-round water temperatures of around 24C, and wonderful coastal breezes, whilst they indulge in pedalos, jet-skiing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, aquabiking, kayaking, canoeing and parasailing. A popular activity in the beach resorts, swimming with dolphins allows holiday-makers the chance to get up close to these graceful sea creatures in their natural habitat, and there are regular marine shows along the coast. 

Experience Cuba's charm and beauty from the water, with catamaran cruises featuring excursions to deserted beaches, snorkelling trips and picnic lunches, and speedboat rides and yacht rental available. Fishing boats can be chartered, and deep sea fishing expeditions are available for the chance to reel in a big marlin or barracuda.

Hotels throughout the beach resorts boast facilities for swimming, tennis, volleyball, basketball, soccer, water polo, squash, table-tennis, archery, shuffleboard, and exercising, as well as golf, bowling, go-karting, parachute jumping and sky-diving. Mountain biking and horse riding offer an excellent way to get out and explore, with horse and carriage rides, scooter and motorbike rental on offer, too.

See the real Cuba, and its rich and colourful interior, and diverse ecosystems at resorts such as Cayo Coco and Cayo Largo. Take a scenic drive, walk, hike, bike ride or horse riding trek, with days out discovering the verdant countryside full of green valleys, protected marshlands and wetlands, lagoons, tobacco fields and lush tropical jungles - an ideal way to get back to nature and experience local wildlife and bird-watching.

 

Combine a trip to the beach with a tour of one of Cuba's cities - whether it be Santiago or Havana - with both exuding a faded elegance, rich heritage and colonial character, and plenty of colourful sights and attractions. There's the chance to soak up the rhythmic beats of salsa and son in the island's famous nightlife, and embark on classic Cuban experiences including following in Hemingway's footsteps, touring a cigar factory, sampling some local rum and lingering in a shady plaza over a Cuban coffee.