Sports and leisure Cuba

A sporting nation

Cuba is one of the great sporting nations of the world. The results are there, the number of medals collected in international competitions proves it. The Athens Olympics in 2004, Cubans have won nine gold medals, including five in boxing, and the title in baseball. Cuba is the first Latin American country sports and even third world, and owes its success to the sports policy of the Revolution. What was Cuba in sport before January 1959? Only in Eleventh Pan American Games 1959. The only gold medal at the Olympics before the Revolution dates back to 1904.

If Cuba is not the place it deserves on the popularity in the world of sports (amateur ever since February 1962), it is probably because football there is practically no existence.

But in boxing and athletics, Cubans are the top places. Not forgetting the baseball (or pelota beisbol), THE Cuban national sport, the most practiced and most popular. The national team has long been collecting Olympic and world titles. And the image of Fidel holding baseball player is also famous.

In addition, other sports have been developed since 1959, like volleyball (women's team was triple Olympic champion), fencing, basketball and judo.

And did you know that in Cuba there since 1955 the Ballet Nacional de Cuba? And found all over the country dance schools where girls flock from all social classes?

The Diving

Cuba is a paradise for diving. With thousands of kilometers of coastline and islands surrounded by a coral reef, the marine life is rich. Today, only a few dozen sites are being explored by tourists.

Diving in Cuba is still in its infancy. However, existing clubs are usually very competent, modern hardware, motivated instructors and safety assured. 3 places to remember, because they are considered the most beautiful: María la Gorda (western end of the island), the Isle of Youth (Isla de la Juventud) and the Bay of Pigs.

In María la Gorda, the dives are fabulous, amazing part and reasonable prices. However, if the Isle of Youth offers dives equivalent in quality, richness and diversity, they are far too expensive and there is really nothing to it. Bay of Pigs (Playa Larga and Playa Girón) is of great ecological wealth. Fishing and boat traffic are regulated by the National Park of the Zapata peninsula, where fish abundance and richness of aquatic flora.