Our island, located in the Caribbean Sea, offers a wide variety of activities for those travelers who seek to experience strong emotions and discover unique places in the midst of nature. The weather conditions are ideal, as our moderate subtropical climate, with temperatures ranging between 18 and 33 degrees Celsius, allow the enjoyment of any outdoor activity. If you are a lover of adrenaline, there are many adventure tourism activities that you can practice.
The personnel specialized in risk activities are highly qualified and have extensive experience to ensure that your adventure is safe and memorable. In this article, we invite you to explore some of the most exciting activities you can do during your trip to Cuba. Get ready to feel the adrenaline and enjoy the natural beauty of this beautiful country!
Canopy
The canopy, also known as zip line, is an adventure sport that consists of sliding down the rope or steel cable, from one point to another, having different heights between them. Simple to practice, this activity consists of enjoying the landscape, combined with an explosion of adrenaline, which will produce a unique experience. The jump of the zip line produces a sensation similar to flying.
In Cuba there are several places to do the canopy, but these are the 5 most popular:
- Las Terrazas, in Artemisa: The “Las Terrazas” Tourist Complex, located in Candelaria, in the province of Artemisa, has the distinction of having installed the first zip line in Cuba. The crossing through the Sierra del Rosario, declared a Biosphere Reserve, takes place at about 180 meters above sea level. This makes it a perfect vehicle to appreciate the natural setting. The total flight is 1,600 meters.
- Viñales, in Pinar del Río: With a route of approximately one thousand meters, the canopy of this mountainous enclave has eight platforms and four sections. The greatest height it reaches is 35 meters. Children over 12 years of age can do the zip line in this place, but always with a specialized guide. If you've never seen mogotes, don't expect them to tell you.
- Trinidad, in Sancti Spíritus: With a total distance of 1,200 meters, this canopy is very close to the Valle de los Ingenios, in Trinidad. It has ten platforms, five for takeoff and another five for landing. The views it offers are simply unmatched.
- National Botanical Garden, in Havana: With an extension of 550 hectares, it is one of the 10 largest in the world. It has more than three thousand Cuban and tropical species. The canopy has a total flight of 1,500 meters.
- The Niche, in Cienfuegos: Within the Guamuhaya Massif, in the province of Cienfuegos, is the El Nicho Park. This wonder of national nature, made up of dozens of waterfalls and natural ponds in a practically virgin area, hidden between the mountains. The zip line installed in the place is divided into 5 sections, of different degrees of gradual difficulty. It has a route that extends for 700 meters, which almost returns to the starting point.
Free Flight: Paragliding, Hang Gliding, Paramotor
Which is better to choose?
They are sports, and vehicles, completely different, they have no comparison, but you can take this into account:
- If you prefer to perform maneuvers in the air and a slow flight that allows you to contemplate the landscape, then the best thing for you is paragliding. If you prefer a fast flight, hang gliding is your thing but if you want to cover long distances, choose the paramotor.
- Regarding the flight position, in paragliding you can go in a vertical or sitting position. In the hang glider the pilot is in a horizontal position and in the paramotor you will be seated.
- In terms of transportation comfort, remember that the paraglider is the easiest and least bulky to carry.
- If any of the variants impresses you a little, you can choose the Tandem flight in which you can jump with an instructor and you will feel more secure.
There are currently numerous flight zones throughout the country. In Havana is the Laminar Club, the flight zone is in the mountain range of the northern coast of Mayabeque, from the Peñón del Fraile, on Jibacoa beach to the Canasí River and Puerto Escondido. The official takeoff (for Tandem Flights) is carried out from the Border Guards, in Playa Amarilla.
Free Fall: Skydiving
Varadero hosts a Parachute Jump Center, based in a small airport to the west of the city. The process includes an instruction session and a tandem skydive, tethered to the skydiving instructor. If you are a qualified skydiver, with a certificate in hand, you can jump solo.
The drop is from 2,500 to 3,000 meters, with 35 seconds of free fall and a total walking time of approximately 10 minutes, before landing on Varadero beach.
Skydiving is conceived as the act of jumping from a certain height, like an airplane or a hot air balloon, to descend in free fall and, after an elapsed time, open the parachute.
Rappel
El Rappel es un deporte de aventura que consiste en descender superficies verticales, que son en general las paredes de las rocas. Se trata de un descenso controlado con todas las medidas de seguridad: cuerda, descensor, cabo de seguridad, guantes, un mosquetón y casco. Todos estos elementos son necesarios para garantizar la seguridad en la bajada.
This adventure sport is considered a risk sport, because it requires preparation and experience. But it has many advantages, since you will get to incredible places that there would be no other way to reach, as well as it allows you to maintain excellent physical shape, and although it is a risky sport, it is a different and fascinating way to explore areas of difficult to access, which retain all their beauty and little trodden by man. And that is quite a challenge for any adventure lover.
Until a few years ago, its practice was associated with mountain climbing, and it was considered as an auxiliary sport. However, today, this adventure sport is completely independent, and those who have already experienced it say that the feeling of full freedom is total, and that the adrenaline rises a lot because you explore new places as if you were practically flying between places. of majestic beauty. Furthermore, it is relatively easy to learn compared to practicing other adventure sports.
In Cuba, this sport can be fully enjoyed in the mogotes of Viñales, where you can combine it with other activities such as hiking, climbing and caving.
Trekking
It is an adventure sport that consists of walking through natural landscapes, such as mountains, forests, jungles, canyons, caves or caverns, rivers... The physical demand is high and communion with nature is total. It is a harder type of hiking on a physical level. If you do a hiking route you will go along marked paths and trails, on the other hand if you go trekking you will probably not find signs or paths.
For all these reasons, trekking requires more effort and better preparation. Not only on a physical level, but you also have to know how to find your way around, set up a camp (often trekking is combined with camping), send signals if you're lost and, ultimately, know how to function in the middle of nature.
There are many areas for hiking, but the most outstanding are the following:
- Sierra Maestra: In this beautiful mountain range you can do your favorite sport while admiring the views of the highest peaks in the country, such as Pico Turquino, Pico Cuba, Suecia, or visit the Gran Piedra, the largest rock in the world.
- Pinar del Río: In this Cuban province you will be able to admire the typical flora and fauna of the country while you follow some of the most important hiking routes, in which you will visit the Viñales Valley National Park.
- Collantes Tops (Sancti Spíritus): In the Great Topes de Collantes Natural Park you will find impressive hiking routes that will take you through pine forests, carob trees and centenary cedars.
Climbing
Climbing is becoming more and more popular worldwide, it is an adventure sports practice that, in its classic modality, consists of climbing or traversing high rock walls, steep slopes or other natural reliefs characterized by their great verticality, where for it , insurance and security means are used, almost entirely recoverable and the possibility in its progression of using artificial means.
Climbing is becoming more and more popular worldwide, it is an adventure sports practice that, in its classic modality, consists of climbing or traversing high rock walls, steep slopes or other natural reliefs characterized by their great verticality, where for it, insurance and security means are used, almost entirely recoverable and the possibility in its progression of using artificial means.
In Havana there are areas that allow you to practice climbing as a sport, hobby, or simply to live new adventures. Among the most famous sectors of the capital, we find two: one that is located in the vicinity of the "Metropolitan Park", on the banks of the Almendares River, and another in "Cojímar". The Almendares rock is around 8 meters high, there are two vertical climbing routes, one 8.14 meters high and another 8.34 meters. The elevations of the climbing routes that are offered in the Almendares rocks are optimal for people who are new to this world and have no climbing experience.
Two other favorable sectors for the practice of this sport are in the province of Mayabeque, very close to Havana. One is the "Jibacoa" sector, which has two tracks, 19 and 21 meters high, offering a height of 40 meters above sea level, it gives you a totally magical view. And the other is the "Canasí" sector, which has two tracks 14 meters high and offers you an unbeatable view of the sea.
Viñales has become a mecca for rock climbing in Cuba and the Caribbean. Competitions of various modalities are held there because its rocky walls are of exceptional quality to practice this extreme sport. It has many routes to take according to the level of difficulty you choose, these are some of the most famous:
- "Cueva La Vaca" is considered the most difficult in the country, and is located east of El Valle mogote.
- A little further north, on the limits of the park, is "La Costanera de Linares", recognized by international specialists as an excellent area for rock climbing, and one of the ten most famous sites in the world for the development of this sport. .
- "Jagueyana" is another of the good sectors, for low and medium grade, in which there are vertical slab roads, collapse, fissures and edges.
- One of the best sectors of the valley is the "Ensenada de Raúl", due to the quality of its roads and the proximity to the town center. It is inside the property of a farmer who always collaborates with the climbers.
Speleology
The cave system of Cuba is full of legends and scientific theories that certify that the first inhabitants of the island arrived through these areas, thousands of years ago. The caves served as a refuge, and later became a provisional home for pirates and corsairs. If you like rocks and exploring their natural spaces, in Cuba you can find a space for exploration and enjoyment. The island has approximately 26,000 caves, many of which are interesting natural museums.
Here we share three caves that you cannot miss on your adventures:
- The Great Cavern of Santo Tomas, 17 km from the Viñales Valley: it is the largest in Cuba and one of the longest in South America. In the cave you can take a historical journey through the cave paintings and aboriginal fossil remains of the Island. Its beauty lies in the enchanting formations of stalactites and stalagmites that adorn the cave, and in the rock formations.
- Bellamar caves, in Matanzas: its interior is accessed by a small climb of 30 meters. Its greatest attraction is the massive calcite crystals that hang from the stalactites, an unusual phenomenon that only occurs in this place and has caused the astonishment of geologists from all over the world.
- Paradise cave, in Baracoa: Being located in an elevated area, it serves as a viewpoint and from there you can enjoy a unique view of the city and the bay. When you enter the cave, the first thing you will feel is the flow of water that has been carving the walls of the cave for centuries.
From the highest mountains to the depths of the sea, Cuba has everything you need to satisfy your thirst for adventure. So, if you are an adrenaline-pumping traveler looking for thrills, don't hesitate to visit Cuba and experience all that this beautiful country has to offer. Your adventure is waiting. Do not miss it!
In addition, we invite you to learn about all the types of tourism that you can practice in Cuba..
If during your trip to Cuba you want to stay in private houses to help the locals, we have a lot of cool hostels for you, take a look at this link:
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