Havana: Activities

• track and field

  For those in need of exertion, get down to the Ciudad Deportiva, or 'Sport City', on Av de la Independencia at Vía Blanca, Cuba's premier sports training centre. Basketball, volleyball, boxing and track contests take place here at the coliseum. The M-2 camello from Av Bolívar in Centro Habana stops across the street.

• dancing

  Cuba and dancing go hand in hand and Havana is peppered with clubs and discos. Female travellers should be prepared for lots of attention in Havana's discos, whether they're travelling solo or not. Cuban dance styles involve lots of touching, grinding and frissage in general and if you're in the mix, it's assumed you're game. Set your boundaries early. Many clubs and discos charge a cover, but then offer an open bar or a certain number of drinks once you're in.

• boxing

  For boxing action, try Kid Chocolate at Paseo de Martí, next to Cine Payret, opposite the Capitolio, which usually hosts matches on Friday evenings. The Gimnasio de Boxeo Rafael Trejo (Calle Cuba No 815 btw Merced and Leonor Pérez, Habana Vieja) hosts matches on Friday evenings or drop by any day after 16:00 to watch training. Travellers (including women) interested in boxing can find a trainer here.

• relaxation

  One Saturday a month, the Plaza de la Catedral is closed off for a spectacular Noche Plaza with 100 of Cuba's finest singers, dancers, and other entertainers performing on a stage directly in front of the cathedral. There is a charge for entry. The staff at Restaurante El Patio should know the date of the next extravaganza. The nightly Cañonazo at the Fortlaeza de la Cabaña, when they shoot off the cannons, is another popular thing to do.

• team sports

  From October to April (and into May if Havana's Industriales, 'Los Azules', make it into the playoffs), baseball games happen at the 58,000-seat Estadio Latinoamericano stadium, in Cerro just south of Centro Habana. The Metropolitanos also play here, but they are to the Industriales what the Mets are to the Yankees. Games are Tue-Thu 19:30 , and Sat-Sun 13:30 . Unfortunately, getting here by public transportation is difficult and the benches are cement - painful after nine innings.

• basketball

  Raucous basketball and volleyball games are held at the Sala Polivalente Ramón Fonst on Av de la Independencia opposite the main bus station.

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