In Cuba, surfing was once banned by official decree. Today, there are point breaks that can wow and waves on sugar-soft beaches to get through.
An introduction to Cuba surfing
For a country that once outright banned surfing in the midst of the Cold War, Cuba has come a long way. Waves are slowly but surely being discovered all around this rum-soaked rock in the Caribbean. Most aren’t up to scratch when compared to the biggest players in the Caribbean – Puerto Rico, Hispaniola – but there’s a lot to be said for empty sets in warm waters below jungles of sugarcane and palm, eh?
Most of the pioneers currently working to put Cuba on the surf map do most of their waxing lyrical about the south portion of the island (ie. anything south of Camaguey city). The north, beset by big hotel resorts and the sprawl of Havana, is more about talcum-powder beaches. The south is a steady stream of rocky points and reefs that’s got plenty up its sleeve.
The jury is still out on the best time of year to surf here. Since the best Cuba surfing happens in the south, the best NE Atlantic swells that power the Dominican Republic et al can struggle to really come through. They do, though, and can fire up some beauties. Other days, you’ll be at the mercy of hurricane windswells that can either be good or downright rubbish.
Cuban surf culture is still very nascent but it’s growing and uber-welcoming. Any line up you do encounter – and that’s unlikely – is sure to be a friendly affair. There’s hardly a single surf camp or surf shop on the island and government support is still yet to come.
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This guide is just one part of our complete guide to surfing in the Caribbean
Cuba surfing at a glance
The good…
The bad…
What’s in this guide to Cuba surfing?
Where is Cuba?
Cuba bends like a long cigar between the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Encompassing Cuba island itself and a clutch of outer islands and island groups, the country lays claim to over 120,000 square kilometers of land. It all begins just 130 miles off the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico and finishes across the straits from Haiti.
Getting to Cuba is now a whole load easier than it once was, since travel embargos blocked the way for US visitors well into the noughties. Today, it’s still no easy business. You basically have to satisfy a one of something like 14 requirements, the most common of which is that you’re traveling to support the Cuban people. The best way to go about this is to engage the help of a travel agent to help you navigate the quagmire of bureaucracy that comes with getting a visa.
Actually getting to Cuba is usually done via the Jose Martí International Airport in Havana. It’s the largest arrival point in the country and has links to North American and European cities alike. There are also some connections to the smaller airport in Santiago de Cuba. They tend to be more expensive but are actually better for reaching most of the surf spots in the south of the island.
A guide to the Cuba surf spots
As we’ve already mentioned, the best of Cuba surfing happens in the south of the country. But that doesn’t mean the south coast. It means anywhere that’s past roughly midway down the nation, since the northern shores are better suited to hoovering up those NW Atlantic pulses in the winter. Let’s take a look at what’s on offer, going from Havana itself to the southern regions…
La Setenta
La Setenta is worth knowing about if, as we’d totally recommend, you come to Cuba to explore Cuba itself and want to do a spot of surfing on the side. The reason? It’s smack dab in the heart of Havana, set on the reefs just below the enthralling old town. Weave between the bouncing Cadillacs of the Miramar promenade and get in to find what are usually pretty awful windswell frames beset by more mush than you get in a much factory. It’s pretty dangerous to boot – the corals are jagged below the surface.
Playas del Este
The long, sandy beaches of the Playas del Este region aren’t just a playground for sun seekers and resort hoppers. They also happen to be one fo the first plaes on the island that escape the Swell shadw that’s cast by the end of the Florida Keys and the beginning of the Bahamas. That means some good NE swells when winter low-pressure storms push up the US Eastern Seaboard, which roll into the sandbars here to offer lefts, rights, and A-frames. But mainly it’s mush. Currents render it shifty as hell and there’s not a surfboard rental in sight.
Playa Caletones
It’s mainly froth and knee-high playful waves on this stunning stretch of white sand west of Gibara. Some bigger days let more swell through, and it will hit the coral banks to get occasional left-right wedges. Don’t rely on it though.
Gibara
The tiny fishing town of Gibara marks the start of what most people define as south Cuba. It’s south in that it’s below the horizontal line set by Camaguey and beyond the mainstay tourist center of Cayo Coco and Varadero nearer to Havana. The location is important, too. This far down the coast, you can start to see traces of more direct NW swells thanks to the dropping of the Bahamas swell shadow. Gibara makes the most of that with a rare Cuban barrel. It’s a left and it’s gnarly, needing like 8 foot to work.
Boca de Yumuri
The premier break in the whole of Cuba is found in the small village of Boca de Yumuri some 20 miles to the east of Baracoa. It’s real quality when the NE channels are firing, as they usually do between December and March. Big groundswells that make it through the speckling of cays and coral banks in the Bahamas caress the cobblestone point and peel like long arms into the bay here. They’re often fat and rippable, with inviting shoulders to charge up and cut on. It’s also rarely busy because it’s so remote. Adding to the mix is the fact that E trades are offshore.
The whole south coast
Summer hurricanes are unruly beasts in this part of the world. One day they can send decent chest-high sets with short periods into paradise beaches. The next, they can be ruining infrastructure and flattening cities. The south coast of Cuba has seen its fair share of both of the above. However, most surfers agree that the region holds loads of potential for spots that will work when the E trades get up after May. You gotta’ explore yourself though.
Step-by-step guide to planning your Cuba surfing trip right now
Step one: Book flights to the Cuba surfing…Lately, we like Omio for searching flights. It’s a nice interface and has lots of airline options. We also use Skyscanner because that sometimes offers deals that even beat going direct to the carrier!
Step two: Book your surf camp Book Surf Camps is the numero uno online booking platform for fully-fledged surf-stay packages on the internet right now. Then there’s Booking.com. That has consistently unbeatable rates for hotels and a nifty map feature that lets you check EXACTLY how close your hotel is to a surf break.
Step three: Get insuranceThis is kinda’ important. Not just for surf trips but for any trips. SafetyWing is great for nomad travelers. They offer rolling contracts that cover amateur surfing.
Step four (optional): Rent a car If you’re surf camping then you might not need wheels. If you’re not then we’ll just say this: We’ve never been on a surf trip that wasn’t improved by having our own car. Use RentalCars – they’re the best.
Step four: Enjoy!
When to surf in Cuba?
Cuba’s main surf spots are in the south, but they actually face north (the “south” here means anything in the southern portion of the country. That means they benefit from the same N swells that crash through the whole Caribbean Sea from the Atlantic in the winter months. It’s the same stuff that powers the Bahamas cays and the DR before it. Here, various swell shadows and the shallow reef shelfs hardly compliment the groundswells, but the time from November-March nonetheless remains the prime surf time.
Summer has strong E trade winds that can work along the south coast. But that will quickly turn to hurricane season when it can be downright dangerous to get in the water here – Cuba feels much of the brunt of the cyclones that sweep through the best en route to the Sunshine State.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
