How To Watch A Baseball Game In Cuba

Cubans are mad about baseball, their national sport. Here’s how to see a game when you’re on the island.

Baseball practice at the Estadio Latinoamericano, Havana, Cuba © Periodico JIT / flickr

Visit the same stadium as President Obama in Havana

Teams from the national league are found in towns across Cuba, but the easiest place to see a game is in Havana. The Cuban capital is home to a team called Industriales, which plays at the Estadio Latinoamericano in the Cerro neighbourhood. As an interesting historical aside, President Obama watched a game at the stadium on his visit in 2015.

This giant blue arena dominates the neighbourhood, which is largely residential and has few other tourist attractions. However it’s worth making a trip on game day.

Baseball pitching practice in Havana, Cuba

Find a fixer to get a ticket

First of all check whether your visit coincides with the season, which runs from the end of November to the end of May. Then take a look online to see whether Industriales are playing at home. If you’re in luck, it’s time to find a ticket.

Cuba is a nation of fixers, and one of the best ways to get anything done is to ask a local. If you’re staying in a casa particular, ask the host family if they can help you out. Alternatively get yourself down to the stadium and buy a ticket on the day. Expect to pay around 5 CUC for entry.

Watch some future MLB stars

It pays to check the schedule on the morning of the game because it is subject to change at the last minute, which is something you’ll soon get used to in Cuba. Once you are inside expect to see top quality players, most of whom are hoping to be the next names to join the long list of Cuban players that have moved to play in Major League Baseball in the United States.

Cerro is a short cab ride from Vedado and Old Havana, where most tourists stay. The more adventurous can try and navigate the local bus system, or hop in a shared taxi called a maquina which run on fixed routes all over the city.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.