The Estadio Panamericano is a multipurpose arena on the outskirts of Havana. It was built for the 1991 Pan American Games and hosted the opening and closing ceremonies. This athletics tournament welcomed competitors from 39 countries and featured 33 sporting disciplines. The Estadio Panamericano now stands in an almost abandoned state and is used for occasional athletic events and soccer matches.
The stadium has an oval shape with open seating areas. The upper tier of the main stand features a small covered section. A running track, which was renovated in 2008, encircles the playing field. Look for the long jump and triple jump in addition to an area for the discus and hammer throw.
Gaze above the northern stand to see a sign emblazoned with a picture of the Cuban national hero and revolutionary leader, Che Guevara. Accompanying the picture is the phrase Hasta la victoria siempre (Ever onward to victory). Guevara wrote this in a letter to the Cuban people when he left the country in 1965 to fight in the Congo (modern-day Democratic Republic of the Congo) and Bolivia, where he died in 1967.
Little has happened in the stadium since its grand opening other than infrequent athletic matches. When not playing at the Estadio Pedro Marrero, the Cuban soccer team plays here. Ask about what events are scheduled here at the tourist information offices located in Havana’s city center.
This landmark is about a 15-minute drive from Old Havana. Get here by taking a taxi. A sightseeing tourist bus stops in the coastal district of Alamar, about 4 miles (6 kilometers) to the east.
Combine your visit to the Estadio Panamericano with an afternoon at Cojímar fishing hamlet. Ernest Hemingway resided here in the 1940s and was allegedly inspired in this setting to write The Old Man and the Sea. Stroll along the waterfront promenade, see a statue of Hemingway and visit the 17th-century Cojimar Fort. Just 7 miles (12 kilometers) farther east is Bacuranao, which marks the beginning of the 9 miles (15 kilometers) of beaches called Playas del Este.
