International Ernest Hemingway Fishing Tournament
The boats leave Marina Hemingway in the morning and head toward the warm waters north of Havana. On board are anglers from Cuba and around the world, all looking for billfish and a place in one of the oldest big-game fishing tournaments of its kind. The competition carries a famous name, but it is more than a tribute to a writer. It is a living part of Cuba’s maritime history.
A Fishing Tournament with Hemingway at Its Center
The tournament was first held on May 26, 1950, through Havana’s International Nautical Club. Ernest Hemingway was already one of Cuba’s most recognizable residents and an experienced deep-sea fisherman. He did not simply allow the competition to carry his name. He went out and competed.
Hemingway fished aboard Pilar, the 38-foot Wheeler boat he purchased in 1934. He used it in the waters around Cuba, Key West and the Bahamas, carefully recording weather conditions, currents, guests and catches in his fishing logs. Those years on the water became part of both his life and his writing.
The author won three of the tournament’s early editions. By 1960, the competition carried his name. That year also produced one of its most famous moments. Fidel Castro won the tournament, and Hemingway presented him with the trophy. It is widely regarded as the only occasion on which the two men met.
That is quite a history for a fishing tournament.
Event at a Glance
Location: Marina Hemingway, west of central Havana, Cuba
Typical schedule: Held annually during May or June
First edition: May 26, 1950
Competition format: Trolling with tag-and-release for billfish
Primary targets: Marlin and other billfish
Additional species: Awards may also be presented for tuna, dorado and wahoo, depending on the edition’s official rules
Hemingway gave the tournament its most famous name, but generations of Cuban and international anglers have kept it alive.
Where Patience Meets the Open Sea
A modern edition typically includes registration, a captains’ meeting, several fishing days and a closing awards ceremony. Once the competition begins, crews leave Marina Hemingway and move into the waters north of Cuba, where the Gulf Stream creates an important route for migratory fish.
The competition is conducted by trolling. The boat remains in motion while baited lines or lures are pulled through the water. Finding a fish is only the beginning. A team still has to manage the line, fight the fish, document the encounter and complete the release according to the tournament’s rules.
It can be a long day. Boats generally leave in the morning and return during the late afternoon. Hours can pass without a qualifying fish. Then a line moves, the crew comes alive and everything changes.
The tournament is not determined simply by bringing the largest fish back to the marina. Billfish are caught, documented and released. Teams must report qualifying encounters and provide the photographic evidence required by the judges.
Past regulations have required a tournament-issued identification marker to appear in the photographs. This allows the jury to verify when the fish was caught and whether the release followed the rules.
Exact scoring values, fishing boundaries and documentation requirements can change from one edition to another. That is why the captains’ meeting matters. Everyone begins with the same instructions, and the tournament jury determines whether each reported release qualifies.
The Tournament Changed with the Times
Historic photographs from Hemingway’s era often show anglers standing beside large dead fish. That was normal in the world of mid-20th-century sport fishing. The modern tournament takes a different approach.
Catch-and-release for billfish was introduced in 1997. Today, the goal is to document the catch and return the fish to the sea. Published rules have also included requirements for circle hooks and limits on the strength of fishing line.
Conservation is not merely a phrase added to the event’s promotion. It changes how the competition works. Anglers earn recognition through a properly verified encounter and release rather than by returning to the marina with a dead marlin.
Tuna, dorado and wahoo have also appeared in tournament award categories. These prizes are separate from the main billfish competition and can vary between editions. Competitors should therefore use the current regulations, not rules from a previous year, when preparing their equipment and strategy.
An International Gathering in Havana
The tournament has attracted anglers from Europe, North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia. They arrive with different boats, languages and levels of experience, but everyone prepares to face the same water.
The 2025 edition offers a recent example of the tournament’s international character. It brought together 51 anglers divided among 10 teams. Spain finished first aboard the boat Pilar 1, followed by Italy and Norway.
Puerto Rico received recognition for the tournament’s first catch. Chile earned the award for the largest tuna, while a combined Bulgaria-Latvia team received the award for the largest dorado.
The results are important, but they are only one part of the experience. Each morning begins with crews preparing their boats and equipment. Each afternoon ends with the boats returning, the judges reviewing the day’s documented releases and the fishermen comparing stories.
Some caught fish. Others came close. Everyone has a story about the one that got away.
Hemingway’s Cuba Is Still Part of the Journey
Hemingway lived in Cuba for more than two decades, primarily at Finca Vigía outside central Havana. His boat, Pilar, is now preserved on the property. Visitors interested in the tournament’s history can see the vessel that carried him through the waters surrounding the island.
The connection also reaches Cojímar, the fishing community east of Havana where Hemingway spent time with Cuban fishermen. The sea, the people who worked on it and the struggle between a fisherman and his catch became central to The Old Man and the Sea.
Marina Hemingway lies west of central Havana, so a visit to the tournament can become part of a wider journey. Old Havana, the Malecón, Finca Vigía and Cojímar reveal different parts of the story. Fusterlandia, located in nearby Jaimanitas, offers another stop and a completely different view of Cuban creativity.
You do not need to turn the trip into a Hemingway checklist. The more interesting approach is to see how the pieces connect: the house, the boat, the fishing communities and the water itself.
Who Will Appreciate This Event?
The competition is naturally designed for experienced anglers and organized fishing teams. Its history will also interest travelers drawn to Hemingway, Cuban maritime culture and international sporting traditions.
Noncompetitors should confirm marina access and spectator arrangements with the organizers before traveling. Some tournament activities may be limited to registered teams, officials and invited guests.
A Cigar for the End of the Day
Fishing starts early, and a full tournament day can keep crews on the water until late afternoon. When the boats return, the urgency begins to fade. Lines are put away, results are checked and the day becomes a collection of stories—what was caught, what escaped and what might happen tomorrow.
That is a natural moment for a cigar.
A Montecristo Edmundo or a Partagás Serie E No. 2 would provide enough time to sit near the marina, watch the afternoon light change and listen as crews recount the day.
It is not an official tournament tradition, and not every participant will choose to smoke. It is simply one way a cigar enthusiast might slow down after spending hours on the water.
The cigar does not need to compete with the occasion. The occasion is already big enough.
The boats return, the lines go quiet and the stories begin.
Planning Your Visit
The International Ernest Hemingway Billfishing Tournament is generally held during May or June at Marina Hemingway. Dates have changed from one edition to another, so competitors and visitors should always confirm the official schedule before arranging travel.
Registration costs, team sizes, approved tackle, line limits, fishing boundaries, boat rentals and documentation requirements may also change. Competitors should request the rules for the specific edition they plan to enter rather than depending on information from a previous tournament.
Travelers coming from the United States must independently confirm the regulations that apply to travel to Cuba. Entering or attending an event does not automatically resolve U.S. travel restrictions, and ordinary tourism remains restricted for people subject to U.S. jurisdiction.
Visitors who are not competing should contact the organizers to determine whether they can access the docks, attend opening or closing activities, or watch the boats return. Marina Hemingway is an operating marina, not simply an open spectator venue.
Current Tournament Update
The 2026 edition was announced for May 25 through May 30 at Marina Hemingway. This date is included as a current reference and should not be treated as the tournament’s permanent annual schedule.
Before You Travel
Confirm the dates: Always verify the schedule for the edition you plan to attend.
Request the current rules: Do not rely on scoring or equipment requirements from earlier editions.
Confirm marina access: Ask which activities are open to visitors and which require registration.
Arrange equipment carefully: Verify transportation and customs requirements before bringing fishing gear.
Review travel regulations: Requirements depend on citizenship, residency and the traveler’s jurisdiction.
A Tradition That Is Still Moving
It is easy to look at the tournament entirely through Hemingway. His boat, victories and life in Cuba gave the competition the history people remember. But it has continued for more than seven decades because others kept returning.
Cuban organizers, local crews and international anglers have carried it through changing travel conditions and a changing approach to marine conservation. The photographs now document billfish being released rather than displayed at the marina. The rules have changed. The central challenge has not.
A boat leaves Havana. The lines go into the water. Then everyone waits.
Sources
The historical and competition information in this article was checked against published reports from Cuban tourism authorities, tournament coverage and research about Hemingway’s fishing life.
CubaTravel: Ernest Hemingway International Fishing Tournament
PBS: Hemingway’s Fishing Life and the Havana Tournament
NOAA Tournament Account: Scoring, Documentation and Catch-and-Release
Eventos en Cuba: Results of the 2025 Tournament and 2026 Announcement
