A group of elderly Cubans, including several octogenarians, have begun swimming again off the coast of Havana after nearly two years landlocked by the coronavirus pandemic and restrictions that complicated exercise outside the home.

Cuba was hit hard by an outbreak of the virus in 2021, prompting health authorities to call for countrywide lockdowns and severe restrictions on movement. But a successful vaccination drive in the otherwise poor nation has prompted a return to normalcy for many.

The elderly swimmers, clad in bright, tightfitting swim trunks, said the loosening of restrictions had given them a new lease on life...