Tourist attractions of Cuba: what to see in Cuba

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Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean. The island in fact covers over 105,000 square kilometers. The republic of Cuba is made up of this large island and a series of smaller groups of islets. The Canarreos archipelago on the south-west coast, the Camagüey archipelago and the Sabana archipelago on the north-central Atlantic coast. While the archipelago de los Jardines de la Reina is located on the south-central coast and the Colorados archipelago on the north-western coast. The second largest island of the Cuban islands is the Isla de la Juventud (Isle of Youth) in the Canarreos archipelago. Not for nothing, the beaches and the sea are the most important tourist attractions in Cuba.

Cuba, the home of the revolution of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, is also the island of the sun and beaches. Most tourists arrive in Cuba arriving at Havana (José Martí International Airport) and Varadero (Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport) international airports. However, the island also has other international airports which serve the areas most frequented by tourists: Camagüey, Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo del Sur, Cienfuegos, Holguín, Manzanillo, Santa Clara, Santiago de Cuba.

HAVANA AND A WONDERFUL COLONIAL HISTORICAL CENTER

Havana, the capital of Cuba, is a city with a splendid historic center dating back to the Spanish colonial era. The city was founded by the Spaniards in 1519 in a beautiful natural bay along the northwestern coast of Cuba. The historic center and the Spanish fortification system of Havana were included by UNESCO among the World Heritage Sites. The historic center of Havana has a great variety of architectural styles that include unique examples of colonial baroque, neoclassical, art deco, eclectic and modernism. The capital is undoubtedly one of the tourist attractions of Cuba.

Cuba and Havana recall Ernest Hemingway’s writings. Here he set some of his novels such as “The old man and the sea”. In his residence, on the Finca Vigía estate, there is a museum dedicated to the writer. There are furniture and other objects belonging to the writer, in the museum we go back to the times when Hemingway lived in Cuba. In the museum there is also the boat “Pilar”, his faithful companion in fishing trips in the Cuban sea.

INTERESTING NATURAL AREAS

The island of Cuba is a popular tourist destination in the Caribbean thanks to its favorable climate, beaches, colonial architecture, history and natural landscapes. But beyond that what to see in Cuba? Very beautiful is, in the western part of the island, the exceptional karst landscape of the Viñales Valley that UNESCO has included in the World Heritage Site.

The territory of the island is protected by 9 national parks. Among these, the Alejandro de Humboldt Park is a UNESCO heritage site due to the diversity of the territory and the wealth of endemic flora and fauna. The coastal parks of Guanahacabibes, Ciénaga de Zapata, Desembarco del Granma, Caguanes and Jardines de la Reina. The mountain parks of Turquino and Sierra Cristal.

A RICHNESS OF COLONIAL HISTORICAL CENTERS

Cuba has a rich blend of various cultures brought to the island by Europeans, Africans and natives. Cuban architecture, music, dance, food and crafts are reflected in this variety of cultures. Among the most beautiful colonial towns we find Trinidad, Cienfuegos, Santiago de Cuba, Baracoa, Camagüey and Sancti Spíritus.

AN ISLAND KNOWN FOR BEACHES AND THE SUN

The beauty of the sea is the best known of the tourist attractions of Cuba. The most famous beaches of the island are located in Varadero, Cayo Largo (Playa Sirena, Playa Paraiso), Cayo Coco (Playa Los Flamencos), Cayo Guillermo (Playa Pilar) and Cayo Santa María (Playa Perla Blanca). But there are also splendid beaches in Trinidad (Playa Ancón), Cayo Sabinal (Playa Los Pinos), Guardalavaca (Playa Esmeralda and Playa Guardalavaca), Isla de la Juventud (Playa Francés) and finally in Cayo Levisa.

Cuba has several sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Among them there are cultural sites. Such as the archaeological landscape of the first coffee plantations in the south-eastern part of Cuba. But also the historic center of Camagüey or the historic Old Havana and its fortification system. Among the historical sites there is also the splendid Castle of San Pedro de la Roca in Santiago de Cuba. Also the colonial town of Trinidad and the Valle de los Ingenios. The historic center of Cienfuegos and the Viñales Valley. In the UNESCO list there are also natural sites such as the Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt and the Parque Nacional Desembarco del Granma.

The climate of Cuba.