The Cuban capital, with a centuries-old history, has become a stronghold for the leisure industry on the largest Antillean Island, featuring attractions that range from beaches to a unique cultural wealth.

A tourist destination par excellent on the Island, Havana had, since its official foundation in November 1519, an advantageous position for trade and communications, in addition to being a true exponent of Spanish colonial architecture in Cuba.

The heart of the ancient city is in the so-called Plaza de Armas, or Arms Square, whose location is linked to the tradition of the first mass, held on November 16 under a big ceiba tree very close to the coast, a ceremony that has survived the passage of time.

The former San Cristóbal de La Habana was also known as the Fortress City of the West Indies and the Key to the New World. Its historic heart was designated Humankind's Heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Cuba's smallest province, covering an area of 727 square kilometers, is also the country's most populated territory, with more than two million people, in addition to being one of the major destinations visited by thousands of vacationers who travel to the Island every year.

The capital's leisure industry is backed up by a broad hotel and service infrastructure, with over 10,000 rooms and potentialities for almost all tourist modalities, including business travels, cultural tourism, incentive tours and meetings.

Havana, a blend of different architectural styles, including the Renaissance, art deco, Mudejar, baroque, neoclassicism, eclecticism, art nouveau and Cuban baroque, is also the center of the country's cultural life.

Some 30 museums, 10 art galleries, 25 theaters, and unique institutions such as the National Ballet of Cuba and Casa de las Américas, support that position. Havana is also the venue of numerous international festivals of cinema, dance, plastic arts and literature, among other artistic manifestations.

For those who are just interested in Cuban traditional rhythms, including son, danzón, bolero and cha cha cha, the city is home to such sites as Macumba, Habana Café and Pico Blanco, as well as renowned nightclubs such as Copa Room, Parisién and the world-famous Tropicana, with its Salon under the Stars.

Congresses and events on the most varied topics are held in facilities in this centuries-old city, where more establishments have opened their doors to the so-called business tourism, an evidence of the growing interest in commercial transactions with Cuba that foreign entrepreneurs have expressed.

For all this, the Cuban capital welcomes a growing number of visitors every year, who are attracted by Cuba's tourist offers and the historic wealth supporting the city's very existence.