Cuba, which has a privileged location in the Caribbean region, offers a wide range of tourist options to thousands of foreign vacationers who visit the island nation every year.

Excellent beaches, humankind's heritage sites, and cultural and historic places are some of the elements in Cuba's tourism.

The Cuban archipelago also offers more than 70,000 square kilometers of insular platform and some 5,000 kilometers of coasts, which are bathed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

In addition, nearly 6,500 varieties of fish, crustaceans, sponges and mollusks, and an 850-kilometer coral reef in perfect state of preservation turn the island into one of the best-preserved underwater ecosystems in the region.

The Cuban archipelago is also an excellent destination for nature enthusiasts, who can tour the country's natural reserves and countryside.

Cuba is home to 16,500 species, some of which show an endemism of more than 90 percent. In addition, the autochthonous flora consists of more than 6,300 varieties.

Natural and biosphere reserves, natural landscapes and protected areas make up a wide range of offers that are well preserved and are unique in the region.

An excellent region to practice ecotourism is the Viñales Valley, in Cuba's westernmost province, Pinar del Río, where vacationers can see round-top hills called "mogotes" that are more than 400 meters tall.

In Matanzas, tourists can visit the special marine park Cayo Piedras del Norte, which is an excellent place for scuba diving, and the ecological reserve in Punta Hicacos, a safe haven for 662 species of birds that live in Mangón Lagoon, in addition to the aboriginal pictographs in the caves of Ambrosio and Musulmanes.

In southern Matanzas is the Zapata Swamp Biosphere Reserve, a stronghold for nature tourism, an ideal place for marine spelunking and the largest swamp in the Caribbean region.

Traditional destinations such as Varadero (in western Matanzas province), Holguín, Trinidad and Santiago de Cuba have grown due to the development of the local infrastructure and the design of new recreational options.

In addition, Cuba's many keys and islets, including Cayo Largo del Sur, are major attractions in the island's tourism sector.

Cuba also benefits from the natural assets of the keys surrounding the island. That is the case of Jardines del Rey (King's Gardens), where several hotels have been built on Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo.