Cuba's diversity is a major attraction in the tourism industry in the Caribbean region, a fast-growing economic sector par excellence.

Traditional sun and beach options are complemented by centuries-old cities, many of which were founded during the Spanish colonial period and hold well-preserved architectural attractions.

Cities with abundant exponents of Spanish colonial architecture in a perfect state of preservation, hotels linked to plastic arts, and patrimonial sites can be found anywhere in the Caribbean island.

The Cuban capital has a centuries-old defense system, in which the emblematic Castillo de Los Tres Reyes del Morro stands out. The defense system consisted of nine fortresses that made the most outstanding complex of its kind in the Spanish-speaking Americas at the time, according to experts.

In central Cuba, the major historic attractions are in Sancti Spiritus, the only Cuban province that holds two of the first villages founded by Spanish Governor Diego Velázquez in the 16th century: Villa del Espíritu Santo (Holy Spirit) y Villa de la Santísima Trinidad (Holy Trinity).

In eastern Cuba is Granma province, which holds 48 percent of all historic sites on the island, including its main city, Bayamo, which was declared a National Monument and was the capital of the Republic in Arms at the beginning of the 1868 independence war.

The Caribbean Island 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.

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 Caribbean region.

Natural and biosphere reserves, natural landscapes, national parks and protected areas create a varied offer characterized by its excellent preservation and unique features in the region.

In addition, the archipelago's geographic location turns Cuba into a corridor for migratory birds that travel long distances from North America to South America and vice versa.

Cuba is inhabited by some 16,500 animal species, including some zoological groups whose endemism is over 90 percent. The autochthonous flora consists of more than 6,300 varieties.

The country's attractions are complemented by a growing hotel infrastructure that combines small establishments, world-famous hotels and recently-built colossuses.