The Cuban archipelago, which is strategically located in the Caribbean, holds great natural values that are essential to develop tourism.

In addition to excellent beaches of warm crystal-clear water and fine white sand, the Caribbean island holds its own treasures, including programs that combine nature tourism and adventure.

In that regard, Cuba's natural assets can be found in more than 4,000 keys and islets, where vacationers can enjoy a wide range of options, including bird watching.

Tours to the country's mountain ecosystems are also highly demanded by foreign tourists who bet on Cuba to spend their vacations.

The potential of ecotourism lies in the Cuba's relief, which consists of four main mountain ranges that cover about 21 percent of the island's territory and hold 37 percent of the country's forests.

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

There is also breathtaking beauty underground, as more than 60 percent of Cuba's territory is made up of calcareous rocks. The strong influence from glacial periods and the weather have created the largest caverns in the region.

Cuban fauna is very diverse and consists of more than 350 species birds that live on islets and keys throughout the country, where a high level of endemism is reported.

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.

Diving can be practiced in more than 70,000 kilometers of Cuban insular platform, which has some 5,000 kilometers of coast 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.

For diving enthusiasts, three dozen diving centers operate throughout the country, where divers can take initiation courses and dive in coral reefs and caverns following international standards for that nautical activity.

Cuba's diversity is huge, especially in the central part of the country, where the provinces of Villa Clara, Cienfuegos and Sancti Spíritus have a great potential to develop nature tourism.