Cuba, a tourist destination par excellence in the Caribbean, has reported a steady growth in the tourism industry as a result of its exuberant nature and centuries-old history, culture and traditions.

The beginning of the winter season, traditionally the peak tourist season, is characterized by a dynamic increase in tourist arrivals.

In addition to dozens of excellent beaches throughout the country, the Caribbean Island offers architectural assets brought from Spain and carrying a strong European influence from the years that followed the colonization period and that characterize major cities throughout the country.

Precisely, that element turns the Cuban capital, one of the first seven villages founded by the Spanish conquistadors and initially called San Cristóbal de La Habana, and especially its historic heart, into a key element in many tourist programs.

The Cuban capital, which was known at the time as the Fortified City of the West Indies and the Key to the New World, is a living museum that exhibits a wide range of architectural styles that show the different stages in the city's development.

Beaches of fine white sand and crystal-clear water are one of the best choices for thousands of vacationers who visit the island nation every year.

In western Matanzas province, the world-famous Varadero beach, which runs along 22 kilometers on the Hicacos peninsula, is one of the most visited destinations by foreign vacationers.

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.

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.

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.

Experts say that there are more than 10,000 caves in Cuba, many of which are 25 million years old.

Two of the most famous caves are the 45-km-long Santo Tomás, in western Sierra de Quemados, and Cueva del Indio, through which the San Juan River runs.