The Cuban archipelago, full of tourist options thanks to its natural, historic and cultural assets, is a priority in the country's short-term economic agenda.

In addition to a tropical climate and warm waters, Cuba has an area of more than 110,000 square kilometers and nearly 5,800 kilometers of coasts, including 600 kilometers of excellent beaches.

Traditional sun and beach options are complemented by new offers such as nature tourism, scuba diving and snorkeling, and bird watching.

In that regard, Cuba's westernmost province, Pinar del Río, offers a wide range of options, including beaches and trekking, as well as medicinal waters.

The province's pristine environment, rich in plant and animal species, many of which are endemic, is also complemented by a hotel infrastructure that can meet the demand of both foreign and national tourists.

Tourist attractions can also be found on the keys that make up the Cuban archipelago. One of those keys is Cayo Levisa, off Pinar del Río's north coast, which offers three kilometers of excellent beaches and 23 dive sites.

In central Cuba, tourists can visit the keys Santa María, Las Brujas, Ensenachos, Cobos, Majá, Fragoso, Francés, Las Picúas and Español de Adentro, among others, which are connected by a 48-km causeway over the sea.

Moreover, several cities show their architectural heritage from the Spanish colonial period under European influence.

Precisely, that element has turned Havana, one of the first villages founded by the Spanish conquistadors as San Cristóbal de La Habana, into a key element in the country's tourist programs, especially in Old Havana.

Called at the time the Fortified City of the West Indies and the Key to the New World, Havana is at present a living museum showing a wide range of architectural styles, as a result of the different stages of the development of the city.

In central Cuba, Cienfuegos offers a score of libraries, 11 museums, more than 30 movie halls and five theaters, in addition to houses of culture, art galleries and monuments, are visited by both national and foreign tourists every year.

Among the city's many attractions is the José Martí Park, built on the site where the village of Fernandina de Sagua was founded in April 1819. Surrounding the park are the only Arc of Triumph in Cuba, built in 1902, and the Tomás Terry Theater, one of Cuba's three major theaters in the 19th century, where prominent artists such as Enrico Caruso performed.

Another interesting city is 500-year-old Bayamo, the current capital of the eastern Cuban province of Granma. It was the second village founded by Spanish Governor Diego Velázquez in Cuba.