Blessed by nature with lush landscapes, Cuba is offering foreign visitors a myriad of choices that combine leisure time with outdoor physical activities, stretching from trekking to eco-friendly tourism, from West to East of the national territory.
Right now there are 14 national parks in the island country, which add to 25 ecological and six biosphere reserves, plus a fauna covering some 16,500 registered species. The endemic rate of the local wildlife surpasses 90 per cent, while the original flora boasts over 6,300 specimens.
The natural reserves, natural landscapes and protected areas constitute a wide network of tourist attractions, all of which allow Cuba to stand out in the region.
Cuban birds are the most diverse in the Greater Antilles and the island has become a shrine for endangered species such as the Cuban crocodile.
Another appealing option for visitors is going on a horse ride through a green valley, cycling in the country side, visiting farmers' estates to interact with genuine "guajiros" or turning to sports fishing.
If you prefer exploring caves, Cuba has a lot to offer to quench your thirst for adventure. There are cavities everywhere, honeycombing the sight, such as Cueva de Ambrosio, Bellamar, Gran Caverna de Santo Tomás or the Natural Archeological Path El Guafe.
The Westernmost tip of the country houses the Guanahacabibes Peninsula, one of the most important corridors for migrant birds, doubling as a sea-eroded peculiar rocky sight.
Not to be missed when visiting this region is the Valle de Viñales, which UNESCO declared World Cultural Landscape, in consideration of its unique rocky mounds, which the locals call "mogotes", the oldest in the country and a natural reserve for fossils of reptiles, mollusks and fish dating from the Jurassic Period.
Meanwhile, central Villa Clara offers the Hanabanilla Lake, the only one located among mountains in the whole country, fed by three tributary rivers, namely Negro, Hanabanilla and Guanayara, a dream come true for Nature lovers.
The lake, boasting a 14,9 square –kilometer surface, is some 30 to 40 meters deep on average and raises 364 meters above sea level. It may contain 300 million cubic meters of water.
The Parque Nacional Turquino stretches on Cuba's east, featuring the island's tallest mountains, such as the Pico Real del Turquino, which is 1,974 meters high, Pico Cuba (1,872 m) and Pico Suecia (1,734 m).
The Parque Nacional Desembarco del Granma, in the same region, harbors the second best preserved marine terraces in the world.