Central Region

figures of universal science and culture like painter Wifredo Lam, stands out for its architecture, exponent of different periods� The Hotel E Sagua and Hotel E Palacio Arenas are located in this emerging tourist destination�

CAYOS DE VILLA CLARA� Linked to terra firma by a 48 km long causeway, the triad of northern keys Santa María, Las Brujas and Ensenachos is the principal nucleus of the Cayos de Villa Clara destination, a sun and beach tourist center in full expansion, thanks to the exuberant vegetation, virgin beaches and great biodiversity�

In accordance with this natural scenario, a comfortable tourist and hotel infrastructure has been developed, a marina-dolphinarium and an international scuba diving center have been fitted out�

Cienfuegos

Divided into eight municipalities, its capital is the city of Cienfuegos, the famous Pearl of the South� Founded in 1819 by French settlers, its Historic Center was declared a World Heritage Site, a distinction granted for the first time to an Iberian-American 19th century city�

An architectural jewel with a major French influence, it has notable patrimonial constructions, prototypes of the neoclassical, art nouveau and art deco styles�

Tours should not leave out the Purísima Concepción Cathedral, built in 1869; the Tomás Terry Theater, where famous Italian tenor Enrico Caruso sang; the Ferrer and De Valle mansions, the Paseo del Prado, the Bulevar, the Nuestra Señora de los Angeles de Jagua Fortress and the Reina and Tomás Acea cemeteries�

On its outskirts there are splendid sites for nature tourism, like the Botanical Garden, the Laguna de Guanaroca, El Nicho waterfall and, in the Guamuhaya mountain range, the Martín Infierno Cave; and for

beach tourism there is Rancho Luna, privileged for its warm waters and comfortable accommodations�

With numerous facilities for aquatic activities, Cienfuegos has a marina and an international scuba diving center� It has an international airport�

Sancti Spíritus

The city of Sancti Spíritus is the capital of homonymous province, which groups together eight municipalities� Founded in 1514 by Governor Diego Velázquez, it has a centuries-old tradition of spacious colonial mansions, churches, museums and narrow cobblestoned streets, very well conserved in its Historic Center, a National Monument�

The main attraction of Sancti Spíritus province is the city of Trinidad, in addition to its diverse landscapes and contrasts� A singular relief brings together plains and mountains, coasts and beaches, with low and marshy areas, extensive rivers and mountainous areas�

Cienfuegos, the famous Pearl of the South, was founded in 1819 by the French; its Historic Center was inscribed in the World Heritage list, a distinction awarded for the first time to a 19th century Iberian-American city. Photo: Gãbor Kovãcs / 123RF

The city of Sancti Spíritus was founded in 1514 by Governor Diego Velázquez and treasures centuries of tradition. Photo: Norlys Pérez / Publicitur

TRINIDAD� Declared a World Cultural Heritage, together with the Valle de los Ingenios, the city of Trinidad was founded in 1514 by Velázquez, as the township of Santísima Trinidad�

The so-called Museum City is classified among the best preserved in Cuba and Latin America, with an environmental coherence that has not changed with the years� The 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries are present in construction styles and the decorations of old stately mansions, some of which are today museums�

The work of artisans (it was declared Artisanal City of the World), artists and painters cover the cobblestoned and lively streets, a marketing in harmony with the local sustainable project�

Around the Plaza Mayor stand the Santísima Trinidad Church and the Palace of Count Brunet, currently the Romantic Museum; very nearby, the Santa Ana and Tres Cruces squares and the San Francisco Bell Tower�

In the Valle de San Luis or de los Ingenios, barely 15 km away, dozens of archaeological sites are preserved, including the ruins of the sugar factories and the impressive 45-meter-high Manaca-Iznaga Tower�

The Ancón Peninsula is located some 10 km from the township� Facing the Caribbean Sea, it has several beaches, a modern hotel plant, an international scuba diving center and a nautical base�

TOPES DE COLLANTES� The spell of this Protected Natural Landscape, inserted in the Guamuhaya mountain group, in particular of the Caburní and El Rocío waterfalls and the representative paths laid out, lead an increasing number of excursionists to visit these places for one or more days�

Ciego de Ávila

Ciego de Ávila comprises 10 municipalities� In the old part of its capital, the city of Ciego de Ávila, founded in 1840, traits of the colonial architecture typical of this kind of cities predominate, alternating with more modern buildings, such as the Principal Theater and the Cathedral of San Eugenio de la Palma, the local patron saint�

Meanwhile, Morón, founded in 1543, validates the attractions of the small colonial cities of the interior of the country

Trinidad, the so-called Museum City, classifies among the most preserved of Cuba and Latin America, with an unaltered environmental coherence in the course of years. Foto: © Gerold Grotelueschen / 123RF

whose charm has not been erased with the passage of time�

Tourism has a high incidence in this province, focused on Jardines del Rey� It has numerous ponds, like the Laguna de la Leche, the Cuba’s largest freshwater natural reservoir, and places of historic importance�

JARDINES DEL REY� Northern archipelago baptized by the Spaniards in honor of King Ferdinand the Catholic, and immortalized by famous U�S� writer Ernest Hemingway, who was inspired by the paradisiacal islands to write his book Islands in the Stream�

Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo are the most prominent of the group of islets of great beauty and excellent state of conservation of their flora and fauna, protected by one of the most notable coral reefs in the Caribbean region�

A 17-km causeway joins Cayo Coco with terra firma; meanwhile, Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo and Paredón Grande (being developed for tourism) are linked by a road network�

The Jardines del Rey International Airport, in Cayo Coco, facilitates access to the destination and connects it to several of the country’s cities� A marina, a nautical base and three international scuba diving centers make up its nautical tourism infrastructure�

Important international hotel chains present in Cuba manage installations in this tourist destination�

Cayo Coco is the fourth largest island of the Cuban archipelago; with 370 km2, it has 22 km of beach, a strip with many interior lagoons that serve as refuge to numerous fauna species, especially the pink flamingos� Las Coloradas, Jaula, Los Flamencos and Playa Larga are among the favorite beaches�

Cayo Guillermo covers a land area of 13 km2 with 6 km of beaches with tranquil waters; one of them, Playa Pilar, has the largest (15 m high) sand dune in the Caribbean�

JARDINES DE LA REINA NATIONAL PARK� One of the most important centers in the Caribbean for scuba diving, to the south of the provinces of Ciego de Ávila and Camagüey, it is considered the most-virgin and best-conserved archipelago of the insular groups surrounding Cuba� Under a concept of sustainability, the principal base of its tourist infrastructure is the sea and only small installations on terra firma� It has a floating hotel