Regions in Cuba
- Western Cuba (Pinar del Rio, Havana, Matanzas, Isla de la Juventud)
The capital, the hills of Pinar del Rio and an off-the-beaten-track island where you can go diving make for an exciting region. - Central Cuba (Camagüey (province), Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spíritus, Ciego de Ávila)
- Eastern Cuba (Las Tunas, Holguin, Santiago de Cuba, Granma, Guantánamo)
Cities in Cuba
- Havana – cosmopolitan capital with a lively nightlife.
- Baracoa – a picturesque city by the sea and the first capital of Cuba.
- Camagüey – Cuba’s third largest city is a labyrinth of narrow streets, Catholic churches and jars called tinajones.
- Cienfuegos – a city founded by the French that rivalled (and eventually surpassed) Trinidad as the main port in southern Cuba.
- Matanzas – whose name translates as “massacre”, this industrial port city at the end of the Hershey Railway is a hidden gem of Afro-Cuban culture and history.
- Pinar del Rio – centre of the cigar industry
- Santa Clara – site of the battle that won the revolution and now home to the mausoleum of Ernesto “Che” Guevara.
- Santiago de Cuba – a coastal city rich in Caribbean influence and steeped in revolutionary history.
- Trinidad – World Heritage Site with charming colonial buildings.
Other destinations in Cuba
- Cayo Largo – a small island with naturist resorts
- Gran Parque Natural Topes de Collantes – a national park located in the mountains of the Sierra del Emcambray and spanning the provinces of Cienfuegos, Villa Clara and Sancti Spiritus.
- Isla de la Juventud – a large island south of Havana
- Jardines del Rey – an island chain of resorts including Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo.
- Maria la Gorda – a small village with some diving and snorkelling opportunities.
- Parque Nacional Ciénaga de Zapata – similar to Everglades National Park in Florida, with extensive wetlands, beaches and world-renowned sites for bird watching and diving; site of the US invasion of the Bay of Pigs in 1961.
- Parque Nacional La Güira – Another national park in the province of Pinar del Rio, with mountains and caves, but without many tourist facilities.
- Reserva de la Biosfera Sierra del Rosario – UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the Sierra del Rosario mountains in the province of Pinar del Rio; the main sites are Soroa and Las Terrazas.
- Varadero Beach – 20 kilometres of beach with fine white sand and water.
- Viñales – a national park in the province of Pinar del Rio, with mountains and caves; it has the most developed tourist facilities of the national parks in Cuba.
