Cuba is located in the northern Caribbean where the Caribbean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. Situated to the south of the USA and the Bahamas, east of Mexico, to the west of Haiti and the Turks and Caicos Islands and north of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, Cuba has a great choice of beautiful sandy beaches and attractions. Thousands of people visit Cuba every year for their summer package holidays and for their winter sun holidays.

Che Guevara Monument at Santa Clara

There are many attractions in Cuba, from the old colonial town of Havana to the Che Guevara Monument at Santa Clara to the vibrant town of Trinidad. Away from the towns, cities and beaches of Cuba there are some amazing natural attractions to explore, including biosphere reserves, national parks, mountain ranges and some stunning valleys with magnificent scenery just waiting to be discovered.

The following are just a few of the many natural attractions you shouldn’t miss when visiting Cuba.

Alejandro de Humboldt National Park – South-east Cuba
Dominated by the rivers that run down from the nearby parks, this is the most humid location on the island of Cuba, hence it is home to a rich and diverse range of trees and plants.

El Yunque Mountain

Baracoa – Eastern coast of Cuba
The city of Baracoa was the first settlement in Cuba and is where Christopher Columbus is believed to have originally landed on the island. This beautiful bay is surrounded by thick vibrant tropical vegetation and wildlife and is overlooked by the flat topped El Yunque Mountain. The mountain offers breathtaking panoramic views across the bay while the many rivers, 10 in total, enable visitors to explore by boat or raft. Named a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the park is a haven for walkers and hikers.

Cienaga de Zapata National Park – Close to the resort of Playa Larga
With an abundance of rich fauna and wildlife, this massive national park is home to the largest swamp lands in Cuba and is an excellent location for bird watching and fishing. Naturalists will love the mangroves, swamps and wetlands which are home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. The nearby beach resort of Playa Larga, which caters mainly for scuba divers, makes an ideal base from which to explore the park.

Las Terrazas
Set in the Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve, offering walking and hiking trails, lakes, swimming holes (cenotes) and excellent bird watching opportunities.

Sierra Maestra National Park

Sierra Maestra
The Sierra Maestra is the highest and longest mountain range in Cuba, offering amazing hiking opportunities for visitors to the island. A place of important historical significance for the Cuban people, this is where Fidel Castro and his followers used the high mountain caves to hid in during the revolution in the 1950′s. The mountain range stretches across three provinces and includes the Sierra Maestra National Park and the Turquino National Park both popular with walkers, hikers and nature lovers.

Topes de Collantes National Park – On the outskirts of Trinidad
Found on the dense pine-clad mountains of Sierra del Escambray, the Topes de Collantes National Park provides a welcome break from the hot busy streets of Trinidad. With well established walking trails and refreshing cool waterfalls the park is a haven for visitors looking for a cool, quiet retreat.

Vinales Valley

Vinales Valley – Located in western Cuba, the heart of Cuba
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this lush tobacco growing valley has amazing limestone cliff formations (mogotes) which rise out of the valley floor, offering stunning views across the valley. This breath taking valley, regarded as one of the most beautiful spots in Cuba, is the perfect location for walking, hiking, mountain biking, bird watching, rock climbing and cave exploration on your travel deals to the island of Cuba.

The island of Cuba is located in the Caribbean, between the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The United States and the Bahamas lie to the north of Cuba, Mexico to the west, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands to the south and the Dominican Republic and Haiti to the southeast.

Cuba is a popular Caribbean destination for direct holidays, particularly with nature lovers due to its well preserved ecosystems, amazing landscapes and its huge array of flora and fauna. The Cuban archipelago is home to more than 6,500 species of higher plants (50 percent of which are native), 650 vertebrates including 350 species of birds and more than 14,000 species of invertebrates. Cuba is also home to the world’s smallest bird, the bee hummingbird and the world’s smallest frog which is just 12 millimetres long.

Cuba is blessed with lush green tropical forests with rare orchids, dry mountain areas with prehistoric cacti, mangrove everglades which are home to manatee and flamingo’s, wetlands and hummocks (earth mounds) which guard fossilized plants such as the cork palm.

Follow the hiking trails and nature paths to explore this truly amazing island. The following are just a few of the ecotourism highlights not to be missed on your package holidays to Cuba.

Sierra del Rosario

The Sierra del Rosario – Biosphere Reserve
Located at the eastern part of the Guaniguanico Mountain range between Pinar del Rio and the Havana provinces. Houses the Santo Tomas cave system and Soroa-Las Terrazas.

The Guanahacabibes Peninsula – Biosphere Reserve
Located in Pinar del Rio Province on Cuba’s westernmost point. Protected areas include La Guabina and Mil Cumbres.

The Zapata Peninsula Nature Park – Biosphere Reserve
Located in Matanzas Province, this is the largest wetland in the Caribbean. Home to La Boca crocodile farm, Laguna del Tesoro and the Amerindian Village, Caleta Buena, Playa Giron and Playa Larga.

Zapata Peninsula Nature Park

Baconao Park – Biosphere Reserve
Located about 12 miles from Santiago de Cuba city. Home to La Gran Piedra, the ruins of Cuba’s first French coffee plantations.

The Guamuhaya Mountain Range
Home to Topes de Collantes Tourism Complex, Zaza, Tunas and Lebridge wild animal reserves and El Nicho.

The Guaniguanico Mountain Range
An agricultural heartland with unusual rock formations surrounding the Vinales Valley.

Baracoa
This is where Christopher Columbus first set foot in Cuba. Virtually untouched by civilization, the area is marked by Alejandro de Humboldt National Park, Yunque de Baracoa, the Toa, Miel and Yumuri Rivers and Maguana Beach.

Sierra Maestra

Sierra Maestra
Home to the islands historical hideouts, the area covers Desembarco del Granma National Park, Pico National Park, Marea del Portillo and Santo Domingo-La Sierrita.

Sierra de Cubitas
Stretching from El Paso de los Paredones to Hoyo de Bonet to Cayo Ballenatos and the protected area in the northern Camaguey Keys.

Pinares de Mayari National Park

Northern Holguin
Includes Pinares de Mayari National Park and Guardalavaca-Estero Ciego.