According to experts, Cuba there are over 6,730 botanical species and 3,180 of them are endemic. The Cuban fauna is abundant and varying and there are also over 13,000 species of invertebrates in the main island and surrounding offshore islands. All this makes Cuba an ideal place for ecological tourism. The Cuba Destino Caribe has prepared and compiled as much information as possible about Cuba so that our customers will have the possibility of making better travel plans and selection of the destinations they are willing to visit whilst in this beautiful island. A list of links to recommended informative sites about Cuba is also provides for those who are looking for specific information.
The vegetation is mostly concentrated towards the East where there is a harmless fauna and a tropical climate.The Cuban fauna is a very rich one; the National bird is the Trogon bird, better known as Tocororo, an onomatopoeic name given to the bird due to its singing. Species like the Colibrí, Rombipher Crocodile, Manatí and Manjuary are found in certain areas of the country.
The Manjuarí, for example, is a pre-historical fish that now a days is only found in Cuba, it has disappeared from the rest of the planet.
The Cuban National tree is the Royal Palm tree, chosen as such by the guerrilla men that fought against the Spanish domination in the 18th century.
The tree provided these fighters with shelter, since they used the tree trunk the wood for the walls of their houses and the frond of the tree served as cover. Cuba’s National flower is the butterfly jasmine, the women that supported the independence cause in the 18th century, used this flower as an ornament in their hair to show their support.
Closed off from the world for many years, Cuba is slowly opening its doors to outsiders and tourists who are reaping the benefits of an island untouched by the excessive development so often found in other countries.
In the West , packages can be arranged by covering visits to the Vinales Valley and the Sierra del Rosario in Pinar del Rio or to the Zapata Swamp in Matanzas where caves can be visited without any prior speleologist experience.
Zapata Swamp has the most significant vegetation in the country. In the central part of the swamp valuable tall timber trees can be found whilst the rest of the area is covered with mangrove trees and swamp forest vegetation. It is one of the most important winter habitats for migratory birds and large flocks of birds spend the winter there.
There are 16 species of reptiles and the Cuban Rombipher crocodile are the largest in size.In the central part of the island the Guamuaya mountains range offers to the visitors, like the Topes de Collantes Natural Park and the Vega Grande Waterfalls.
Another important place is the San Luis Valley or the Valle de los Ingenios (sugar mills valley ) that has been declared by Unesco a World Heritage Site because of its colonial buildings and the ruins of the disused sugar mills.
Turquino National Park is found at the Sierra Maestra range of mountains. Here the 1974 Mt over the sea level Pico Real del Turquino mountain ,the highest point in Cuba,is found. The Gran Piedra and the Baconao Park are also found here in this Reserve of the Biosphere site .
The Mayari Pine Groves are also full of century –old arborescent ferns , creeks, waterfalls, wells and freshwater ponds. Wonderful orchids and birds with exotic plumage and singing.
And finally in the far east of Cuba Baracoa is found . This place is a sanctuary for some curious species like the Almiqui, the Butterfly Bat, the Sparrow Hawk, the Royal Woodpecker and the Polymita Snail.
