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The 15 Province's of Cuba
*Pinar del Rio
The province of Pinar del Rio is the third-most length province of Cuba. The relief is flat with some mountainous. The largest number of touristic places are concentrated in the area of "Valle de Viñales" National Natural Monument with an area of more than 130 square kilometers is one of the most beautiful landscapes of the island of Cuba.
Across the province are nature trails for those wishing to admire the flora and fauna, and cave systems like "Palmarito", "El Indio" and "St. Thomas". At the eastern limit of the mountain zone is located Soroa, where the greatest cultive of orchids in Cuba where you can observe the beauty of over 750 varieties of orchids.
*Artemisa
Artemisa is widely known among Artemiseños by the name Jardín de Cuba (Garden of Cuba). Its ferric red soil is also an outstanding feature, and provides great fertility to the area, which produces banana, tobacco, sugar cane, and minor fruits. Due to the color of the soil, Artemisa is known as Villa Roja (Red Village).
Artemisa is one of two new provinces in Cuba, which creation was approved by the Cuban National Assembly in August 1st, 2010 by splitting former La Habana Province and were enforced in January 1st, 2011. The newly formed province comprises the 8 western municipalities of La Habana, and incorporates 3 eastern municipalities from the neighbor Pinar del Río province (Bahía Honda, Candelaria and San Cristóbal).
Places of historical importance include the Cafetal Angerona (named after Angerona, the goddess of silence and fertility, and protector of Rome), which is currently in ruins. Its remains evoke a period of great abundance, business development, love affairs, and slavery. The cafetal belonged to the German entrepreneur Cornelio Souchay who fell in love with the black Haitian, Úrsula Lambert. The couple lived their romance in secret due to the taboos of the period.
The main tourist attractions are located in Sierra del Rosario, particularly the Natural Park of Soroa and the Orchid Botanical Garden and the area declared as a Biosphere Reserve (Community and Tourist Complex Las Terrazas). It is also an attraction the Ariguanabo river in San Antonio de los Baños and some north coast beaches like Baracoa in Bauta, Herradura in Mariel and San Pedro in Bahia Honda
*Mayabeque
"The Agricultural Capital"
Mayabeque is one of two new provinces in Cuba, which creation was approved by the Cuban National Assembly in August 1st, 2010 by splitting former La Habana Province and were enforced in January 1st, 2011. Mayabeque is primarily a agriculture region.
*Matanzas
Matanzas Province is located within 100 kilometers from the capital of Cuba, Havana. It have one of the most important tourist resorts on the island: Varadero, where you can enjoy the most beautiful beach in Cuba, with clear water and shallow depth. You can also visit the caves of Bellamar, discovered in the nineteenth century, with large number of stalagmites and stalactites in about two miles long.
The city of Matanzas has an excellent harbor, giving the province a strong business and the possibility of make excursions on yachts, sailboats and catamarans. The province has 5 specialized centers in diving. Other places of attractions: the Laguna del Tesoro, Guama Park, Cienaga de Zapata, the Bay of Pigs Museum, Bridge Bacunayagua, among others.
*Cienfuegos
Cienfuegos province is in the center of the island of Cuba. Its capital, the city of Cienfuegos was founded in 1819 by French, is now known as the Pearl of the South. It has an attractive bay with an important port for trade. Its development has an architectural influence, even in its center stands a historical arc of triumph that resembles that of Paris.
Its coastline has wonderful places for diving, with formations of corals, sponges, gorgonians, among other attractions, you can also find shipwrecks on reefs, walks on yachts, sailboats and catamarans.
In the city you can visit palaces, parks, churches, theaters like the Tomas Terry, Palacio del Valle, the strength of Our Lady of the Angels of Jagua, among other destinations.
*Villa Clara
The province of Villa Clara is located in the center of the island of Cuba. It was founded in 1689. Santa Clara, the capital, is considered the city of Che (Ernesto Che Guevara).
In addition to Santa Clara, the province has among its population Remedios eighth village founded by Spaniards and known for their "parrandas", the city of Sagua la Grande, Caibarién with the keys of Santa Maria, Las Brujas, Ensenachos, among other , where you can find a varied flora and fauna.
Among other tourist destinations you can visit are: Elguea, for lovers of health tourism, the place of Che Guevara in Santa Clara, the heart of the city of Santa Clara, among other attractions.
*Sancti Spiritus
The province of Sancti Spiritus is at the center of Cuba. Founded in 1514 includes two of the first villages founded by the Spaniards: the city of Sancti Spiritus and the city of Trinidad. The city of Sancti Spiritus has buildings in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The city of Trinidad (known as the city museum in Cuba) has the most beautiful colonial buildings of the island and received the status of World Heritage by UNESCO.
In Trinidad seem to have made a journey through time to visit the Plaza Mayor and the church of the Holy Trinity. You can also visit the Romantic Museum, the Valley of the mills, the "Topes de Collantes" Natural Park, the famous Tower Manaca-Isnaga, among other destinations.
*Ciego de Avila
The province of Ciego de Avila is located west of the eastern region of Cuba. Promises to be one of the major tourist destinations thus has a wide range of virgin paradise, bird sanctuaries, islands, areas inhabited by flamingos, among others.
One of the keys most visited Cayo Coco is the fourth largest in Cuba, has several beaches, lush vegetation including mangroves, coconut trees and small shrubs. This communicates with Cayo Cayo Guillermo, with 5 kilometers of beautiful beaches, overlooking "Playa El Pilar" in honor of Ernest Hemingway.
In the city of Ciego de Avila you can find other attractions such as museums, archeological sites, among other destinations.
*Camagûey
Located in eastern Cuba, was founded in 1515 under the name of Santa María de Puerto Príncipe. It has a colonial architecture that survived the test of time, with latticed houses, doorways, tile roofs, churches and squares. The city of Camaguey, the city also known as the jars by the large number of these objects of clay that can be found, is dominated by plains.
Its territory has several beaches, such as St. Lucia, where you can find peace only interrupted by the seagulls and flamingos. You can also enjoy diving or coral reef areas, or enjoy bikes and pedal boats, boating, rowing, sailing boats or catamarans.
You can also visit the archipelago of Jardines de la Reina, with pristine beaches, Playa Los Cocos, the birthplace of Ignacio Agramonte, the Still Life Cayetano, among other destinations.
*Las Tunas
Las Tunas is located in eastern Cuba offers an ideal landscape for nature tourism, forests, waters, facilities for caving and wetlands. There are several beaches on the coast, all with excellent quality, crystal clear waters, white sands and crystalline barriers ideal for diving. There are several sites that are linked to the Cuban national culture, as a monument to the poet Juan Cristóbal Nápoles Fajardo, alias "El Cucalambé.
*Holguín
Christopher Columbus landed in what is believed to have been today's Holguín province on October 27, 1492. He declared that it was "the most beautiful country human eyes had ever seen".
The Holguín province was established in 1978, when it was split from the Oriente region. It is the 3rd largest City in Cuba with over 1 million people.
If you are interested in scuba diving, you must visit El Salto or Boca de las Esponjas in Holguin Cuba. These beaches are known for their exceptional hotel infrastructure. Another famous tourist attraction in Holguin Cuba is the Loma De La Cruz or “Hill of the Cross”. This is a fantastic point of lookout that you can reach by climbing 458 steps. The Museum of Natural History in Holguin Cuba should also not be missed as it offers an interesting insight in the fauna and flora of Cuba. The Museum is situated in a neo classical building that has nearly 7000 species of stuffed birds and animals.
*Bayamo
The capital of Cuba's eastern province of Granma, has a nearlyold history, since it was the second village founded by Spanish Governor Diego Velázquez in the archipelago.
Founded in 1513, the village's original name was San Salvador de Bayamo. Its foundation was preceded by that of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Baracoa and it was followed by five other major villages during the conquistadors' advance to the West.
The city was the capital of the First Republic in Arms during Cuba's war of independence in the 19 th century, and its people decided to burn the village down rather than surrender it to the colonialists.
Bayamo's attractions for the leisure industry prove once again that in addition to sun and beaches, Cuba offers history, culture and traditions, in an excellent mixture that meets the demands of visitors to the city of horse-drawn carriages in the eastern part of the Caribbean Island.
*Santiago
Santiago de Cuba is Cuba's second city and is located in the east of the country. Founded in 1515 by the spanish conqueror Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar, between the first seven villas in Cuba. The conqueror Hernán Cortés was the first mayor of the city and then left for the conquest of Mexico. Santiago also left the conqueror and explorer Panfilo de Narvaez with the title of Governor headed to the coast of Florida trip, a trip that ended in failure and cost him his life.
It was the first capital of Cuba with exceptional geographical conditions. By the Santiago Bay came the first blacks slaves to Cuba and with them, and strong African and Spanish roots. The city has been growing at the bottom of the bay and is surrounded on land by the Sierra Maestra. This makes the hot and humid climate of the place, while you can admire beautiful landscapes with a rich composition of urban elements, natural and marine resources at the same time. It has an irregular land, contributing to the development of an urban setting where the avenues and streets are steep or descend.
In the city match multiple architectural styles, from Baroque to neoclassical more refined.
Of particular interest wooded parks, streets graded, the colonial buildings with huge windows and crowded balconies. Santiago historical treasures are preserved as the first house in America, the first cathedral in Cuba, the first copper mine open pit of the entire American continent, or the first museum in Cuba. But beyond its own charms that result from urban environments, Santiago de Cuba can not exist without his people spontaneous, cheerful, natural.
*Guantanamo
The province of Guantanamo is the easternmost of the island of Cuba. Far from Havana to 2,000 kilometers. The vegetation of the province is divided into almost desert and other areas of mountainous vegetation.
The main attraction is the city of Baracoa, The first Cuban city founded in 1512 and the first capital of the island. In this city you can visit many strengths that were built for the defense of corsairs and pirates. Since the city can see the famous Yunque de Baracoa and "Sleeping Beauty", stunning elevations with odd shapes.
*Isla de la Juventud, Isle of Youth , "The Treasure Island"
This enchanting island, that was discovered 1494 of Christopher Columbus during his second America-trip, set in the Canarreos-Archipel, between Cuba and Mexico. It served over centuries as base for English and French pirates, who were after the Spanish Galleons, that load richly, with gold and silver from South America to Europe did in Havana stopovers and visited on this occasion at the treasure Island. Also Sir Francis Drake served it as pirate-basis in the 18th century. Few years only ago was found some chests filled with gold coins; also numerous shipwrecks were discovered from times of the Spanish conquerors in the south of the island.
The property circumstances of the Island changed in the course of the history several times; also, the Island names are to be not counted at a hand. Named from Columbus
"Evangelista ", it turned during the Pirate times into the Devil - and Pirate Island, late Pine Island. Officially now " Isla de la Juventud " (" Island of the Youth "), it is called today to Divers and Tourists "The Treasure Island." The Canarreos-coral archipelago, with 672 islands and islets, is the second-biggest coral reef of the world and extends from Cuba up to the Bahamas. The treasure Island possesses a total surface of 2.199 square kilometers and is consequently eight times bigger than the Island Malta. This beautiful Island with its fantastic underwater Canarreos Reefs is pristine for scuba diving.
The 15 Province's of Cuba--from West to East
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