National parks of Cuba. Reserved Cuba - visiting nature Reserves and national parks of Cuba
Review of the most interesting national parks in Cuba
In Cuba, summer reigns all year round, and incredible sandy beaches and amazing nature are some of its main assets. You can admire nature in one of the national parks, each of which has its own characteristics and is worth a visit.
National parks located in the Sierra Maestra mountain range
Baconao Park, covering an area of 85 thousand hectares and located in the southern part of Cuba. Museum ground transport, a prehistoric park with hundreds of dinosaurs, an aquarium with dolphins and seals, ruins of coffee plantations - this is only a small part of what can be seen in Baconao, so for a day visit it is best to take a car.
Fans of stunning landscapes should head to the Sierra Maestra Park, where specialized excursions are organized. Some endangered animal species live only in this reserve. Raging rivers, huge rocks and gloomy forests await tourists here. It’s worth it at least for a visit to this park: here was once the headquarters of the legendary Fidel Castro.
Another park called Desembarco del Granma is a place where you can meet the most large number plants, go diving, and also visit underground caves, where are conducted archaeological excavations. You need to get to this park from Havana by train or plane. In addition, it is worth visiting the Giant's Staircase, a large terrace system.
National parks near Holguin province
One of Cuba's authentic parks is La Menzura, a park almost entirely planted with pine trees. From here you can walk or ride horses to Guayabo - the highest and beautiful waterfall Cubes. In addition, the park houses a research center. Interestingly, almost 1,000 species of birds and animals live here, about half of which are not found anywhere else in the world.
Another unusual park is the Sierra del Cristal, which is the oldest in Cuba. From here the most open beautiful views, since the park has one of the highest mountain peaks Cuba, on the slopes of which orchids grow. National Park Barie Monument, on the contrary, is one of the newest. Here, a small Spanish fleet is combined with Greco-Roman columns, and the shade of baria trees hides the cultural symbols of the Cuban people and the statue of Columbus.
Named after the German scientist, Alexander Humboldt Park is essentially one of a kind: its territory has a very wide range of altitudes. Here you can find the unique symbols of Cuba - the maripos flower and the tocororo bird. For tourists, there are a large number of hotels in the park, and there is also a camping area.
Unique national parks of Cuba
Topes de Callantes Park is located near Trinidad. The tropical forest is home to a huge number of colorful butterflies and hummingbirds. The park has entertainment for extreme sports enthusiasts - you can drive military vehicles along picturesque rocks with sharp descents and fairly steep climbs. Hiking into the caves, to the 27-meter waterfall Salto del Caburuni, ending with a descent along a slightly smaller body of water - these unforgettable experience waiting for tourists.
On the territory national park-reserve The Sierra del Rosario is worth a look mineral springs and lakes, a former coffee plantation, an incredible waterfall called El Salto, and an orchid garden. This park is home to 100 species of colorful birds and rare tree species.
The national parks located in Cuba are the rarest natural objects. Most of them are protected by the international organization UNESCO.
Everything remains on the planet fewer places , untouched by civilization. Cuba, a third of whose territory today is occupied by protected reserves, is one of them, a real Eldorado for those who are going on a journey in search of pristine natural beauty. Where else can you find such a variety of ecosystems concentrated on such a small area of land, the length of which is only 1,200 kilometers? And although forests on the island today occupy only ten percent of the territory, thanks to the mild climate and fertile soils, about four percent of everything is concentrated here flora planets: more than 6,000 species of plants and flowers. On the moist soils of the plains and low slopes there are tropical forests - deciduous and evergreen. And on the dry and rocky land in the west and east of the island you will find pine forests, giving way to mangrove forests on the low-lying coasts. In the arid southeast of Cuba, thorny small-leaved shrubs grow, different types cacti and agaves.
Only here you can see a relict cork palm Microcycas calocoma and the endemic seibon tree, whose outlines resemble a prehistoric monster.Cuba is one of the record-breaking countries for endemic species plants, there are more than half of the total number of species. On southeast coast you can see a cactus Escobaria cubensis- a miniature plant, about three centimeters in diameter. Another local endemic is the haguey fig tree with a bizarre interweaving of above-ground roots. But for the rarest specimens, you need to go to the Viñales Valley National Park, declared a heritage of humanity by UNESCO. It is unlikely that anywhere else you can find such picturesque landscapes with unique karst hills. Only here you can see a relict cork palm Microcycas calocoma, whose age is lost in the Cretaceous period, and the endemic seibon tree, whose outlines resemble a prehistoric monster. Well, if your goal is tropical forests with lush thickets of tree ferns, intricately flowering trees and vines, you need to go to the northeast of the country, to the Alejandro de Humboldt National Park, where the most extensive tropical forests in the entire Caribbean. Is on the island and truly unique places, like the Desembarco del Granma National Park in southeastern Cuba. Only here you can see picturesque waterfalls and naturally formed reservoirs, bizarre cliffs and stepped terraces, as if born from the coastal waters. They are still in the process of formation, and scientists who come here have a rare opportunity to observe how karst topography is formed on Earth. But it is not science that attracts tourists to this reserve. Here is a botanical paradise with 612 species of plants, observing which you can come across something completely outlandish, for example, a miniature orchid Tetramicra malpighiarum, not reaching two centimeters in diameter. Cuba – best place for hunting For rare animals, of course, we are talking about hunting with a camera. Animal world The islands, like the vegetation, are unlike anything else. There are few vertebrates here, but there are apparently invisibly non-poisonous reptiles, half of which are also endemic. Like, for example, a giant boa constrictor Epicrates angulifer, reaching four meters in length. It feeds on bats, of which there are more than 23 species, and among them is one of the smallest in the world - Natalus lepidus. Its microscopic size can only be rivaled by the local dwarf frog Eleutherodactylus limbatus and Cuban bird - hummingbird . Another Cuban endemic is the prehensile-tailed rodent Hutia. Sarromyidae pilorides– also a record holder of sorts. The carcass of this largest mammal on the island can reach 60 centimeters. Want to see him? You will certainly meet him in the Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve. And the most famous of the reptiles of Cuba, the rhombifer crocodile (Crocodylus rhombifer Cuvier), an endemic species, you can see in the Zapata Peninsula Nature Reserve, where even relict creatures swim in the coastal waters - the herbivorous manatee (Trichechus manatus) and the semi-reptile fish manhuari. The Zapata Peninsula is also a kingdom of birds. Of the 300 species of birds in Cuba, over 170 species live and nest in the vast territory of the reserve, most of which are also endemic. Well, leaving Cuba without seeing Caribbean flamingos is simply unforgivable. Thousands of these beautiful birds can be seen at their nesting sites in the wetlands along the Rio Maximo and Caguey rivers. The spectacle is unforgettable! It is not for nothing that this territory was included in the list of wetlands of international importance by the Ramsar Convention of 1971. Tell us about everything that awaits you in nature reserves Cubes, impossible. You just need to get ready and go - if there is any on Earth paradises, then those in Cuba are among them.
Cuba is one of the most popular tourist destinations Caribbean Sea. Her rich history And national traditions, magnificent colonial architecture and other cultural, historical and natural attractions, wonderful climate, warm sea and excellent beaches will make your trip to Cuba unforgettable.
Havana - administrative, political, cultural, scientific, and also the main tourist center countries, cosmopolitan province. Havana is visited annually by more than half of all foreign tourists coming to the country. Its main charm is the city itself with its variety of architecture, wide avenues and famous boulevards, and especially its historical center, declared by UNESCO as a Heritage of Humanity in 1982.
The country's second largest city, Santiago de Cuba, is famous for its magnificent fortress of San Pedro de la Roca (Castillo del Morro), which is included in the list World Heritage UNESCO. On the territory of the fortress there is most interesting Museum history of piracy. Santiago de Cuba is located in a cozy bay surrounded by high picturesque mountains. And in its vicinity there is the beautiful Gran Piedra National Park, on the territory of which there is a tourist center of the same name, and the original National natural park Baconao (declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve). Bacanao is famous throughout the world for its Prehistoric Valley, Sculpture Meadow and Lagoon.
The province of Pinar del Rio is located in the west of the island and is famous, firstly, for its beautiful nature, and, secondly, for its tobacco plantations. Attractions in the region: the city of Pinar del Rio, the Viñales Valley National Park and Soroa. Capital of the same name The province is interesting for its Provincial Museum of Natural Sciences, the Guasch Palace, the Milanes Theater and the Francisco Donatien cigar factory. The Viñales Valley, located in the Sierra de los Organos, is notable for its mogotes, steep, flat-topped hills, the Indian Cave, the Cave of Santo Tomas, the healing springs of San Vicente and a prehistoric fresco on the wall of one of the mogotes. "
Trinidad de Cuba is a city-museum of colonial architecture, declared by UNESCO a heritage of humanity and a cultural monument of world significance. The city was founded in 1514 by Diego Velazquez. Times have changed, but Trinidad itself is still the same as it was 2 centuries ago with its Baroque churches, red tile roofs, pavements and wrought iron grilles. It is especially recommended to pay attention to the Romantic Museum, the Museum of Architecture, the Archaeological Museum, the Museum of the Fight against Bandits, the Alexander Humboldt Museum of Natural Sciences and the Guamuaya Archaeological Museum.
The section "attractions of Cuba" of our portal contains information about all the main, main and most interesting attractions of Cuba, excursions and places that you definitely need to visit and see.
Cuba (Spanish: Cuba), official name- Republic of Cuba (Spanish: República de Cuba), unofficial since 1959 - Liberty Island - island state in the northern Caribbean. The country occupies the territory of the island of Cuba as part of the Great Antilles, Juventud Islands and many smaller islands. From North America Cuba is separated by the Strait of Florida to the north and the Yucatan Strait to the west.
In the very west of the island lies the unique Viñales Valley (listed Cultural heritage UNESCO) in the Sierra de los Organos mountains, with bizarre rock formations "mogotes", many traces of prehistoric human settlements, plantations of the world's best black tobacco, an extensive system of caves and springs mineral waters, and also, not surprisingly, with numerous tourist complexes. Also of particular interest to tourists are the Sierra del Rosario and Guanaacabibes biosphere reserves (also included in the UNESCO Cultural Heritage List), and excellent diving sites near Maria la Gorda.
The Viñales Valley (Spanish: Valle de Viñales) is a karst lowland in western Cuba, the valley occupies 132 km² and is surrounded by the Sierra de los Organos mountains. Located 30 km north of the provincial capital Pinar del Rio. In 1999, the cultural landscape of the valley was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Sierra Maestra National Park is located on the mountain range of the same name, stretching for 240 km along south coast Caribbean Sea. The Sierra Maestra Mountains are truly impressive in their size; on their slopes there are 3 more national Cuban parks.
Baconao National Park - perfect place for those who would like during one excursion and natural resources admire and have fun. The park covers an area of more than 85 thousand hectares between Caribbean Sea And majestic mountains Sierra Maestra,
Sierra del Rosario National Park is located on the Guaniguanico Peninsula in western Cuba, on the Rosario mountain range. The territory of the reserve, stretching for more than 250 km, is an untouched forest area with areas of tropical forests and evergreen vegetation.
The Topes de Collantes National Park is located at an altitude of 800 m above sea level, in the middle mountain range Sierra del Escambray. A visit to this amazing natural area is the most popular excursion in Trinidad. The most convenient way to explore the park is one day excursion by jeep.
