Cuba, the Large Island, provides visitors with many tourism offers. Located at the entrance of the Gulf of Mexico, the Cuban archipelago is formed by the Isle of Cuba, the Isle of Youth and approximately 4,195 cays and islets. Near 140 km separate Cuba from The Bahamas; 77 from Haiti; 180 from Florida; 210 from Cancun and 146 from Jamaica. The silhouette of Cuba, with1,200 km long and between 32 and 145 km wide. As a total, the territory measures some 110,922 km2, distinguishing the island as the largest of the Antilles.

GETTING THERE You can visit the island from Spain though Iberia, Air Europe, Spanair and Cubana de Aviación. They all fly regularly to the island. Also 36 airlines of Europe and the Americas do it. The Cuban national airline flies from the main cities of Europe and the Americas. There are charter flights from London, Frankfurt, Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Quebec, Halifax, Buenos Aires, Cancún and between Santiago de Cuba and Montego Bay, Jamaica. There are also regular flights in charters between Cayo Largo and Grand Cayman and occasionally between Providence, Turks and Caicos and Santiago de Cuba. The Cuban airline Aerocaribbean has an agreement with Bahamas Air for a daily service covering Miami-Nassau- Havana, changing the plane in Nassau. Also many flight connections are also available, including Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia and Dominican Republic. Aerocaribbean flies from Puerto Rico, Haiti, Santiago de Cuba and Havana on Thursdays. Mexicana de Aviación organizes travel packages. Several Canadian tour operators depart from Toronto and Montreal. Packages are also possible from Venezuela, The Bahamas and Jamaica. Cubana de Aviación offers services to the most important cities. Aerogaviota is an airline with national and international flights to Central America and the Caribbean.

GOING AROUND CUBA By air: Regular flights and charters of national airlines arrive from all the provinces and the most important are cays from the archipelago. By land: An important access way of the country is the Central Highway that goes all over the Cuban territory from East to West, joining both tips of the island. The so-called Via Blanca that joins Havana with the East beaches, Matanzas and Varadero is one of the most congested in Cuba. Car Rental: Travelers can rent a car in a place and then to return it in another locality. Standard, economical and deluxe vehicles can be rented in airports, hotel and tourism facilities all over the island. Traffic license and passport are indispensable. International traffic signaling is in effect. Railroad: There are two type of trains, express which are faster and equipped with air conditioning and the regular ones. Vessels: At Batabanó Port on the South of Havana, there is a service of hydrofoil boat, two times a day and a ferry boat once a day that travels to Isle of Youth.

Currency Though the Cuban pesos is the national currency, US dollars are used to pay the tourism services, which can circulate freely throughout the whole national territory.There are many places to exchange dollars into pesos, the most known ones are CADECA, whose central office is in Lamparilla 4, Old Havana, phone 66 9628. How to Pay Either in cash or by credit card such as international visa, MasterCard, Access, Bancomer International, Eurocard, Banamex, Dinners Club International, Cabal, VCB and Carnet, Traveler Cheques and vouchers.

SHOPPING Stores are available in all hotels and several establishment chains allows visitors to buy: Crafts: Cuban crafts highlights fundamentally in wood, leather, and thatch hats, musical instruments and the like. Rum: Tourist cannot leave the island without buying at least one or two rum bottles. Music: CDs are available in most of the stores with superb traditional and contemporaneous Cuban music.

lodge In Cuba there is a large range of 5-,4- and 3- star hotel facilities and some with the all-inclusive modality. Important Cuban and international hotel chains operate in the island.

Festivals Cuba is a setting of important festivals as New Cuban Film, International Havana Ballet, Havana Guitar, Theater, Boleros de Oro, Jazz Plaza, Humor Biennal of San Antonio de los Baños, Casa de las Américas Prize, Caribbean Culture Celebrations, Cucalambé Cultural Week, Carnival and traditional Parrandas (street parties).

Food There are many light food points and international cuisine restaurants: Chinese, Italian, Spanish, Arabic and Creole. Typical Cuban fishes are pork-fried, roast or fricasse moros y cristianos rice (a mixture of rice and black beans); cassava and fried root vegetables (fried flat green plantain/chatinos/ chicharritas/, potato and sweet potatoes), vegetable salads; ajíaco (a bouillon made of greens, vegetable, root vegetable and meat), the home-made desserts made of coconut or mango or guava or papaya), accompanied with cheese.

NOT-TO-BE MISSED The Cuban capital, Havana, is an ideal destination to find many interests among them the cultural ones as attendance to concerts, meetings with artists, cinema, museums and especially, visits along the old part of the city, declared by UNESCO as Heritage of Mankind in 1982. Santiago de Cuba and Holguín in the eastern region are resorts of increasing interest among visitors. As the main tourism axis is Varadero, the traditional Cuban beach at some 140 Km on the East of Havana and with an excellent hotel infrastructure. Other paradisiacal area is the cays is the cays on the North of Ciego de Ávila, especially Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo and other islets of Jardines del Rey. Not-to-be-missed in Havana are the castles of Los Tres Reyes del Morro, La Cabaña and La Punta, San Francisco de Asís Basilica (16th century) and Havana Cathedral. Capitanes Generales Palace in Arms Square, where there are interesting articles of outmost interest of the history of Cuba. Revolution Square was the setting of significant moments of the revolutionary process and there a monument compound is erected to pay honor to the hero of independence José Martí.

What to Do On the other hand, there is the possibility of enjoying water activities managed by the companies Marinas Puertosol S.A., Marlin Marinas and Marinas Gaviotas, that organize water activities as diving, navigation and fish. Marina Hemingway is the most important marina of the country. In Cuba there are three important store chains Caracol and Universo where can be replaced travel items or go shopping to buy gifts. For cigar smokers there are 2 important centers, Havana Cigar House from Partagás House, located in central Havana and that of Varadero Beach which is a network of 30 establishments located in important capitals as Madrid, Paris. There are also 10 cigar houses with cigar twisters that prepare cigars at the sight of customers.

Music Music is present at all moments in any place in Cuba. Either in the most luxurious restaurant or in the most secluded site there will be a musical show. More information in our report about music.

Cigar Over 40 types of hand-rolled Havana cigars are differentiated in size, width and shape. Prestigious brands as Cohiba, founded in 1966, Montecristo, The King of the World, Romeo y Julieta, Bolívar, Rafael González, Flor de Cano, Punch or Partagás have taken to the five continents the fame of the Cuban cigar which has counted on illustrious smokers of the level of Groucho Marx, Somerset Maugham, Mark Twain or the very Winston Churchill, who ironically used to say. "I always have Cuba in my lips". The most abundant cigars are elaborated with black cigar, among which highlight quality brands as H. Upman, Partagás or Reil.

ECOLOGICAL TOURISM The wealth of flora and fauna in Cuba have its reflection on over 1,000 species of plants and registered species. Its landscape has a lot to do with the humid tropical and moderate climate. Islands that make up the Cuban coasts are one of the most outstanding attractions of Cuba ecotourism. Cuba has also over a hundred protected areas including among them 14 national parks regarded as true natural sanctuaries.

CURIOSIDADES - CURIOSITIES CUBA, TIERRA dE AZÚCAR, TABACO Y RON cuba, the land of sugar, cigar and rum

Cuba es el primer productor del mundo de caña, con diez millones de toneladas al año. Durante siglos ha sido el principal motor en la economía del país y se han desarrollado numerosas técnicas para sacar diversas aplicaciones. El ron cubano es famoso en todo el mundo; su calidad, resultado de la variedad de la caña, el clima, la luz solar, la humedad, y la experiencia. Hay muchas marcas, la más conocida internacionalmente es Havana Club. COCTELERÍA. Cuba cuenta en su haber con los cócteles más famosos del mundo. En la visita a La Habana no puede dejar de visitar El Floridita para beber su famoso Daiquirí. Otro lugar clásico es La Bodeguita del Medio, allí no se puede dejar de probar el mojito.

Cuba is the first sugarcane producer in the world with 10 million tons a year. Over centuries has been the main backbone in the economy of the country . Cuban rum is worldwide famous, its quality is the result of the sugar cane variety, the climate and the sunlight, humidity and experience. There are many brands the most worldwide known is Havana Club. COCKTAILS. Cuba has the most famous cocktails of the world. In the visit to Havana you cannot miss Floridita to drink the famous daiquiri, another classic place is La Bodeguita del Medio, you cannot leave without seaping a mojito.