The Cuban tourist sector, an essential element in the domestic economy, bets on the expansion according to a scheme which gives priority to the efficiency and values added to the different leisure options.

Apart from the traditional sun and beach offers, Cuba promotes options including nature tourism, nautical tourism, sports, congress and convention tourism and incentive tourism, complemented by culture, traditions and history.

Cuba has a rapidly growing hotel infrastructure which complements the natural, historical and cultural attractions of the island.

Dozens of kilometers of excellent beaches, a large portfolio of extra-hotel activities, shows and health options are combined in the Cuban tourist offers.

Together with the development of modern hotels, the country has also repaired and maintained facilities with a centenary history.

The Plaza hotel, located in Havana’s historic heart, stands out among these lodging facilities which benefit from close to a hundred years of experience in the tourist business.

The hotel was opened in the former mansion of the Count and Countess of Casa Pedroso in January 1909, and became the third building of its kind near Havana’s Central Park.

Havana also has the Nacional Hotel, with over seven decades of experience and included among the 10 Palace hotels in the world; and it was the only five-star hotel in the Caribbean during the 1930’s and the 1950’s.

In addition, Havana has the Inglaterra Hotel, the senior lodging facility of the tourist sector in the island, which was opened on December 23, 1875, and named after England, the main world power at the time.

Varadero, in the western area of the island, is located along 22 kilometers of beaches in the Hicacos peninsula, offering a sea of the most various color shades which bathe fine and white sands.

Meanwhile, more than 70,000 kilometers of island shelf are available for diving activities, with about 5,000 kilometers of coastline bathed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

More than 30 diving centers can be found throughout the country, including facilities for beginners’ courses, as well as diving in coral reefs and caverns, always under the international standards for such activities.

The Cuban cultural and historic heritage also plays a key role, especially in Havana where a complex fortress system, composed of nine huge constructions, represents one of the most relevant defense systems in Spanish America.

Likewise, Havana’s historic heart, declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, holds more than 100 buildings dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries, while 200 more were built in the 18th century.