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Habana Province

Capital City: La Habana

San Felipe

Bacuranao, Megano, Boca Ciega, Santa Maria and Guanabo Beachesthe last two are the largest and most popular-are over eight and a half miles (around 14 km) long, white white sand of coral origin and clear, warm, green-blue water. There are many options for accomodations and services, including the Tarara Marina, which has facilities for scuba diving and other water sports. The adjacent seabed is facinating, with abundant Flower Coral (Eusmilia fastigiata) and Brain Coral (Diploria spp.) and a profusion of vividly colored fish that live near coral. In the deeper water, you can see turtles, Blue Marlins (Makaira nigrencans), Tuna (Scombridge) and Sword fish (Xiphias gladius). In general, the city's long shoreline is excellent for scuba diving-there are more than 70 diving sites in this area 62 miles (100 km) long and nearly two miles (3 km) wide, including some sunken ships which have been declared a part of Cuba's historic heritage. Four international scuba diving centers serve the capital.

Still farther east, in Havana Province, beautiful Jibacoa, Tropico and Puerto Escondido Beaches continue the series, their white sand bordered on the landward side by lush vegetation and cliffs up to 328 feet (100 m) high and on the seaward side by incredible green and blue water.

West of Havana, the Marina Hemingway Tourist Community offers the most complete range of marina facilities in the country. Still farther west, in Havana Province again (city of Havana is bounded by Havana Province to the east, south and west), tranquil El Salado Beach, protected by coral reefs, has more scuba diving sites.

Bacuranao, Megano, Boca Ciega, Santa Maria and Guanabo Beaches are on the northern coast of Cuba around 12 and a half miles (20 km)-just a few minutes' drivee-ast of Havana, on the way to Matanzas Province. Havana is the main place of entry in the country, either by air-trough Jose Marti International Airport (which has three terminals, plus an Aerocaribbean terminal, and receives flights from more than 40 cities in other countries)-or by sea trough its marina and the modern cruise ship terminal at the port. Tourists visiting other parts of the country can reach Havana by road, rail, sea or air.

There are scores of activities, both at the beaches and in the city. They include swimming, sunning, snorkeling, scuba diving and other water sports (windsurfing, pedal boating, sailing and rowing); going on excursions along the shore; fishing; tennis, squash, beach volleybal and other land sports; tours of the city; visits to museums and to other places of historic, cultural and recreational interest; and going on excursion packages to other tourist resorts in the archipelago.

Thousands of people come to Cuba on health, conference and incentive tourism plans. Others come to attend international festivals or to sample the islands'night life in clubs, cabarets, discotheques and nightclubs.

The beaches have many modern hotels. Havana itself has more than 60 hotels, tourist complexes, inns, villas and spas, most of them of 5, 4 or 3 stars, with air-conditioned rooms, satelite TV, internet, safes and other features, depending on their category. The hotels also have swimming pools, gymnasiums, beauty parlors, massages, saunas and jacuzzis; restaurants with a wide range of cuisine, bars, grills and cafetarias; and dicotques, clubs, cafe's and cabarets. The other hotel features include child-care services, doctors on call 24 hours a day, a solarium, art galleries, shops, tennis courts, facilities for other sports, game rooms, buses, rental cars, taxis and other means of transportation. Some of the hotels have special rooms for people with disabilities. There are museums, boutiques, shopping malls, cigar shop, drug stores and facilities for scuba diving and other water sports.

Choose between accommodations on the shore; in the outskirts of the city; or right in Havana-in the oldest part of the city, in one of the residential areas or in areas with plenty of greenery. Havana has several international clinics and drug stores, Houses of Habanos and cigar shops, speciality shops in many spheres and shopping malls. It also has a large network of restaurants, bars and cabarets, discotheques, cafe's and clubs; handicrafts fairs, florist's, jewelry stores, liquor shops, photoservice shops, fashion houses, banks, messenger services post offices and conference centers (the largest and most inportant in havana's International Conference Center, but there are several others, and many of the hotels also have conference halls). For transportation choose among taxis, horse-drawn carriages, rental cars and rental air-conditioned campers.

The Tarara and Hemingway Marinas are both near Havana: Tarara Marina to the east, and the Hemingway Marina to the west. The latter has first class accommodations, a shopping mall, several restaurants, a modern recreation room, facilities for stocking up on drinking water and provisions, repairs, a ship chandler's, nautical charts, weather information, Customs and immigration offices, boat rentals, a beauty parlor and a fitness center. Havana also has four international scuba-diving centers and many other options.

Artemisa, founded in 1818, is named after the Greek god of fertility, Artemis. Artemisa is the among the most interesting towns on the route between the cities of Havana and Pinar del Río. Artemisa is also the largest, with a population of roughly 160,000.

Artemisa is an attractive and vibrant town with the quintessential Cuban mix of well-preserved neoclassical-style, pastel-painted buildings featuring ornate columns in the Doric and Ionic styles.

The setting of Artemisa is certainly an urban one, but it also provides a rustic taste of Cuban country life, as it is a thoroughfare for farmers on horseback.

Historically, Artemisa has been a strong cultural center, and that tradition continues today. The city is home to one of the province's most active Casas de la Cultura, the state-sponsored facilities for plays, music, and other cultural activities.

Artemisa is home to a number of interesting museums, most of which are dedicated to the 24 Moncada attackers (out of 150 in all) that came from Artemisa.

Bananas….bananas and bananas….or in better Spanish, platanos. Watch out for farmers who are protecting their fruit for people who want to steel it and sell the platanos at the black market.

Batabanó is one of the seven cities originally founded in 1515 by Velasquez' men, and was the original Spanish site of Havana. It was actually called San Cristóbal de la Habana for four years before present-day Havana was established about 30 miles north.

Today, Batabanó has a population of about 15,000 people. Like many of the small towns in the southern part of Havana province, Batabanó is a depressing place. Eastern-bloc architecture looms over the swampy landscape, and there is not much in the way of interesting sights to see.

Batabanó does feature excellent sponge diving. Its primary trade is fishing, as it is very near the southern coast. It also serves as the port to Isla de la Juventud (Isle of Youth, also called Isle of Pines).

"Surgidero de Batano" is also famous about the fishing of lobsters and shrimps, so for having a great fishy diner…this is the place to go….lots of good small fish restaurants.

"Museo Municipal", at Calle 64 #7502

Güines exists since the XVII century, since at that time an Indian by the name of "Guzmán" built there the first catholic church, made of straw and mud. The second one, made of wood and with a tiled roof, was built by the Bishop of Havana in 1804. Today's church, made of concrete and of solid construction was started in 1815, but with two towers. In 1870 a hurricane destroyed one of its towers. In 1872, the remaining tower was demolished, and the church was rebuilt with only one tower, the one that exists today, gracious and attractive. The patron saint of Güines is St. Julián, whose feast is celebrated on January 28. Guines website

In this village is a "Santaria" house open for tourists. Madruga is very proud of his original American buildings. North east of Madruga you will find the, started in 1917, sugar factory "Camilo Cienfuegos"

Then-U.S.-President Jimmy Carter welcomed the refugees warmly, lifting normal restrictions and requirements for their entrance into America. While Castro must have been embarrassed that so many people sought to leave his country, he used the situation to his advantage, getting rid not only of his political opponents, but also sending "undesirable" elements - the mentally insane, violent criminals, as well as others. This move caused President Carter a great deal of embarrassment in the U.S. and placed him in a very submissive position.

"El Cacahual", The final resting place of Antonio Maceo, he was a black general and hero from the first independence war. "El Ricon Santuario de San Lazaro", The most importend western pilgrims center of Cuba In the night of December 16th more then 50.000 Cubans come to visit this place to get rid of evil spirits. On Sundays it can be quiet busy. Aids Sanatorium, between Santiago de Las Vegas and El Ricon. Opened in 1986, Cubans who are HIV positive are treatend here and will stay for a few weeks, after this they can decide to go home, but a lot stay because the health care could be much better here then in their own home town.

The Cuba AIDS Project

Was founded in 1995. Alberto Montano (1953- 1999), as Executive Director, was instrumental in the formation of the Cuba AIDS Project. While in Washington, D.C., in 1995, Alberto met with President Clinton and discussed his plans to help Cuban HIV/AIDS patients. After Alberto's untimely death, current members of the Cuba AIDS Project expanded People To People Contacts between the USA and Cuba in compliance with recent changes in USA policy.

• For more info see: http://www.cubaaidsproject.com

A real charming town with high trees, old houses and friendly inhabitants, just off the freeway at El Catao. "Iglesia de Nuestra Senora del Rosario", Also called "Catedral de los Campos de Cuba" (Cathedral of the Cuban Countryside) Best to visit Sunday afternoon at 14.30, when this Cathedral is in action. On the other side of the square is the rebuilded house of the "Count of Casa Bayona", the old owner of the Quiebrahacha sugar factory. "Casa de la Cultura", About the legends of this region