Fourteen counties and a special municipality

Pinar del Río

Pinar del Río is the most western. In their orography the valleys and the mountains prevail. In some areas both elements are mingled forming a beautiful landscape at the same time that provoking, what could be an immense plain is sprinkled of some rounded mountains, almost semisphericals in many cases (mogotes), and in spite of the stony appearances of these mountains, of them an abundant and varied vegetation emerges. It is one of places more marvelous of the island. 
It is par excellence the tobacco area, where the valuable black tobacco is harvested, base of the cigars. In the county you can visit the mogotes of the Sierra de los Organos, the Valle de Viñales, the mural of the Prehistory -a artificial bald patch in a mogote where they have painted some ancestral symbols recently -, the Sierra del Rosario -World Reservation of the Biosphere -, Soroa -with a jump of water of a meter score and the magnificent botanical garden of orchidaceous -. 
As for cities, don't forget to go for a walk for the capital, Pinar del Río, with an architecture that conserves its traditional portals and columns very well, there will be able to visit a factory of tobacco and to contemplate the careful art of the production of the Cuban cigars in all its steps, as well as a guava factory (a typical liquor of the area and that it would recommend you that you proved in its flavors I dry off and, mainly, the candy).

The county of Havana is not only where the capital of the nation is located, with a population of something more than two million people -almost the 25 percent of the total one of the country -, but rather to its surroundings they are a series of towns that they denominate Havana field". Its economic base is the agriculture and some few industrial centers. Among these last ones Mariel is, been founded in 1762, during the British dominance. It has importance the trade developed in their port, as well as the industries that have left developing from half-filled of XX century. Known to be starting point of the most important expedition of Cuban in address to the United States, travelers that are known as the " marielitos ". 
If we continue for the highway in address to Pinar del Río, toward the west, we arrive to Artemisa that takes their name of the Greek god of the fertility, Artemis. It was founded in the year 1818 and in her buildings of style neoclassicist are conserved. Dominated by the culture, it has a museum dedicated to the assault to Moncada's barracks, since a great number of those that participated in the intent to overthrow to the régime of Batista was natives of this city. 
In the south coast of the county we have Batabáno, one of the first cities been founded in the island by Velásquez in 1515, today a small town that serves as port connection with the Youth's Island (before Island of Pines).

It is important for the agriculture and, mainly, for the tourism, without forgetting the locations of petroleum and gas. In the north coast it is the spa of Varadero. In the south coast of the county it is the muddy peninsula of Zapata, the area of Bahía de Cochinos (Bay Pigs) and the city ofPlaya Girón (Beach Girón). 
Matanzas is the capital of the county, cradle of artists' of the Afro-Cuban culture great number. It is important for their commercial and fishing port from the colonial times, to be that of exit of the tobacco, sugar and foods. It doesn't have many tourist attractiveness, although you can visit: the Cultural Center José White, the Cave of Bellamar, the valley of Ymurí and the Caves of Bellamar. A small pharmaceutical museum that shows also exists like the medicines were made century and half ago in the island. 
The spa of Varadero, main focus of tourism of the island, it is located in the north area of the county, on a narrow peninsula of more than 20 kilometers, where extensive beaches of fine white sand and transparent waters are located, in those that you will be able to practice the submarine fishing and other nautical sports. You will be able to enjoy a great number of reputed hotels, restaurants, cabarets and discos. 
In the muddy peninsula of Zapata, at half hour of Varadero, you can visit the Natural Park of Montemar, an important animal paradise and vegetable for the lovers of the nature, there they are the you pierce historical of Bay of Pigs and Beach Girón. In the small town of Beach Girón is the equal museum it names, where you will be able to remember the invasion intent on the part of the anti-Castro one in 1961. They are also magnificent the beaches of this area. In this same area Guamá is, in which you can visit a litel cocodriles reserve and the village Taína (with sculptures of old aboriginal in different daily tasks).

County with exit to the sea Caribbean, to the south, enjoys the important bay of Jagua, one of the main points of entrance of matters cousins and of supply for the industries of bordering counties. This small county is one of those most industrialized ones (refineries, tobacco, cement plants and steel mill) and of the less important ones in agriculture. The relief is dominated by Santa Clara's Heights and the Sierra from Trinidad (Escambray) and the coastal plains with its spectacular beaches. 
The capital, of equal names that this central county, it was founded by a collective colonists frenchs arrived at the beginning of the XIX century to such an effect, of there the French ornamental influence. It is erected in the bay of Jagua next to the castle of Nuestra Señora de Jagua, built in 1745. It is worthwhile to visit one another in Cienfuegos the park José Martí, the Cathedral and the theater Tomás Terry. Also, near the city is the Botanical Garden, one of the best of the tropical plant world. Important cultural focus from its birth, is the singer's cradle Benny Moré and the orchestra Aragon. The marine port transforms it into an important trade center.

It is located to the north of Cienfuegos and with exit to the ocean Atlantic. Second area of plantation of tobacco of the Island, after Pinar del Río, and important for the sugar production. It possesses tobacco, chemical industries, steel mill and electronics. 
Their capital is Santa Clara, located in the central area of the county and next to the one it pierces mountainous of Santa Clara's heights. It was founded in the XVII century. In spite of city in passing for the tourism, they highlight their theaters, architecture and places dedicated to the fall of Batista. For the nostalgic of the figure of the "Che", from the summer of 1998 Ernesto's remains rest there in a mausoleum Guevara and some of the guerillas fighters that accompanied him in Bolivia. Not much more than 40 kilometers in address to the coast is Remedios, with one of the best architectural groups in the colonial stage that are conserved in the Island.

Fair amid the Island it is the county of Santi Spíritus, important for their tourist places. There some important valleys of agricultural production are located. It also possesses protected nature areas and beautiful beaches in the south. 
Their capital, Sancti Spíritus, one of the first ones that the Spaniards were founded was (1514) and its style is colonial. It runs off with next to the great reservoir of Zaza. The city of Trinidad (1514), in the west of the county and near the limits with that of Cienfuegos, it is one of the conserved better colonial architectural jewels of the country, with Baroque and neoclassical constructions, what was worth him in 1988 the declaration of Patrimony of the Humanity of the UNESCO. In her you should visit the biggest Square, the Church of the Santísima Trinidad, the Palacio of Brunet, the Museum of the Architecture, and the Museum of theLucha contra Bandidos (Fight against Bandits). To enjoy in your night exits in the city it is advisable to be given a walk by the local "The ruins of Segarve". In the vicinity of Trinidad it is the mountain of the Escambray, with the places of you Collide of Collantes and the jump of water 654 meters high of the river Caburní; the Valle de los Ingenios (Valley of the Geniuses) or the beach Ancón, one of the best of the area, where you can practice nautical sports as the diving. 
More information on this county can find it in the page Magon.

Area baptized by their discoverer Diego Velázquez like Jardines del Rey (Gardens of the King), in front of the costs of the county the keys Coco and Guillermo, true natural reservations are. The first squatter an extension of 370 square kilometers in their forest majority and some magnificent beaches; it unites to the Island for a highway on an breakwater of more than 15 kms. of long. They are one of the new areas dedicated to the tourism for few years, with few but complete complex tourist. 
Moron is the nearest important town to the keys, in which is the famous Gallo -Rooster- (a great metal sculpture), some colonial building and near the city you can visit the lagoon of the Leche. You can also come closer to go for a walk for the streets and squares of the capital of the county, Ciego de Avila. 
The wealth of the county rests in the agriculture (cane of sugar, citric and, mainly, the pineapple) and in the incipient tourism.

The same as Ciego de Avila, the county of Camagüey, the one of more extensive of the Island, lives from face to the agriculture and the cattle raising. Their capital, Camagüey, it was founded in 1514 with the name of Santa María del Puerto del Príncipe, it is third o'clock more populated of the country. Their current location dates of January of 1528. In the old area of the city they are most of the stocking dozen of churches (Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Nuestra Señora de la Merced, Santa Ana, Parroquial Mayor, Nuestra Señora de la Soledad and Parroquia de la Caridad), the parks (Agramonte), the square San Juan ode Dios and the houses of colonial style with arcades and grills that you remember a lot to those of some cities gaditanas. There made their first scale in 1933 the airplane steered by the sevillanos Barberán and Collar in the first flight transatlantic.  
It is one of the most beautiful cities in the country, culture focus and of university education, to which students of bordering counties go. They say that it is where purest Spanish is spoken, with many Castilian archaisms. Among the centers of cultural environment they are the Museum Ignacio Agramonte (second collection of painting of the country), Nicolás Guillen native house (national poet), the Teatro Principal -Main Theater- (headquarters of the Ballet and Symphonic Orchestra, second in the national "ranking") . A the city is known by its enormous large earthen jar of mud, in those that the water was stored. If you pass over there between the 24 and June 29 you don't get lost their carnivals of the "San Juan camagüeyano", with great animation and musical pleasant in their streets and squares. When you are of walk for downtown, you can make a high one in the one rejuvenated Great Hotel" (pleasant bar and pool). 
The county enjoys a total of 120 kilometers of beaches, almost 25 percent of the whole country, what transforms it into the potential focus of more important tourism of Cuba. In Santa Lucía, with their 20 kilometers of beaches, many of them virgins and protected by a coral barrier, you will be able to learn and to practice the diving. You can lodge in the four hotels of 3 and 4 stars, with complete services to the tourism (you deport, trips, doctors and terapy of mud). The best beaches in the area are in La Boca, next to the access channel to the bay of Nuevitas, semi isolated and little visited by the swimmers. Diving in their waters will see an incredible coralline variety (50 species), more than 200 of sponges and 500 of tropical fish, as well as a thirty of Spanish galleons and the II Guerra's World cup sunken ships. 
Continuing toward the west is the keys Sabinal (together to the Island for a breakwater or espigón), Romano and Cruz, with 40 kilometers of beaches of fine sands, ideals for the diving. Almost paradisiac area and little exploded. There an important colony of rosy flamingos of the Caribbean resides.

Together with the adjacent Holguín they form what is known as "El Oriente" (The East). Probably the most depressed in Cuba and with an eminently agricultural economy (cane of sugar) and cattleman, also has some location of gold. In August of 1868 Francisco Vicente Aerie and Carlos Manuel Céspedes began the movements that culminated in the risings against the Spanish domain that not very before had begun in Bayamo. 
The capital, Victoria of The Tunas, owes her name to a victory on the Spaniards; if you go for a walk for this small city, don't forget to visit "The Cornito", a park where at the beginning of the summer they take place the days Cucalambianas (party) and in the one that meets a small motel with an impressive forest of bamboo canes. As in many other cities and towns, the weekends you will be able to savor some snacks of roasted pig. Although it is not very important, for me takes a very special place the town of Jobabo, to a thirty of kilometers to the Southwest of the capital, surrounded of fields of cane of sugar and in the one that one of few forests of teaks of the country exists. To about 20 kms to the south of Jobabo, in the coast,it is the cocodriles reserve of Sabalo, a biological station of access restricted investigators and that it occupies a surface that overcomes the 2000 hectares of lagoons in those that live in you liberate thousands of crocodiles, it is the most important in Cuba and it can that of the American continent. A couple of kilometers before arriving to this, for tortuous earth hints, is a dependent hatchery of crocodiles of the previous one in which you/they have about 300 animals for its study. To half on the way between Jobabo and the cocodriles reserve is the moor where the battle of Palo Seco, first important defeat on the Spanish troops was developed. 
In the north of the county they are the beaches Covarrubias, The Llanita and La Herradura, even not exploited of face to the external tourism.

The first lands that Columbus stepped in 1492 were and that it defined as "the most beautiful earth that human eyes have seen". In the coast it highlights for their beaches Guardalavaca, to which continue him a score of bays, the bigger than them that of Nipe. The economy of the county is agricultural (cane of sugar and citric), together with the mining exploitations of nickel. 
The city of Holguín that gives name to the county, is characterized by its peculiar town planning of right streets in which squares are inserted and to those that unite more important streets. At the beginning of May it takes place to the pilgrimage of the Loma de la Cruz. It is a new area of tourist exploitation with beaches beautiful and still little visit. Those that visit this county can go to the specific page of Holguíntravel, where they will obtain information itemized on the places of interest. 

In this oriental county it is the Cauto river -one of the mightiest of the country - and the Sierra Maestra with the Pick Turquino -the maximum bench mark of the Island with 1974 meters -, their costs are taken a bath by the sea Caribbean, with the beaches Marea del Portillo and Cayo Blanco. There the Parks National Landing of the Granma and the Demajagua are. The economy is agricultural and cattle, with mineral locations of manganese. 
Their capital, Bayamo, it was founded in 1513 by Diego Velázquez besideriver that gave name to the city. In July of 1867 it was cradle of the lifts headed in a principle by Francisco Vicente Aguilera, Pedro Figueredo " Perucho " and Francisco Maceo. You will be able to visit Luis Vázquez's windows, where it was sung by first time "The Bayamesa", then Cuban hymn. 
Then, in May of 1895, in Dos Ríos, point of union of the Cautious one with the Boatswain, the national hero died in combat José Martí. Six decades later, it was the elected place for Fidel Castro for their landing that culminated with the victory of the Revolution (1959). The name of the yacht used by Castro gave name in 1976 to the county. 
The second city in importance is the port Manzanillo. 
Those climbers that want to ascend to the pick Turquino or to any Cuban other summit they will obtain previously and with a lot of advance a permission, as they say it takes one month to grant it the National Office of Environment. The application is to direct it to the Director of the Center of Inspection and Environmental Control, to Silvia Alvarez's attention, street 20 corner 18A, Beach, Havana. The ascent to the Turquino begins from a called place La Cueva, to a couple of kilometers of Ocujal. These data Patxi Cortázar facilitated them to me, a mountaineer-internet user that attempted in vain to make summit in the Turquino, since lacked the permission that an official requested him to I tweeted of mountain.

In to the south of the Island, shares with the county of Bayamo the Sierra Mestra. The extensive National Park of Baconao, declared Reservation of the Biosphere, is in their more oriental part and the equal lagoon names. In the Park you will be able to enjoy their tourist infrastructure, the beaches, the Museum of Meso-American Archaeology, the submarine aquarium and a park with gigantic sculptures of prehistoric animals. The county is cradle of the they are and the bolero, as well as of a rich ritual culture of African influence. 
To few kilometers of their capital, Santiago de Cuba, is the sanctuary of the Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre (Virgin of the Charity of the Copper), the patron saint from Cuba. Besides the agriculture (coffee and cocoa), copper locations and manganese exist. 
Santiago, the second more populated city of the country, was founded by Velázquez to the coat of his bay in 1515. It was the Spanish governor's residence until by the middle of the XVI century it moved to Havana. Their port was one of the most important points in arrival of the emigrations of the Old Continent. In their bay it was defeated in 1898 the Spanish fleet at the hands of the North American, it defeats that it marked the exit of Spain of the Island to pass to domain of United States. It is famous for the celebration of their Carnival. The center of the city is the park Grasses, where it is the Cathedral, the City council and the house of Diego Velázquez, the Casa de la Trova is also very near. Other place that you should not forget to visit is the barracks Moncada, today in demilitarized day, it harbors a museum and a school. The Castle of San Pedro de la Roca del Morro is to the outskirts of the city. In the city there is a cafeteria of a lot of charm that it calls himself "La Isabelica", it is point of meeting of the whole city. 
It is famous the rum of their county.

It is the most oriental in the country and in her it is located the base naval North American of Guantánamo, for which United States has specified a rent that Cuba rejects and it stops its reversion both States they have to reach an agreement. Depressed county, goes very limited its agricultural productive capacity of sugar and tobacco for that escarped of the land (Mountains of the Cristal, of Moa, of the Purial and the knives of Baracoa and of Toa), but that it allows the gathering of coffee and cocoa. Also has manganese locations, nickel, cobalt, iron, chromium and copper. It is ideal together with the mountainous areas of Granma and Santiago de Cuba to carry out ecological tourism. 
In their capital, Guantánamo, concentrates the whole industry of feeding of the county.

It enjoys a status of Special Municipality and they form it the islands of the archipelago of the Canarreos, from the main one of this, the Isla de la Juventud (Youth's Island), until a series of near keys as those of Cantiles, Rosario and Largo. It is located to the south of the Gulf of Batabanó. 
The Youth's Island, receives its name in honor to the international brigades of students that developed agricultural projects in her. Previously, Island of Pines was called and during dictatorships Machado and Batista harbored the important Prison Model for which Fidel Castro passed and the rest of the attackers of the Moncada's Barracks. Their capital is Nueva Gerona, where she takes place the Festival de la Toronja (Orange's Party) and very close some caves are conserved with before Columbus paintings. Before the victory of the Revolution there was an incipient tourism, recovered recently in the whole archipelago. Paradisiac area for their forests, before exploited, beaches and the French Park National Marine Tip. It is barely populated and with exploitations of gold, tungsten and kaolin. 
Cayo Largo, with a surface of little more than 37 square kilometers and a coast of 25 kms, is the island more important and more important tourist focus. In him you will be able to practice the diving in their crystalline waters and to enjoy their beaches of white sand. The most visited one is Beach Sirena.