Western Cuba
Western Cuba could be considered the island’s most diverse region, offering the widest range of experiences on the island, both urban and natural. Comprised of the provinces Pinar del Rio, Havana, Matanzas, Artemisa and Mayabeque, Western Cuba is home to the city of Havana, the most enchanting and cosmopolitan city of the Caribbean, Pinar del Rio with the most coveted tobacco crop in the world, as well the Viñales Valley (UNESCO World Heritage) with dramatic limestone mounds dating to the Jurassic period and a maze of underground rivers – some navigable. In Cuba’s Western Region you can dive the best and most protected reefs in the Caribbean Basin and experience unique biospheres with endemic flora and fauna. The variety and range of natural, historical, cultural, architectural and urban experiences that are available in Cuba’s Western Region make it one of the most popular areas in Cuba to visit and explore.
Pinar del Río
Pinar del Rio is Cuba’s westernmost province and is known for its breathtaking panoramas and unique natural landscapes. The vast and diverse attractions that can be enjoyed in Pinar del Rio range from exploring caves that are archeological sites covered in ancient indigenous drawings, prehistoric natural phenomena seen nowhere else on earth such as the limestone known as “mogotes”, and lush and verdant landscapes of tobacco and sugarcane. Tropical flora and fauna are remarkably abundant; pristine coral reefs offer the best diving in the world and, once a year when the wind is just right, you get the best surf in Cuba. The natural beauty of Pinar del Rio is only surpassed by the old world charm of its towns and its people. Home to Cuba’s great farming legacy, where tobacco and sugar are king, there remain the vestiges of a provincial elegance steeped in tradition. A day trip to UNESCO Heritage sight of Ek Valle de Vinales, 2.5 hours through Cuba’s exceptionally fertile and beautiful countryside, can be an unforgettable experience, but two more hours westward and you reach Guanahacabibes Peninsula, an UNESCO biosphere reserve whose nearest landmass is the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico and home to the Maria La Gorda International Dive Center.
Matanzas
Matanzas is the second largest province in Cuba and is largely flat, spreading from the north to the south coasts of the island. Located east of Havana, the province is home to the distinctly cultural and historic city of Matanzas – the Venice of Cuba – built between three major rivers and lying on the large Bay of Matanzas. If it is the white sand and crystal clear water that calls you, the beach resort town of Varadero is just a short drive from the city to the Hicacos Peninsula. Traveling inland toward the southern coast of Cuba, lies one of Cuba’s most distinctive features, the large swamplands of the Cienega de Zapata – home to the Bay of Pigs. The northeastern coast features a small chain of islands, many uninhabited, where you can snorkel some of the most pristine coral on Earth just off of the Bay of Cardenas , home to the city of the same name. One of the most outstanding aspects of this province is that it is the most industrialized province with petroleum wells, refineries, supertanker facilities and 21 sugar mills to process the harvests of sugar cane that grows there.
La Habana
La Habana Province was divided into three provinces adding Artemisa and Mayabeque on January 1, 2011. With the exception of being home to the city of La Habana, by far the most cosmopolitan of Caribbean cities, the province was primarily agricultural. It bordered Pinar del Rio and Matanzas, and had both south and north coasts with dozens of towns and small cities. Most of the agricultural production was geared toward food and there was also significant industrialization, electric plants and sugar mills throughout the province. Present day La Habana is the city itself and the immediate surroundings from Mariel Harbor to the west and the beach towns of “Playas del Este” to the east. There is a certain enchantment about La Habana, both the urban and provincial; her man-made as well as natural beauty are equally impressive and engaging.
Artemisa & Mayabeque
Both of these provinces were originally part of the larger province of La Habana that was rezoned in 2010-2011 to form Artemisa to the west or Havana and Mayabeque to the east. As you travel west from Havana toward Pinar del Rio, Artemisa offers two of Cuba’s most unique experiences – the tropical oasis of Soroa and the Bioreserve community of Las Terrazas, both in the Rosario Mountain Range. Mayabeque, east of La Habana, is now Cuba’s smallest and least populated province whose economy is based almost solely on agriculture. But it is also a center for industry being home to manufacturing facilities, a rum factory, scientific institutions, a power plant and more.