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• Travel and Tourism
• Caribbean
• culture an traditions
• Destinations
• Business and Economy
• 02 / 16 / 2009

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Dozens of kilometers of excellent beaches of fine sand and crystal-clear water are complemented by well-preserved exuberant nature.

The Caribbean Island also offers more than 70,000 square kilometers of insular platform and some 5,000 kilometers of coasts, which are bathed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

Three dozen diving centers operate throughout the country, where divers can take initiation courses and dive in coral reefs and caverns following international standards for that nautical activity.

Diving also benefits from an average temperature of 24 degrees Celsius (75.2 degrees Fahrenheit) and underwater visibility that often exceeds 30 meters.

One of the best dive sites is on Isla de la Juventud (Isle of Youth), where extraordinarily-beautiful coral reefs run parallel to the islet's south coast, where another attraction is the Punta Francés National Marine Park.

Precisely, that breathtakingly-beautiful area is near the Hotel El Colony and runs along six kilometers of coast, between Punta Pedestales and Punta Francés.

Tourists can dive in 56 sites, many of which are inhabited by large colonies of corals and sponges. That zone also offers caves, passages and tunnels.

Experts say the best dive sites in the region are Pared de Coral Negro, Túnel del Amor, Cueva Azul, El Pasaje Escondido, Cueva de los Sábalos, Piedra de Coral, El Salto, Ancla del Pirata, Paraíso de las Levisas and Pequeño Reino.

Another excellent dive site is that of Sunken Ships, where boats from the Spanish colonial period are 6-9 meters deep and are inhabited by large schools of fish.

In addition, the site called Los Indios is characterized by vertical walls and coral hills, while the zone known as Fuera de Límite (Out of Limit) has reefs that grow from the coast and then fall up to 15 meters.

Nearly 6,500 varieties of fish, crustaceans, sponges and mollusks, and an 850-kilometer coral reef in perfect state of preservation turn the island into one of the best-preserved underwater ecosystems in the Caribbean region.

Cayo Largo del Sur, Varadero, Santa Lucía, Jardines del Rey (King's Gardens) and the northern keys off Villa Clara province are also excellent places to dive and enjoy Cuba's underwater natural wealth.

(DTCuba)