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Culture

Cuba possesses a highly esteemed culture, and during the last years it has been the hostess of many important international festivals, such as the Festivals of ballet, cinema, plastic arts, and cigars. Cuban people stands out for its cheerful and musical character, deeply ingrained to its traditions and customs. There are many cities with a very rich and old cultural patrimony, declared, in many cases, World Heritage. Among them are Havana City, Trinidad, and others as Santiago de Cuba and Bayamo. In the whole country reigns a welcoming atmosphere very attached to cultural, culinary and historical traditions, but always stands out the hospitality for which Cubans are identified worldwide.

Beaches

Cuba is among the main destinations of sun and beach of the Caribbean. Cuban coasts are acknowledged by its quality and high cleaning level. They present ecosystems with a remarkable conservation degree and beaches favoured by the protection of the coralline formations located around the coasts. Northern coast longitude is of 1.993,98 miles (3209 km), and the Southern one is of 1.576,42 miles (2537 km). There are multiple natural bays, and over 300 beautiful beaches such as Varadero, Guardalavaca, Santa Lucía and Ancón.

Music

Music is the most authentic artistic expression of Cuban people. Many important Cuban creators have bequeathed to the world rhythms like Chachachá, Mambo and Rumba. Of all Cuban arts, music is the most well known around the world. Popular and dancing music have made Cuba famous. Also, they have made people from diverse latitudes enjoy, especially since the 30th, when it began to extend out of the territorial limits of the island.

Cocktails

Cuba’s Rum is internationally well-known for its unique flavour. This is a result of its elaboration, based on the best honeys of Cuban sugar’s cane. That’s why it is a powerful, slight, dry, transparent and unmistakable product. Because of its centenary fame, stand out rums like Havana Club, Mulata, Caribbean Club, and Varadero, among others. Generally, each tourist facilities have the so-called “cocktail of the house”; among the most famous ones there are: the Mojito, the Mulata, the Saoco, the Cuba Libre, and especially the Daiquiri, considered as one of the ten best cocktails of the world.

Creole meals

Creole food is rich in flavours, varied and complex because it often goes beyond plates which are thought as strictly Cuban. The Creole ajiaco, of which exist many versions, is the national plate. Basically, it is a group of vegetables and orchard fruits with several meat types cooked at the same time. Some glories of the Cuban culinary are the congrí (white rice with red beans cooked together) and the Moorish rice, also called Moorish and Christian, that is the stew of black beans with rice.

Nautical Sports

The limpid and warm sea surrounding Cuba is one of its most valuable tourist attractiveness. The fact that most Cuban bathing resorts are generally protected by formations of coralline reefs provides exceptional conditions for the practice of diverse nautical sports. Diving has a privileged place, because it is carried out in waters whose average temperature oscillates between 23° C. and 30° C, and where horizontal visibility reaches about 98,43 feet (30 meters). Under the seawaters of this archipelago there is an alive, silent, multicoloured world full of legends. That is why those who visit it experience the indescribable feeling of discovering a world of hidden beauties. It is, without question, a fascinating universe, enriched for centuries with stories about pirates, corsairs, colonizers, galleons and sunken battleships. Those elements have transformed these depths into the most valuable ones in the Caribbean area.

Religion

Cuba is a lay country where cult's freedom is guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic. The most widespread religion is the catholic one. Catholic churches of the whole country celebrate religious services daily, and direct celebrations of national or local religious festivities. Afro-Cuban religion is deeply rooted on people, as a result from the syncretism between the Catholic saints and African deities. The Caridad del Cobre Virgin is the most worshipped, because she is the Catholic Patron of Cuba, and she receives the name of Ochún in the Afro-Cuban religion.