Cuba, a fast-growing tourist destination in the Caribbean region, offers a wide range of options during the winter season, when most foreign vacationers visit the island nation.

Canadians and Europeans are a majority among thousands of tourists who visit Cuba from November to April to spend their vacations on this tropical island.

Cuba's climate contrasts with the low temperatures during winter in the northern hemisphere, in addition to offering excellent beaches of warm crystal-clear waters.

Airports, hotels, recreational centers, car-rental offices and travel agencies work together to meet the demands from the growing number of tourists who visit the island nation in winter.

Destinations such as Havana, the Cuban capital, which is rich in traditions, culture and architecture, are among the most visited sites, thanks to a broad network of hotels close to the coast.

In addition, thousands of hotel rooms are complemented by an infrastructure of recreational centers, nightclubs, sports facilities, shops and restaurants, where gastronomy plays a major role.

Tourists are strongly attracted to the Malecón (seaside drive), one of the main avenues in the city, where waves break along a wall that runs parallel to the coast.

Cuba is famous worldwide by its beaches. The Cuban archipelago 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.

In addition, 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 region.

The island nation is also an excellent destination for nature lovers, who can enjoy a wide range of options while spending their vacations in Cuba.

In that regard, the Caribbean Island is inhabited by some 16,500 animal species, including some zoological groups whose endemism is over 90 percent.

In addition, the archipelago's geographic location turns Cuba into a corridor for migratory birds that travel long distances from North America to South America and vice versa.

Many varieties of birds migrate to Cuba in winter and nest near rivers, lakes and dams, as well as on the archipelago's keys, where visitors can watch the birds.

Natural and biosphere reserves, natural landscapes, national parks and protected areas make up a broad network of tourist offers, marked by their wealth, excellent preservation and unique characteristics that make them stand out in the region.