Cuba's tourist sector offers a combination of modernity and traditions, based on the country's cultural, historic and natural values.

All these alternatives are available for thousands of foreign tourists who spend their vacations in Cuba every year.

In Havana, founded nearly five centuries ago, emblematic institutions hold a large part of the country's traditions.

The oldest hotel in Havana is the Inglaterra, which was inaugurated on December 23, 1875, and was named after the major world power at the time, England. It was one of the world's best hotels after being remodeled in 1886.

The building, which was declared a National Monument and located in a busy area in the so-called Old Havana, has a neoclassic style in which original elements such as tiles from Alicante and railings from Seville, Spain, stand out.

The Hotel Nacional de Cuba is also among the world's top ten Palace Hotels and was the only five-star establishment in the Caribbean region from the 1930s to the 1950s.

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.

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.

Cuba is also an excellent place for nature enthusiasts, who can enjoy a wide range of offers, including trekking along specialized trails.

Cuba's fauna consists of 16,500 species, including some zoological groups whose endemism exceeds 90 percent. The native flora is made up of more than 6,300 species of different colors and shapes.

Natural and biosphere reserves, natural landscapes, national parks and protected areas make up a broad network of one-of-a-kind well-preserved options.

Cuban cities have a rich Spanish colonial architecture in a perfect state of preservation, hotels linked to plastic arts, cultural sites and a busy schedule of festivals and meetings.