The territory of the Island of Youth, located a hundred kilometers south from Havana, stands out in the tourist scenario by their nature options, beaches and diving, accompanied by various denominations received during centuries.
Discovered by Admiral Christopher Columbus when fill out time sheets his second trip to the region, was baptized on that occasion with the name of San Juan Evangelista. Its capital, Nueva Gerona, was founded in 1830 under the name of Colonia Reina Amalia in honor of the then wife of King Ferdinand VII and presents a preserved eclectic architecture, marked with unique details of the Neoclassical. In addition, the Isle of Parrots and Treasury are among its first designations, in an era where from the XVI century and until the XVIII the isle served as a refuge for several crews of pirates and corsairs while, for aboriginal people, was simply Siguanea, and the name of the Isle of Pines was the most enduring, with an origin that goes back to the pine forests of the Caribbean species that covered the region.
Declared an area protected by the natural elements and archaeological it encloses, has thick tropical forests where are located large iguanas, jutías, pigeons rabiche and pigs maroons, among other species of animals preserved in their natural environment. Also, in the southwestern tip of the island, 122 kilometers from Nueva Gerona, is located in an area of four thousand hectares the Parque Nacional Marino Punta Frances, with one of the best preserved coastal ecosystems of the country. Precisely in the area of this region is located in the diving area linked to the Hotel El Colony, with a stretch of coast of six kilometers of extension - located between Punta pedestal and Punta Frances - that shows a unique marine environment. For lovers of underwater activities are ready 56 immersion sites, several of them with important colonies of coral, gorgonians and sponges, in addition to the existence of caves, tunnels and galleries. The experts stress in particular the spectacular beauty of immersion points with the names of Wall of black coral, Tunnel of Love, Blue Cave, The Passage Escondido, Cave of the Sábalos, Coral stone, The jump, Anchor of the Pirate, Paradise of the Levisas and Small kingdom.
Visitors are attracted by the area where are submerged cargo ships Jibacoa and military Sparta, converted into accommodation for a wide range of corals of colors, algae, sponges and crustaceans. Also, the Site of the Indians is characterized by the existence of vertical walls and mogotes reefs, while the area outside of the Limit shows to the reef that grows from the own expense and then drops to 15 meters.
Chinese colonies, Japanese and American add to the attractions offered by the Bibijagua beach famous for its black sand due to the erosive action of the sea on the marble rocks, very abundant in the isle. At the historical level, lovers of traditions have the Farm Museum The Open, declared a National Monument, which incorporates aspects of the stay of the National Hero Jose Marti in the place, as well as some of her personal objects. In the same condition is the infamous Presidio Modelo, install only one of its kind in Latin America, which compiles the characteristics of the prison system from the 1920s until the revolutionary stage.
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