Cuba A Sparkling Adventure

By Jose Mauricio Maurette

Cuba's beaches are unique for the rich tones of their clear warm water. The island's coasts include everything from challenging cliffs to peaceful coves, the setting for incredible sun and sea Cuba holidays.

The insular shelf is bounded by an extensive coral reef where a great variety of colorful fish bewitch scuba-diving buffs, both beginners and experts. In addition, there are underwater caves to explore. Casting loose your mooring lines in Cuban waters means setting sail into a spectacular sea adventure.

The Cuban archipelago, which is 42,854 square miles (110,992 square kilometers) in size, consists of the main island of Cuba-a long and narrow island measuring 744 miles (1200 kilometers) from east to west, the largest island in the Antilles-the Isle of Youth and around 4195 other cays and islets.

It has over 3560 miles (5746 kilometers) of irregular coastline, including more than 200 bays and over 300 beaches whose sand is of different colors and textures. It is common knowledge that the Cuban sea is of excellent quality.

Not disappointed thousands of tourists who make dives here every year, some of them as beginners making their maiden dives in Cuban waters, accompanied by experienced divers whose expertise is attested to by the World Underwater Federation (CMAS), the American-Canadian Underwater Certification (ACUC) for scuba-diving classes and other prestigious international schools.

In 1985, the French oceanologist Jacques-Yves Cousteau's crew was very impressed by Cuba's seabed-most of all, by their exploration of the Cristobal Colon, a Spanish ship which was sunk during the naval battle that was fought just off Santiago de Cuba in i8g8. According to the divers, who have worked all over the world, few other places are as well preserved or have such a wealth of marine life. His colleagues waxed so enthusiastic that Cousteau, then 75, decided to put on an aqualung and see for himself. He wasn't disappointed.

Scientific studies estimate that there are over 500 species of fish; 200 different kinds of sponges (cup, tube and branch); around 60 kinds of coral; and a large sample of mollusks, crustaceans, gorgonians, algae and Common Sea Fans (Gorgonia spp.) in Cuban waters.

Cuba undoubtedly is one of the most stunning tourist destinations in the World. Add the irrefutable fact of a super rich culture and you have the ideal recipe for a memorable holiday. - 31819

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