Cuba - Lonely Planet [52]
Lying in the Caribbean’s main hurricane region, Cuba has been hit by some blinders in recent years including three devastating storms in 2008, its worst year for more than a century (see boxed text,).
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WILDLIFE
Animals
While it isn’t exactly the Serengeti, Cuba has its fair share of indigenous fauna and animal lovers won’t be disappointed. Birds are probably the biggest drawcard (Click here) and Cuba boasts more than 350 different varieties, 70 of which are indigenous. Head to the mangroves of Ciénaga de Zapata near the Bahía de Cochinos (Bay of Pigs) or to the Península de Guanahacabibes in Pinar del Río for the best sightings of the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it zunzuncito (bee hummingbird), the world’s smallest bird and, at 6.5cm, not much longer than a toothpick. These areas are also home to the tocororo (Cuban trogon; see boxed text,), Cuba’s national bird, which sports the red, white and blue colors of the Cuban flag. Other popular bird species include flamingos (by the thousand), cartacubas (a type of bird indigenous to Cuba), herons, spoonbills, parakeets and rarely-spotted Cuban pygmy owls.
Land mammals have been hunted almost to extinction with the largest indigenous survivor the friendly jutía (tree rat), a 4kg edible rodent that scavenges on isolated keys living in relative harmony with armies of inquisitive iguanas. Other odd species include the mariposa de cristal (Cuban clear-winged butterfly), one of only two clear-winged butterflies in the world; the rare manjuarí (Cuban alligator gar), an odd, ancient fish considered a living fossil; and the polimita, a unique land snail distinguished by its festive yellow, red and brown bands.
Reptiles are well represented in Cuba. Aside from crocodiles, iguanas and lizards, there are 15 species of snake, none of which is poisonous. Cuba’s largest snake is the majá, a constrictor related to the anaconda that grows up to 4m in length; it’s nocturnal and doesn’t usually mess with humans.
Cuba’s marine life makes up for what the island lacks in land fauna. The manatee, the world’s only herbivorous aquatic mammal, is found in the Bahía de Taco and the Península de Zapata, and whale sharks frequent the María la Gorda area at Cuba’s eastern tip from August to November. Four turtle species (leatherback, loggerhead, green and hawksbill) are found in Cuban waters and they nest annually in isolated keys or on the protected western beaches of the Guanahacabibes Peninsula.
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UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE & BIOSPHERE RESERVE SITES
There are currently six Unesco Biosphere Reserves in Cuba and nine Unesco World Heritage Sites. The most recent addition was the city of Camagüey, whose splendidly preserved colonial core was deservedly added to the list in July 2008 (see boxed text,).
The Biosphere Reserves are: the Reserva Sierra del Rosario (250 sq km; declared in 1984) and the Reserva Península de Guanahacabibes (1015 sq km; 1987), both in Pinar del Río; Ciénaga de Zapata (6282 sq km; 2001) in Matanzas; Buenavista (3135 sq km; 2000) in parts of Villa Clara, Sancti Spíritus and Ciego de Ávila; Parque Baconao (846 sq km; 1987) in Santiago de Cuba; and the Reserva Cuchillas de Toa (1275 sq km; 1987) in Guantánamo. Standards, services and administration of these reserves vary greatly. For example, the Reserva Península de Guanahacabibes is carefully protected, while Parque Baconao has small communities and many tourist installations within its boundaries.
Cuba’s nine World Heritage Sites are: Habana Vieja, the historical core of Havana (declared in 1982); Trinidad and adjacent Valle de los Ingenios (1988) in Sancti Spíritus; Castillo de San Pedro del Morro (1997) and the First Coffee Plantations in the Southeast of Cuba (2000), both in Santiago de Cuba; Parque Nacional Desembarco del Granma (1999) in Granma; Valle de Viñales (1999) in Pinar del Río; Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt (2001) in Guantánamo; the Urban Historic Center of Cienfuegos (2005) in Cienfuegos province, and