As it was already mentioned endemism is very significant between the animals and superior plants reaching 43% of the total of the terrestrial species, although it is more important in some groups like:

Archaic mammals can also be seen as almiqui, unfortunately in extinction danger; fossil fish as manjuari that inhabits rivers and lagoons (it is found with but frequency in Cienaga de Zapata) or vegetable fossils as Palma Corcho (Microcycas calocoma), dozens of beautiful and exotic species of orchids, marine mammals as manati; impressive but inoffensive reptiles as iguanas (there are species that reach a size of up to 1.5 meters), hundred of species of birds many of them are of great beauty for their plumage or singers that make happy the fields and forests with their melodious sounds.

Cuba is really an ecological paradise with very good conditions created for the lovers of the nature and the ecoturism, taking advantage of its immense wealth and ecological diversity.

Cave-turism, observation of birds and flora and fauna in general, photo-hunter, horse riders or overcoming rivers in typical crafts, diving into subacuatic caves and the scaling of heights, they are modalities for whose practical Cuba is a good option.

The practice of walk across country also in the main ecoturistic areas is helped for interpretive signalings, route camps and the attendance of experts guides.

National system of protected areas has 236 areas, 81 of national significance and 155 of local interest at the moment, with a total surface of 26 750 km² of which 19 958 km² is in terrestrial areas and 6 792 km² in marine areas. Province of Pinar del Rio is the one that has bigger number with 30, Guantanamo province, 24; Matanzas, 23, and Island of Pines, 18.

The own configuration of the island of Cuba, long and narrows, gives place to the existence of rivers of short course and reduced flow in their majority and to a dividing one main of the waters to all the long of the country in two slopes: north and south. The longest river is Cauto and the bigger one is Toa River, and in fact they are hardly creeks compared with the rivers that are come in America of North or South, Europe or any another continent.

Bayate River, at Sierra del Rosario, Pinar del Rio

The most importants rivers are:

The fluvial basins in a same way are relatively little extension and there are a total of 632 bigger than 5 km² with a fluvial glide of 31 682 million cubic meters. The biggest basins in the country are:

Zunzún

The Cuban’s flora and fauna are characterized by their great diversity and high endemism level where the influence of insularity and the incredible geologic variety without a doubt with a notable presence of limestone areas, serpentinites, of slates and savannas with quarz sands , gives place to an extensive habitat variety and dissimilar conditions of life as well as to a very diverse mosaic of soils.

There have been counted as part of the flora and fauna of Cuba around 32 050 alive organisms although an important part of them are inferior organisms. There are among superior organisms 8 000 species of plants, 7 500 species of insects, 963 of fish, 121 of reptiles, 46 of amphibians, 350 species of birds and 42 of mammals are known. A very important characteristic of the Cuban’s flora and fauna is that there are not dangerous species for the man,you can sleep everywhere with all tranquility (with the sure nuisance of the mosquitos, clear) because despite there are 2 species of crocodiles, they don’t attack the man (at least without provocation) and the species of sharks that live in the Cuban waters don’t share the aggressiveness of their neighbors from Florida. Between the other species of reptiles or amphibians there is not any poisonous and not even aggressive and lastly the mammals besides being scarce are of little size and totally inoffensive.

2. Guamauhaya Range, is located in the central area of the country occupying part of the counties of Cienfuegos, Sancti Spiritus and Villa Clara and it is compound for Sierra of Escambray and Sierra de Trinidad, with a total extension of about 4500 km². This mountain range is but well-known as Sierra of Escambray and it is strongly bound to the recent history of the country to be the main scenario of the fight against the Cuban Revolution until middle of the decade of the 60.

The altitude here are between the 300 and the 1100 meters being reached the maximum in Pico San Juan with 1140 meters over sea level. These mountains in general are covered with thick vegetation among which the trees of beautiful wood are plentiful and the relief is abrupt with straits valleys and abundant cascades and its southern skirt is escarped and it finishes very next to Caribbean Sea of which separates a narrow coastal plain. In short, a paradise for the ecoturism.

3. Sierra Maestra, located in the southeast of the island is the biggest and highest mountain range of Cuba, forms a bastion to the long thing and parallelly to the south coast from Cabo Cruz until Punta de Maisi with around 250 km of longitude and between 15 and 60 km of width. They conform it properly Sierra Maestra, Sierra Cristal in the neighbor of Punta de Maisi and Sierra of Nipe in their northeast portion. The altitude in this region are between 300 and 2000 meters being reached the biggest heights in the country: Pico Turquino with 1974 meters over sea level, Pico Cuba, 1872 meters and Pico Suecia, 1734 meters.

Sierra Maestra is the natural and most majestic scenario of the country, treare are several natural parks as Pico Turquino, Desembarco del Granma, Santo Domingo-La Sierrita y Marea del Portillo that makes it specially appropriate for the nature tourism.

Sierra Maestra is also closely bound to the recent history of Cuba because was the scenario of the fight of Fidel Castro’s guerrillas against Fulgencio Batista dictatorship among final of 1956 and final of 1958.