Hartley's Oceans & Islands

CUBA
Landbased Itinerary	Liveaboard Itinerary
The Cuban archipelago is situated in the westernmost part of the insular Caribbean, at the entrance of the Gulf of Mexico. More than 4000 keys and islets form part of the Cuban island, including the special municipality Isle of Youth (Isla de la Juventud). Also known as the key to the Gulf, Cuba is the largest of the West Indies and one of the largest in the world. Cuba offers more than 300 natural beaches of fine white sand and crystal clear waters. The most famous of these is Varadero; however, there are others to the east of the capital city in Holguín and Cayo Largo del Sur, as well as in the northern keys of Ciego de Ávila and Villa Clara. Three mountain ranges, two long regions of savanna and numerous valleys known worldwide like Viñales, Yumurí and Los Ingenios go all through the Cuban island. Waterfalls and cascades in beautiful rivers like Hanabanilla keep charming nature lovers.

Cuba’s insular shelf, has excellent scuba-diving sites throughout the archipelago. They are some of the most entrancing in all the Caribbean. Warm, clean water, great biodiversity, good conservation of it’s ecosystems, coral gardens, caves, meadows of gorgonians and sponges, underwater escarpments, narrow channels, tunnels, fish of many sizes and colors, valuable remains of shipwrecked vessels and many natural beaches, cays and islets make it a place to challenge divers imagination. In addition, this large area has a great variety of coralline formations in amazing shapes and colors, where many species of marine flora and fauna coexist in a delicate biological balance. This is what makes Cuba such a wonderful scuba-diving destination the one that thousands of tourists and professionals prefer.

Maria La Gorda offers fantastic diving from a very beautiful and tranquil location. The area has excellent wall diving with colourful and abundant coral formations. Tropical fish are plentiful and whale sharks can be seen. Remnants of Spanish galleons are also found in the waters around Maria La Gorda Isle of Youth is one of Cuba's most beautiful and exciting dive sites. Diving around the Isle of Youth gives you the chance to experience tunnels, grottoes, over 40 varieties of coral, and a multitude of tropical fish and turtles. This resort offers 56 spots for scuba diving. Other marine species found in this area include tarpon, groupers and rays. Cayo Largo offers pure white sand and turquoise seas characterise Cayo Largo. It is the perfect place to relax and enjoy water sports. The marine life is rich and plentiful. Chromis, snappers, groupers and tarpon abound. The corals and sponges are bright and varied and visibility is normally excellent. Cabo San Antonio’s dive sites include a blue hole, and a number of interesting areas where large coral covered rock formations, and the sand around them, provides shelter for tarpon, barracuda, large groupers and jacks. Colourful angelfish also inhabit these areas, and there is a good chance of seeing turtles and sharks. The Cape is a virgin dive location, and undoubtedly there will be many more sites to explore. Because of the currents around this area, San Antonio is more suited to experienced divers. Cayo Levisa is located just off the north-west coast of Cuba, in Pinar del Rio Province, Cayo Levisa is an idyllic place for a holiday. As well as its lovely white beach, and relaxed tropical environment, it has some good diving. The underwater environment here includes canyons – the home of groupers and other larger fish species, and well as busy and colourful reefs, in whose holes and crevices you are likely to find lobsters and large green morays. *Havana* - Cuba's Capital combines diving with interesting sightseeing. Wrecks can be found in this region, as can a wide range of marine life. Trips to other dive sites can also be arranged from this area.

Varadero is a popular diving site for those wishing to develop their scuba diving skills. Diving in this region is of a good quality including caves, wrecks, reefs and channels, offering over 20 dive sites. The beautiful 12 mile long Varadero beach offers the perfect spot for relaxation before and after a dive. Playa Giron - The Bay of Pigs, famed for the failed American Invasion of 1961, is also known for its excellent shore diving. A typical sea dive at Playa Giron includes a short swim on the surface to the drop- off. Once below, there are some nice swim-throughs to get to the wall, where a range of large and colourful sponge species abound. You may also see a wreck. Returning to shore you pass over some lively and attractive patch reefs. Faro de Luna is three hours from Havana - a quiet and beautiful dive site. From Faro de Luna’s romantic shoreline can be found ship wrecks, coral gardens, colourful sponges and a wide range of marine life including parrot fish, snapper, and barracuda to name but a few. Whale sharks can also be seen in this region. Guajimico is a tranquil and special diving area. Nestling in a small sandy cove - backed by the Escambray Mountains, Guajimico is a place where you can get away from everything - and at the same time experience some excellent diving. Whilst diving in this area you will see a huge variety of colourful and pristine corals including those of the star, lettuce and cactus variety, plus many sponges. The fish life in this area includes French and grey Angel fish, barracuda, blue damsels, snappers and groupers. In Trinidad's waters you are likely to see various types of snapper, angel fish and damsel fish - to name but a few. Turtles are also found in this area. As well as offering good diving Trinidad is important from a cultural perspective. The city of Trinidad has been deemed by UNESCO as a world heritage site.

Cuba has many excellent diving areas, but one of the best is certainly Los Jardines de La Reina (Gardens of the Queen). Located in South East Cuba, Los Jardines is an archipelago made up of hundreds of little islands. Imagine a marine wilderness with walls covered with brightly hued sponges and corals plunging well below the limits of safe diving to shallow reefs filled with both schooling and solitary fish and wrecks (even some Old Spanish galleons from the l7th century.) The mangroves provide an incredible nursery for the smaller fish which in turn provide the reef with huge schools of baitfish. This has provided a home to a prolific number of large fish. We think more than anywhere else in the Caribbean. Shark rodeos & hand feeding 200-400 LB Jewfish are an everyday experience. Avalon Diving Center is the only operation allowed by law in this entire area and hosts no more than 300 divers a year. Certainly, it is one of the last virgin reefs known to man. 50 dive sites are currently available, scattered over the entire perimeter of Los Jardines de la Reina. Dive sites are well protected from the winds and sea currents. In this region's waters are around sixty different species of fish to include groupers, rays, jack crevalle, bone fish and barracuda. Los Jardines de la Reina is famous for its sharks, including silky, blacktip and bull sharks. There is also the possibility of seeing turtles in this region. The reef at Cayo Coco is approximately thirty-two kilometres long, and is known for its luxuriant coral mounds, and variety of gorgonians and sponges. Groupers are abundant in Cayo Coco’s waters, including those of the black, tiger and Nassau variety, as well as various snappers and angel fish. It is also possible to see southern stingrays and eagle rays. *Santa Lucia* provides the diver with attractive and lively reefs, and wrecks - in particular the Motera – a Spanish merchant ship sunk in 1896, around whose stern it is possible to see bull sharks. Santiago de Cuba’s waters are known for their caves, channels and tall buttes. Several wrecks are accessible in this region, including the famous El Colon, an armoured cruiser sunk during the Spanish-American War of 1898. The marine life in this region includes Angel fish, groupers, damselfish and jacks. Best Time to Travel : Since the broad insular shelf is relatively near the surface and Cuba is at the edge of the tropics, the water temperature is between 24 and 28.5 C all year round.