Huventood - the perfect island for diving

The Caribbean Sea hides a lot of interesting things under its hem: coral reefs, underwater tunnels, giant sponges, colorful fish, turtles and lobsters. An ideal place to see it all better is the Cuban island of Huventud.

Huventud Island is shrouded in millions of mystical stories of piracy and secret treasures. The most interesting, not without reason! Once it was abandoned and really served as a transit point for such famous sea robbers as Henry Morgan and Francis Drake. Alas, the treasure on the island was found only once, but some romantics still hope, not suspecting that the main treasures of Cuba are hidden under water!

Diving

You should come to Huventood for diving, which is simply amazing. The reef landscape south and southwest of the island is considered one of the most picturesque in the Caribbean. The rich life of marine life is so fascinating that there is a risk of spending the whole vacation in the water. Or rather - under water. But here everyone understands this and does not condemn.

Not too strong currents and crystal clear water contribute to better penetration of sunlight, which gives excellent visibility at a shallow depth of immersion (up to about 20 meters). And this is a great chance to make out stingrays, perches, lobsters and crabs, as well as turtles. Sometimes barracudas, cat sharks, and shrimp babies can be hidden somewhere.

In the western part of Huventud is the Cape Frances (Cabo Frances). The base of the island goes steeply to a depth of almost a kilometer, making this place and surrounding areas unusually interesting for marine life and divers from all over the world. You can start a descent under water, for example, from here. In total, there are 56 luxurious diving sites on the island, including sunken antique ships that you must see with your own eyes.

A virtually untouched corner of nature - Punta Frances Marine National Park. In addition to the huge snow-white and, importantly, deserted beaches, a long pier and a stunning lagoon, this reserve also has crazy diving. The local international dive center will select the perfect place according to your wishes, so be sure to tell about them. Coral reefs, caves, colorful tropical fish, as well as eels, tarpon and lobster. The length of the main dive zone is about six kilometers. Not only divers come here, but also fans of sports hunting, ecotourism fans and lovers of underwater shooting. What ?! Who loves what!

It is curious that even the most popular hotel on the island (Hotel Colony) has its own diving center - Colony (Colony International Diving Center), as well as its own luxurious beach with white sand and tall palm trees. It is also located on the west coast and is suitable for those who in Cuba, and Huventude in particular, are only interested in diving. To get to the administrative center (consider the capital) of the island - Nueva Girona - far away (if at all permitted to talk about such a territory), but for diving everything is right at hand! Very comfortable and no unnecessary movements.

Top Dive Sites

For beginners it is better to consider sites with shallow diving (about 15 meters), for example: Piedra de Coral / Coral Stone, Punta Pedernales / Flints Tip and Muke paraiso / Muke's Paradise. Amazing corals, sponges and all kinds of gullible fish will surround you from all sides, the main thing - do not forget about the balloon in order to emerge in time!

For deeper diving, Reino mágico / Magic Kingdom (about 48 meters) with amazing canyons, tunnels and vertical coral walls is suitable.

Experienced divers will love the La Pared de Coral Negro / Black Coral Wall (about 50 meters) with black coral forests and sponges up to 30-35 cm in diameter, as well as the Maravillosa Sala / Marvelous hall (about 50 meters), which is on the outer wall of the coastal reef - This is a real underwater kingdom.

Ship wrecks are located off the islands of Cayos Los Indios at a depth of 10-12 meters, so the site is suitable for both beginners and professionals. It is interesting to see how schools of fish disappear in the ships, then to swim out elsewhere. You can try the same, but under the watchful eye of an instructor!

Another very beautiful place worthy of attention is the blue grottoes of Cueva Azul / Blue Caves. There you can not only dive, but also swim in the water of cornflower blue color. In the caves, the sounds of drops are reflected, and the light falls on stones and water in a completely different way. Diving here gets a certain mystical sound and many like it.

A rich, almost untouched underwater world can be seen by those who are not ready to dive for days on end. Almost any beach in Huventud, such as Playa el Frances, is suitable for snorkeling, although the choice is really huge.

Other entertainment

In addition to diving in Huventud, you can go surfing, sailing, water skiing or even horse riding. The best beach is Playa Bibijagua, on which not only white, but also black and black sand. Unusual, right ?!

One of the most mysterious places on the island is the caves of Punta del Este. On the vaults and walls of the caves discovered a wall painting of the Indians - black and red drawings, a total of 235 pieces. Some of them are circles suppressed by arrows pointing to the east. Experts believe that they could well serve to measure time.

If you want to enjoy nature, head to the Los Indios San Felipe Nature Reserve. There you will see real rainforests where you can take a walk if you are not afraid of the unknown. If you like wildlife, visit the Criadero Cocodrilo crocodile farm, which is 30 km south of Nueva Gerona or the tortoise nursery (kilometer west of crocodiles).

When you want the urban rhythm, go to Nueva Gerona. Take a walk along its streets, look at the central square and marvel at the former Presidio Modelo prison where Fidel Castro was imprisoned. Now this is the Museum of the revolutionary struggle, where you will find very fascinating stories about Fidel, the revolution and Cuba itself.

You will learn about another famous revolutionary, Jose Marti, by looking at the Finca el Abra House Museum. The Municipal Museum and the Museum of Natural Sciences will appeal to those who like to diversify their vacation with something unusual and informative. For example, the Museum of Natural Sciences has its own planetarium, from where you can simultaneously see the North Star and the Southern Cross. This is the only such place in the world. And in the Municipal Museum there is a lot of information about pirates, including ancient maps of the island and some finds, so this is also a very interesting place. Do not miss!

And something else

Of course, those who are looking for a real Cuban atmosphere, with the smell of good cigars and the taste of strong rum, will find it here. Narrow alleys and colorful houses in the colonial style, from the windows of which you can hear incendiary Cuban rhythms, all this is also there. However, in addition to all this, Huventud is appreciated for the possibility of a sort of island solitude and serene chamber relaxation. For this, there is everything: mountains, pine groves, citrus plantations, spreading palm trees, white sandy beaches, turquoise waves and most importantly - almost no souls. The explanation is simple: there are no luxury hotels and clouds of traditional resort entertainment at Huventud, and therefore tourism is developing at a moderate pace convenient for it. We will not cheat - this is only at hand for us. On what other island of the world is there a chance to get everything you love without standing in line for this ?!