Sea Turtles in Cuba Natural Reserve
If you want beautiful isolated beaches, wildlife and sea turtles in Cuba, the far western tip of the republic, Pinar del Rio Province is the place to be.
Guanahacabibes National Park is here; it is also a nesting place for an average 300 green turtles each year, as well as Hawksbill turtles.
I worked on a Pacific island one year, Johnston Atoll, and these beautiful turtles would glide past our pier every day. There is something amazing about these creatures: cumbersome on land during nesting, but graceful and at ease in their crystal clear environment.
Granma reports on the tourism being promoted here.
For more than two centuries, the Guanahacabibes Peninsula was a land of pirates.
Taking advantage of its solitude and its enviable geographical position – situated on the obligatory shipping route of the ships that carried the riches of South America to Spain – the story goes that the most terrifying of sea robbers, who once plagued the Caribbean, hid out here, from where they organized their acts of villainy.
Most of Guanahacabibes’ beaches took their names from that dark past, and legends arose that assure that the peninsula still conceals the spoils and gold of many attacks.
Today, many continue to venture into its forests, following the trail of old maps that supposedly indicate where these fortunes were hidden.
However, the prevailing view is that the true wealth of this site lies in the beauty of its seabed, in its 22 beaches, and the dozens of endemic species of flora and fauna that have made it their home.
Seeturtles.org has an organization helping to help sea turtles survive and thrive in Cuba.
Guanahacabibes National Park: The beaches here are home to the second largest breeding population of green turtles in the country with an average of more than 300 nests per season. 2013 was a record year for this beach with nearly 900 nests recorded; our support helped to save an estimated 14,000 hatchlings through the efforts of the University of Havana’s Center for Marine Investigations and Cuba Marine Research and Conservation.
For other Cuba Destinations click here or on links at top of page.