7 facts about Cuba that will make you want to visit this country

1/31/2021

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Geography Story: 7 facts about Cuba that will make you want to visit this country

Cuba is an amazing country that is on most travelers' bucket list – and there are some good reasons for that. Read on to learn 7 cool facts about this paradise of the Caribbean.

#1 “Cuba” means "fertile land"

Cuba was first colonized by the Spanish in the 1400s. They were the ones who proclaimed it cubao or "fertile land".

#2 Cuba’s reef is the second largest in the Carribean

Cuba boasts an impressive 1166 square miles of reef on its coast. This amazing ecosystem hosts over 900 species of marine animals.

#3 Cuba’s national dish is “Old clothes”

“Ropa vieja”, which literally translates as old clothes, is the national Cuban dish. It’s traditionally made with shredded beef and colorful veggies and it tastes amazing.

#4 Cuban cigars were popularized by the Spanish

Cuba was not the only country producing tobacco products at the time. However, the cuban cigar was a work of art with more than 100 steps involved in its production. It quickly became the Spanish favorite and got popularized word-wide.

#5 Cuba is a retro-car paradise

Cuba imported a lot of cars between 1900 and 1950 but suddenly stopped after the Cuban Revolution. At the time Fidel Castro halted all imports in response to the US cuban embargo.

#6 Cuba is the home of the world’s smallest bird

Weighing only 0.05 ounces or less than 2 grams, the bee hummingbird, native to Cuba, is not only the smallest bird but also the smallest warm blooded animal in the world.

#7 Cuba has a surprisingly diverse geography

There’s more to Cuba than just sandy beaches plucked from carribean dreams. The island has mountains and grasslands as well as deserts and jungles

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Would you like to visit Cuba one day? Or have you already been there? Tell us in the comments!

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What are your thoughts on this subject?

18 Comments

Raymond Cardona

As a Canadian I am very fortunate to have visited Cuba 22 times. It's an place and the people are very warm and friendly Bonnie

garrett scott

Imagine if you can, the U.S. supporting Castro in the Cuban Revolution. World circumstances would have been dramatically different in the second half of the twentieth century.

Alejandro Moncada Sucre

It is unfortunately a communist country. The people barely get food rations, the cities are falling apart and so much suffering. A paradise destroyed by Castro and communism. The Cuba tourist see is nothing compared to real life for the locals.

sadi5+

I worked in Cuba for 8 1/2 years and traveled this country many times. I have see the east when Columba's first set foot in Baracoa many times as I worked in MOA the Mining end of the country. Have been through Guantanamo city stayed in hotels and also worked the Soybean plants in Santiago. Was also in Varedero for the turbine plant that supplies electricity for the area. Seen Elion's town been through hotel shut downs when Fidel Castro made his speeches which sometimes would last 8- 10 hours.. Seen most of Havana. Bottom line is that this is what Communism is about. Open your eyes from the Rum and beaches. The regular people are suffering BIG time. The doctors are a joke except for the VIP and Military as drugs are not available through out the island. Please people dont praise the system and yes they are great people but why are so many leaving the island????? Sorry but true.

Ellen Sheehan

One of the more interesting things about Cuba is the ability to educate doctors who then are made available around the world to give humanitarian assistance. Cuba offered doctors to the U.S. during Katrina but was turned down. Despite lack of medications (embargoed by U.S.) people are healthy due to doctor to patient ratio which exceeds most countries in the world. Most certainly the country has multiple problems but they do some things well. It is still surprising that the US imposes so many restrictions, given that so many countries the U.S. does business with are as bad, if not worse.

bonniecardona

My husband and I have been to Cuba 23 times. The people are lovely, but there is much poverty. We always bring toiletries with us and give to the locals when we are out and about and we have also donated school supplies. They really appreciate Canadian tourists.

dsspeaks

Jean Franklin, we had very excellent food for every meal. Not sure where you ate but we dined everywhere from open air restaurants in the west to very fine dining in Habana.

dsspeaks

Been there done that. We loved Cuba and the people are very very friendly. Beautiful country.

Connie R Smith

I did a 3 week tour with Road Scholar Travel. I highly recommend the trip. The people are warm and friendly. The country is beautiful and has a rich and wonderful history.

Antonio Diaz

The people are great but the government makes life there very difficult for them.The Castro communism has been a failure and continues to be.Still,Cuba has great beauty and incredible music.

Jean Franklin

it is very poor and the meals are much to be desired even at 5* hotels. Peasant food.. Nonetheless, interesting country and history attached to it!

Leticia Olsen

👍🏼This is the place I wanted to visit in the future.

Linda Spreng

I adore hummingbirds. I really need to meet a bee hummer.

Doris Dallaire

Cuba is a beautiful place to visit but the people are very poor. Those 50’s cars are neat but the tires are so bald, it’s a wonder they can still drive them. But the people are very warm and friendly. I really enjoyed my visit to Cuba.

Gil Grady

I lived in Cuba for 2 1/2 years on the naval base (Guantanamo), and, although not allowed into the mainland, I never met a nicer group of people than the Cubans who worked on the property.

Sean Philips

carlthedad, I’ve visited Cuba 5 times and your statement is simply not true. On my third trip, I was a passenger in a vehicle which was involved in a traffic accident. I was taken to hospital and looked after very well by their excellent medical staff. Of course I had travel medical insurance as tourists are not allowed to enter the country without it. I was certainly NOT ‘held for ransom by the Cuban government’! 🙄