Rural Cuba: Harmony and Nature in a Single Destination

The experience of dawn or dusk at Las Salinas de Brito, in the Zapata Swamp—a Biosphere Reserve and Ramsar Site in southern Cuba—is comparable only to the paradise described in those cherished stories that have accompanied us throughout life.

The largest and best-preserved wetland in the insular Caribbean reserves, for those who venture through its forests and mangroves, the presence of endemic and migratory birds seeking the peace of these landscapes. In its marshes, aquatic species find a privileged refuge.

Pink flamingos, hawks, herons, and various fish and crustaceans coexist in Las Salinas de Brito in perfect harmony. Humans arrive as spectators, to enjoy the gentle breeze and crystal-clear waters, unique for their warm temperature.

Retracing the paths of the Zapata Peninsula, searching the thicket for the tocororo—the free-roaming national bird—observing parrots in their habitat, or contemplating the tireless flight of the woodpecker on the tallest tree… everything here invites reconnection.

Sunrise over the Laguna del Tesoro, with its 16 km² surface area—Cuba's largest natural body of water—or visiting Guamá, that Taino village recreating pre-Columbian culture, makes one feel that the indigenous people persist in their thatched huts, in cassava bread, in fishing and hunting.

This is the region where the travel agency Ecotur has set its 2026 biennial Nature Tourism event (Turnat), an opportunity to experience, in the largest of the Antilles, tours of farms, trail explorations, photo safaris, nautical activities, hiking, and more.

Rural Tourism in Cuba

Recently, the largest of the Antilles hosted the 10th Ibero-American Meeting on Rural Tourism, held in the western region with delegates from 22 countries. The travel agency Ecotur and the Ibero-American Institute of Rural Tourism (Iberoatur) led the event.

During the meeting, perspectives for Cuba's development in this tourist modality were presented. Participants observed on their tours how mountains, valleys, agroecological farms, and cooperatives are committed to sustainability—a true treasure behind each project.

For Humberto López-Tirone, president of Iberoatur, Cuba "is more than a paradise of white sands and turquoise waters: it displays a surprising natural wealth, becoming a destination where adventure and conservation intertwine, inviting discovery of its most authentic and green side."

For his part, Jorge San Martín, Chile's representative at Iberoatur, noted that the meeting allowed him to attend presentations on rural and community tourism and observe on the ground the good practices developing in the country. He also emphasized visits to tobacco farms, work with bees, and collaboration between academies and communities—experiences that, in his opinion, are worth replicating in other contexts.

Francisco Longino Franquiz Domínguez, Director of Events and Incentives at Ecotur, stated that it is necessary to promote the identification of attractions by each territory and their transformation into agrotourism offerings, to energize this sector locally. "Agrotourism is one more component, and in communities it is synonymous with professional, human, and economic improvement," he affirmed.

Inspiring Examples

The Viñales Valley, located in the Sierra de los Órganos in Pinar del Río—declared a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site—is a successful example and a quintessential rural destination. Its inhabitants use traditional agricultural techniques for tobacco production and proudly display the beauty of a landscape dotted with farms and communities of traditional architecture.

Elsewhere there is La Cueva, a farm managed by brothers Joel and Juviel Fernández Martínez. The project, begun in 2008, has become a model of family agroecology. On their land, they cultivate more than 30 varieties of fruit and about 20 of vegetables, all organic, using compost, ash, worm farming, and living barriers. It also houses endemic species like the cork palm and the guayabita del pinar, which grow on the mogotes (limestone hills) and are rarely accessible outside this environment.

The brothers, with no prior farming background, learned through practice, exchange with other producers, and support from the National Park. "We started with a bicycle and a backpack, selling what we planted. Today we have a Creole and vegetarian restaurant, eco-cabins, and a lake that beautifies the place," they recall. Their goal has been to preserve health through chemical-free food. "Very hard work, but we are proud of what we have created."

Also benchmarks in the country's west are the Las Terrazas community tourism complex, the Hacienda Guanabito—part of the extra-hotel group Palmares on the outskirts of Havana—and other farms and facilities that integrate rural life, nature, and agrotourism into a unique leisure proposal.

With the premise of prioritizing the preservation of natural resources and the development of local communities, agrotourism stands as an exemplary model of sustainable tourism that benefits both visitors and hosts.

Andreia Roque, a Brazilian traveler visiting the island for the first time, summarized it with emotion: "I have traveled the world, but I had never been to Cuba before. I was struck by its people, its nature, and the potential to develop sustainable rural tourism, which is already a reality. Its natural values and the communities that integrate and benefit from this modality… are incredible."

Thus, Cuba diversifies its tourist offerings: heritage cities with architectural and historical value, Caribbean beaches on both coasts, and a countryside full of attractions linked to conservation, tradition, and enviable gastronomy.

All of Cuba, in its rural essence, constitutes an adventure and a natural paradise that goes beyond those unforgettable stories of our lives.