Diving Cuba
The reefs and walls of Cuba offer, to the beginner as well as to the advanced diver, as much if not more than any diving area in the world. There are currently 31 dive shops with 100s of diving sites and new areas are being developed everyday. Cuban diving waters are pristine, with very little pollution or coral destruction, perfectly preserved, and provide an underwater paradise of more than 50 species of corals and 200 species of sponges. There is an abundance of hard corals such as brain, pillar, staghorn, and elkhorn, and among the soft corals, spectacular gorgonians, sea fans, and plume worms. Barrel and tube sponges, sea urchins, spiny lobsters, coral shrimp, and crabs are also widely present.
Dozens of species of fish, including brilliant tropical species, swim among the reefs in undulating schools. Moray eels, squid, octopus, barracudas, and rays often appear. Many sites include diving to wrecks and in caves.
Best time to dive
Diving is year-round in Cuba.
Visibility
Visibility averages between 100 and 130 feet (30 to 40 m).
Water temperatures
Water temperatures average 76+ °F (24 C)
Weather and climate
Cuba has a very tropical climate with an average of 330 days a year of sunshine. The average temperature year-round is 78 °F, with the hotter months being in the summer. Average humidity is 78% or more. The least amount of rain falls in the months of December and August.
Language
Spanish
Passport/Visa requirements
For a U.S. citizen to legally travel to Cuba, they must obtain a Treasury License from the State Department. Check with the State Department for details (http://travel.state.gov/cuba.html). For citizens outside the U.S., everyone needs a passport, valid for at least 6 months and a tourist card, which must be purchased and is valid for a maximum of 30 days.
Currency
Cuban Convertible Peso and Cuban Peso – Get exchange rates at http://www.xe.com/ucc/
Electrical current
The most common electrical voltage in Cuba is 110 volts. However, some of the hotels operate on 220 volts. It is advisable to bring along a transformer, as they are not so easy to get in Cuba. It is recommended to use surge protectors with sensitive equipment.
Capital
Havana
General information
The Cuban archipelago is formed by the Cuban island, the island of youth and about 4,195 keys and islands. It is located in the Caribbean Sea at the entry of the Mexican gulf. Cuba is the largest and most densely populated island in the Caribbean. Havana, with 2.1 million inhabitants, is the largest city in the Caribbean. Founded on its present site in 1519, it is one of the oldest cities in the Americas. For four centuries Cuba was the main gateway to Spain’s vast American empire. Cuba offers picturesque colonial towns, intriguing Afro-Cuban culture, rousing revolutionary monuments, almost 300 unblemished beaches, enchanting countryside, potent rum, and good beer.