The Guanahahcabibes Peninsula, located at the far western tip of the island, is one of the last remaining wild places in the Caribbean. We will visit Guanahahcabibes National Park, a UNESCO-administered biosphere reserve that covers more than 125,000 acres and provides habitat to 47 percent of all species and 44 percent of endemic species reported in Cuba. These figures include 192 species of birds belonging to 42 families, 11 of which are endemic and 84 migratory.

A major migratory corridor, this peninsula lies parallel to the Yucatan Peninsula in eastern Mexico and is adjacent to the Palancar Reef, the largest contiguous coral reef in the northern hemisphere, second in size only to the Great Barrier Reef. The territory also has historical value, including some of Cuba’s most important aboriginal archaeological sites. The peninsula was Cuba’s first significant protected area following the triumph of the revolution in 1959 and was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1987. The Bee Hummingbird, Blue-headed Quail Dove, Cuban Crow, Cuban Parrot, and numerous other birds are quite likely here.