Case Study Las Terrazas in Cuba

• Cuba is located in the Caribbean Sea
• The area of Sierra del Rosario, where Las Terrazas is situated, was designated a Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1985.
• Due to the areas importance, projects are combining sustainable development and tourism in the mountainous and historic Las Terrazas Community.
• Las Terrazas translates to mean 'terraces' as it is where coffee beans were grown by French immigrants.
• The projects in place here aim to start up the zones economy, raise standards of living and to connect economic, fiscal, commercial, energy, agricultural and industrial policies in order to protect the environment and promote awareness.
• The Moka Hotel is a four star hotel built in the San Juan Valley.
• It is a leisure centre and contemporary style hotel yet preservation of the natural environment is still the main concern.
• The infrastructure aims to integrate tourism into the community through traditional Cuban cuisine, historic traditions and the intimate experience of being close to nature.
• The natural beauty can be seen in 70 species of bird and nearly 800 plant species.
• There are opportunities for direct contact with mountain dwellers in understanding how environmental degradation is affecting those who rely on the environment.
• The community with around 900 inhabitants was built around an artificial lake in the San Juan River and its water mirror is one of the most famous in Cuba.
• You can tour around its environment by hiking through the foilage, zip lining under the Canopy, cruising the lake, taking a refreshing dip in one of the numerous natural baths, or simply strolling and admiring the surrounding nature.
• Recreational activities in Las Terrazas are all related to Nature: hiking, trekking, and bird watching of such endemic species as the Tocororo, the Zunzuncillo, the Cartacuba, and the Carpintero.
• The WWF has had a long involvement with tourism issues in Cuba especially the recovery and management of areas where mass tourism has caused a negative impact on wildlife species or ecosystems.