Protected Areas in the Caribbean

Alejandro de Humboldt National Park harbors some of the most significant natural habitats for the conservation of terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity in Cuba. It is of global importance as one of the most biologically diverse tropical ecosystems, in an island setting, anywhere on earth.

Approximately 18% of the total land area of Aruba is assigned as Arikok National Park in order to protect and preserve the flora, fauna, geology and historical remains present. The park hosts three primary geological formations and a variety of habitats.

The Baconao Biosphere Reserve is situated in southeastern Cuba, between Santiago de Cuba and the province of Guantanamo, and includes three well-defined biogeographic zones. The area is a large park region which contains a variety of attractions in addition to wildlife refuges and coffee plantations.

The Blue and John Crow Mountains encompass a rugged and forested mountainous region in southeast Jamaica, which provided refuge first for the indigenous Tainos fleeing slavery and then for the formerly enslaved Maroons. Also a National Park, the area is a biodiversity hotspot for the Caribbean.

The Bonaire National Marine Park is the oldest marine reserve in the world. It includes the waters around Bonaire and Klein Bonaire's reef-lined coasts. In 1999 the underwater park received the status of National Park of the Netherlands Antilles.

Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park is an outstanding, well-preserved example of 17th- and 18th-century military architecture in a Caribbean context. Designed by the British and built by African slave labor, the fortress is testimony to European colonial expansion.

The Buenavista Biosphere Reserve is situated on the northern coast of Cuba. The larger marine part includes coral reefs and rocky beaches, while the terrestrial part is composed of evergreen coastal forest and mangroves. The Caguanes National Park is established around the Caguanes peninsula.

Ciénaga de Zapata Biosphere Reserve, on the southern coast of Cuba, is one of the largest and most important wetlands in the Caribbean region with a marine borderline. Ciénaga de Zapata National Park is the main core area of the Biosphere Reserve and the Ramsar site that have the same name.

The Cuchillas del Toa Biosphere Reserve is located in the northeastern region of Cuba and covers the mountain region of Sagua-Garacoa in the Alejandro de Humboldt National Park. Cuchillas del Toa is considered as one of the principal centers of biodiversity and endemism in Cuba.