Zapata Swamp

The Zapata peninsula holds the largest wetland in the Caribbean, a mosaic of swamp, mangrove, flooded forest and coast that is one of the most important bird areas in the region. Several species occur nowhere else on earth, including the Zapata wren, Zapata rail and Zapata sparrow, and the bee hummingbird, the smallest bird in the world at around six centimetres, is regularly seen at feeders around Palpite. The Cuban crocodile, a critically endangered endemic, survives here and at a breeding centre at Guamá. Along the coast, flooded cenotes and a wall dropping close to shore give some of the country's best snorkelling and diving straight off the beach at Caleta Buena and Punta Perdiz.

What you actually see

• Bee hummingbird - the world's smallest bird, at feeders around Palpite village.
• Endemic birding - Zapata wren, rail and sparrow, with local guides in the marsh zones.
• Cenote diving - flooded caves and a shore-accessible wall at Punta Perdiz and Caleta Buena.
• Cuban crocodile - the endemic species at the Guamá breeding centre.

When to go

November to April for dry weather; spring migration adds North American species to the endemics. Mosquitoes are ferocious year-round and worse in the wet season. Birding starts at dawn, so stay locally rather than driving from Havana.

Honest expectations

Mosquitoes here are genuinely punishing and repellent is essential. Access to the strict birding zones requires a licensed local guide, which is both a rule and the only practical way to find the endemics. Facilities are basic and casas particulares in Playa Larga are the usual accommodation. Fuel shortages can complicate transport, so build in slack.

Nearby

Cienfuegos lies east along the coast; Havana is three hours north.