Time to Check Cuba Off the Bucket List with Apple Vacations! Call to Book Today! More Cuba is an island nation rich in history, culture, beauty and natural resources. Its varied geography includes rolling farmland, rugged mountains, urban metropolises, quaint Colonial villages and stretches of alabaster sand beaches that melt into larimar seas. Cuban culture is influenced by its melting pot of cultures, primarily those of Spain and Africa. Home to nine UNESCO Heritage sites, Cuba is ranked very highly in the United Nations human development index. Its government has established rigorous sports, ballet and music programs, and offers free education to all. Cuba is home to 47 universities and has the second highest literary rate in the world at 99.8%.