Las Terrazas

Las Terrazas
Las Terrazas
Village and nature reserve
	View of the village and surrounding forest
	Location of Esperanza in Cuba
	Coordinates: 22°50′42″N 82°56′35″W / 22.84500°N 82.94306°W
Country	Cuba
Province	Artemisa
Municipality	Candelaria
Elevation	200 m (660 ft)
Population
• Total	1,000
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
Area code	+53-82
Website	Official website

Las Terrazas is a small community and nature reserve in the municipality of Candelaria, Artemisa Province, Cuba. It is located in the Sierra del Rosario mountains (part of Guaniguanico range), which was designated a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1984.

Overview

The village has a population of about 1,000 and a number^{[citation needed]} of hotels and restaurants catering for tourists. The nature reserve includes 5000 ha of secondary forest^[1] which was planted on the surrounding (deforested) hills by building terraces to avoid erosion; hence the name (in Spanish, terrazas means terraces).^[2]

The reserve is rich in flora and fauna, and includes lakes, rivers, and waterfalls. Organised excursions on the many footpaths and trails can be booked at the local tourist office.^[3]