The National Center for Protected Areas has declared 236 zones, with a combined area of almost 88,000 square kilometers, as having national and local significance.

The province with the most protected areas is Pinar del Río with 30, followed by Matanzas with 23, and Camaqüey with 21, according to the list provided by the Center, which is part of the Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment (CITMA).

The majority are marine zones with a combined area of nearly 68,000 square kilometers. The remaining 19,900 square kilometers are terrestrial and include natural and semi-natural areas with established boundaries, legal protection, and special management.

These zones are also known as areas of contemplated conservation in The National System, that, because of their ecological significance, have been so designated in order to contribute to conservation efforts and environmental rehabilitation.

Each zone has been assigned to a category: Nature Reserve, Managed Ecological Reserve, Managed Botanical Reserve, National Park, Outstanding Natural Element, Wildlife Refuge, Protected National Landscape, and Managed Resources Protected Area.

There are also six internationally recognized protected areas: the Biosphere Reserves of Guanahacabibes and Sierra del Rosario in Pinar del Río; Cuchillas de Toa in Guantánamo; Baconao in Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo; la Ciénaga de Zapata en Matanzas; and Buenavista in Sancti Spíritus.

Completing the list is the National Park of Desembarco del Granma, which has been declared a Heritage of Humanity, and the National Park of Viñales, now a National Landscape.