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Jardines del Rey CUBA

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We offer information for travelers to Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo, Cayo Cruz, Playa Santa Lucia and other areas in the Cayeria del Norte collectively called the Jardines del Rey or Gardens of the King 

We will be posting video tours, scuba diving recommendations, hotel reviews featuring "user generated content" such as videos, photos, blogs and destination reviews and recommendations.

Cuban Cigars

Jardines del Rey is the name given to the Northern, middle region of Cuba consisting of numerous islands or cayos in Spanish, from Maternillos in Camagüey province to Punta Hicacos in Varadero Matanzas.

Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo are at the main international tourist destinations where most of the Cuba hotel rooms are located overlooking pristine white sand beaches.

In the 16th century, Diego Velazquez, while sailing around Cuba, named this island chain for the King of Spain calling them the King's Gardens or Jardines del Rey in Spanish.

Officially known today as the Sabana-Camaguey archipelago, the islands are lush with green vegetation, birds and animals of all colors and tropical blue ocean waters. There is little reason to wonder why he would come up with the term Gardens of the King.

Cuba Junky has a great big map of Jardines del Rey.

Since most of the islands are far off the mainland, few settlers lived in Jardines del Rey but corsairs and pirates were known to seek protection here when they needed to seek refuge from hurricanes... or other pirates.

Ernest Hemingway was known to frequent these waters in his yacht Pilar during World War 2 keeping watch for German submarines. Not a bad job since he could fish and drink Cuban rum while on the lookout.

The Coastal Ecosystems Research Center (CIEC) in 1991 started to study the area as Cuba looked to tourism to expand the revenue for the island. Climate, geology, soils, hydrological resources, flora, fauna, marine beds and natural elements were all studied carefully before starting development for tourism. This allowed the government to establish environmental regulations for a Master Plan of tourist development with an ecological balance.

White sand beaches in Jardines del Rey stretch for more than 35 km and the existence of the coral reefs with extraordinary natural beauty and great biological diversity offer a vacation like no other in Cuba.

Cuba Dive Centers focuses exclusively on Cuba scuba diving locations.

Loma del Puerto dunes on Cayo Coco and the dunes at Playa Pilar on Cayo Guillermo are some of the highest dunes in the Caribbean

Cayo Media Luna and Cayo Guillermo are separated by a channel of less than one mile wide.

Visitors will enjoy thirteen hectares of a beautiful coral reef featuring a natural aquarium that is rich in biodiversity of species along with many wrecks of sunken ships.

Only 15 minutes away is El Baga park, La Guira Ranch and a huge sinkhole that is known as a Karts formation caused by a breakup of carbonated rocks. The sinkhole is 12 meters deep  and up to 50 meters wide.

Be sure to check out the official Cuban travel site for Jardines del Rey at JardinesDelRey.cu or read more from Invasor.cu

Be sure to read the Cuba Travel Section and Cuba Travel Forum at the Havana Journal 

Canadians and Europeans account for about 70% of visitors to Jardines del Rey, most arriving by way of the Jardines del Rey airport on Cayo Coco in Ciego de Avila.