At The Large Eastern Islands Of The King’ S Garden

If you accept our suggestion appearing  in the former issue, the trip continues from San Jose del Lago, Mayajigua, towards Moron after passing Chambas and Falla villages, and traveling about 35 km. Moron is a city that offers multiple choices for those who love nature as well as those who prefer social and cultural activities. You will be informed about this in our next issue so you can choose the best, according to your preferences.

We would suggest not stopping in Moron but going directly to the “pedraplen” (a road built to join the main island with smaller islands and keys)* that leads to the islands, which is known as Cayo Coco Pedraplen. These islands are larger than those you visited before; some of them are even bigger than the small insular countries of the Caribbean. This pedraplen was the first built in Cuba and it has about 17 km. Its construction is solid and, as well as the one that joins Caibarien with Santa Maria Key, it suffered little damage when the hurricanes Gustav and Ike lashed the country a year ago.

Once you leave Moron, you take the road that leads to Bolivia (formerly known as Cunagua) and Esmeralda Villages. After traveling 3km, you turn left towards Holandes and San Rafael Villages, not far from Laguna de la Leche ( Milk Lagoon), the largest in Cuba. After driving 20 km, you arrive in the first town, which we recommend visiting for its peculiar constructions that remind us of those traditional buildings in Holland. There is the Horse Breading Center “Quarter Horses”, where you can see thoroughbreds and Santa Gertrudis livestock.

After visiting this town, the road crosses San Rafael village and goes into Los Perros Bay (Dogs’ Bay) where the pedraplen starts. This bay is not very deep and occasionally you can see little islets in both sides of the road. These islets become more numerous before you arrive in the main destination of our suggestion: Cayo Coco. In one of these small keys, there is a rustic restaurant named La Silla (the chair), one of the best places to watch the pink flamingos.

This island is low, it does not have surface streams and its southern coast is swampy while its northern coast is sandy and more elevated, here lies its main tourist attraction. In this island, eastwards, there is an international airport known as Jardines del Rey ( The King’s Gardens ).

If the trip to this place is fascinating, it is even better staying some days here. You can make different optional tours to these four islands: Coco, Guillermo, Paredon Grande and Media Luna.

In Cayo Coco (Coconut Key ), named after the white birds commonly known as “cocos”, which inhabit the island, there are places where to stay in the hotel area, located along a road which is a in very  good shape. Among these hotels we can mention Melia Cayo Coco, Sol Cayo Coco, Blau Colonial Cayo Coco, NH Cristal Laguna, Tryp Cayo Coco , as well as the Oasis Playa Coco Hotel. There is also a sea sports center, a communication center, a gas station, a restaurant (La Guira ), an international diving center and some beaches like Uva Caleta, La Jaula, Flamencos and Las Coloradas. Besides, there is the Spa known as Talaso Acuavida Cayo Coco where you can enjoy hydro massage, massage with essential oils, a gym, special treatment with sea mud and other benefits of the kind, made by qualified personnel that will help you to improve your health and personal appearance.

In Cayo Coco there is also the Natural Park “El Baga” which you can visit by car or by a tourist train that goes along the island. In the Park you can make different activities such as watching the coastal landscape from a rustic belvedere of more than 25 meters of height. The tours can be made by rustic means of transportation and you are able to observe indigenous species such as deer, iguanas, turtles, crocodiles, flamingos, birds and other species in their own habitat. Also, in a farm known as Sitio La Guira, there are replicas of a natives’ settlement and of a coal makers village of the 19th century, although the latter still existed in some other places of the Cuban swamps  until the triumph of the Revolution, as in the Zapata Swamp and Pinar del Rio.

Next to the gas station, the pedraplen branches to the East and West. Towards the East, it crosses Cayo Romano, the third largest island in Cuba; not far, there is another road that leads to Paredon Grande Key. This is a small key with no hotels but an international fishing center, excellent beaches such as Los Lirios, Los Pinos and Del Norte, and also small islands with beaches where to enjoy being on your own, such as Del Sol and Chica.

A very interesting visit is that of Diego Vel?squez Lighthouse, almost 160 feet tall, built around the second have of the 19th century.

The road bifurcation towards the West in Cayo Coco leads to the Natural Park “El Baga”, already mentioned here. The road becomes a pedraplen, crosses some small keys and gets to Guillermo and Media Luna Keys.

In Cayo Guillermo you will find four hotels: Sol Cayo Guillermo, Melia Cayo Guillermo,Villa Cojimar and Iberostar Daiquiri, as well as an international marina. In Media Luna Key, which is surrounded by a coral reef, there is the wonderful beach “Pilar”. This place is highly recommended for sea sports and diving.

In general, this area is considered a great fishing area, particularly where there are  reefs, to the East of Paredon Grande Key, where you can practice all fishing modalities, such as trolling, fly fishing and others. You can also travel by boat to visit interesting places in the islands, such as the natural dunes of Guillermo Key. In some beaches you can go horse riding and  snorkeling in the coral reef.

It is hard to refuse enjoying these places. The many cuban hotels and villas are at your disposal. Do not miss the chance.

On your way back to Moron, other surprises await you.