Jardines del Rey
The Jardines del Rey (King's Gardens) are a chain of islands off the north coast of Cuba. They include Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo, Cayo Romano and Cayo Paredon Grande which are linked to the mainland by a 17-mile long artificial causeway, with a road running along it. (Though the "temporary" bridge between Cayo Coco and Cayo Romano is not suitable for all vehicles.) The first two of these have been developed as beach resorts.
Regions
Other destinations
Culture and History
Until the late 1980s, the Jardines del Rey could really only be reached by boat.
Ernest Hemingway spent time during the Second World War hunting German U-boats in the area (which experience he used in his novel Islands in the Stream).
In the 1980s, the Cuban government decided to construct a causeway across the bay between Cayoc Coco and the mainland. This now carries a road, and allowed the development of Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo as tourist destinations.
The first hotel (the Colonial) was opened in 1993.
Apart from the beaches, much of the islands remain undeveloped, and are promoted as an ecotourism destination.
Talk
Travel to Jardines del Rey, visa requirements
There is an international airport on Cayo Coco; one can drive from the mainland across the causeway (toll payable); and there is a marina on Cayo Guillermo.
[Note Cubans are only allowed in with specific authorisation - for example workers in the hotel, on business, married to a foreigner or with a letter from the local police.]
Get around
Though organized tours exist, it is also possible to rent a private taxi for the day (ideally 5 or 6 people) to visit Moron and see a bit of the real Cuba. Ask around for more information.
Jardines del Rey attractions and sightseeing
Itineraries
City tours
Hotels, youth hostels, lodging
See detailed entries under Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo.
Jardines del Rey nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs.
Apart from the hotels, there is a bar on the causeway to the mainland, and a nightclub underground.
Stay safe
Get out
The nearest town, on the mainland, is Morón.
More from Central Cuba: Cienfuegos, Jardines del Rey, Matanzas, Sancti Spiritus, Santa Clara (Cuba), Trinidad (Cuba) More from Cuba: Central Cuba, Eastern Cuba, Pinar del Rio (province), Varadero, Western Cuba More from Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Navassa Island, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, St Barthelemy, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Virgin Islands More from North America: Canada, Caribbean, Cascade Mountains, Central America, Great Lakes, Greenland, Mexico, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, United States of America, Waterton Glacier International Peace Park |
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