Havana.- The lodging capacity in Cayo Coco – part of the tourist destination Jardines del Rey, on the north coast of Cuba - increased with the opening of a new 320 rooms hotel.

The installation managed in joined venture by Gaviota Group, called Los Balcones Blue Bay, marked the introduction of the Spanish Hotel Chain Hotetur in the region.

The new hotel has a category of four stars and houses 154 suites, distributed in two-floor bungalows, besides other facilities for recreation.

Including Los Balcones Blue Bay hotel, Cayo Coco counts 13 900 rooms, distributed in 13 hotels and villas.

Cayo Coco reachable by air, sea and land, share its territory among the most important Cuban hotel chains: Gran Caribe, Cubanacán and Gaviota, as well as the international brands Sol Meliá, Iberostar, NH, Blau, Globalia and Hotetur.

Ernest Hemingway, winner of the Nobel Prize for literature, used to fish in the beautiful water (of all imaginable hues of blue) around this island on board of the Pilar and, and during World War II, kept an eye on the Nazi submarines in this labyrinth of Cays.

The island is a limestone pain rimmed by beaches, cliffs, marshes, lagoons and mangrove thickets. These features plus the fact that nobody lived here, made it an ideal hideaway for corsairs and pirates, who used to bury their treasures in this little islands. Ships loaded with great wealth and bound for Spain were often sunk in its waters.

Cayo Coco has 13.6 miles of creamy-white sandy beaches bathed by green-blue waters. There are 9 beaches in Cayo Coco of which Flamencos, Las Coloradas and La Jaula are the most popular. The section of seabed around Cayo Coco is considered one of the most important of the north coast of Cuba and in the Caribbean. The island is abundant in vegetation, and you can find large colonies of pink Flamingos, as well as other birds, molluscs and reptiles.

Ibrostar Daiquiry Hotel ****

Would you like to enjoy a perfect holiday in a spectacular movie-like setting? You can make your dreams come true at the Hotel Iberostar Daiquiri. A complex with a modern design, set on one of Cuba’s most beautiful islands, Cayo Guillermo, only 40 km from Cayo Coco airport. What is especially striking about this still practically unspoilt place is the great beauty of the surroundings.

A paradise of striking contrasts where you can admire the incomparable beauty of Caribbean nature while relaxing on a fabulous beach of fine white sand.

Location: Cayo Guillermo

312 rooms in several buildings and perfectly decorated bungalows.

Main buffet restaurant and 2 other a la carte Mexican and Creole cuisine restaurants.
4 bars that specialized in Cuban drinks and delicious cocktails.

3 swimming pools, including a separate children’s pool, in a spectacular garden zone.
Gym room, massage room and sauna.
Wide range of water sports and an International Diving Centre.
Varied programme of night-time shows and karaoke, etc.
Made-to-measure entertainment programme for the little ones: Mini-club, Playground & Playroom and babysitter service. 24-hour all-inclusive service.

Identified in atlases under the name of the Sabana-Camaguey Archipelago, Jardines del Rey tourist resort covers an area of 465 kilometres along the northern coastline of the central provinces of Cuba, from Matanzas to Camaguey. Sixty per cent 2517) of the total number of keys surrounding the island of Cuba belong to Jardines del Rey, including two of the largest, Cayo Romano (777 square kilometres) and Cayo Coco (370 square kilometres). The latter and the miniature Cayo Guillermo (13 square kilometres) today form the main nucleus of this tourist resort.

This outstanding area houses over 700 species of terrestrial flora (126 of them endemic), 958 species of terrestrial fauna and a further 900 species of fish. Over 450 kilometres of frontal reefs make its beaches exceptionally high quality.

How to get there:

Cayo Coco has a new international airport with flights from Europe, America and other tourist centres on the Island. It is also possible to get here over land, by means of a walkway built over the sea, or by mooring at Puertosol Cayo Guillermo har
bour.

Sun and sand:

Warm bluish-green waters characterise the nigh on 30 kilometres of beaches at the Coco and Guillermo keys, where the highest sand dunes in the Caribbean also rise. Particularly well known as a stunning, virgin beach is Playa Pilar, in Cayo Guillermo. It is also possible to swim in the sea at the secluded beaches of Paredón Grande key.

City:

Horse and carriage rides around the picturesque town of Moron, also known Culture:
Avila is a land of many traditions and multiple influences, which are reflected in its popular festivities. In the Majagua district the festivities linked to rural traditions originate from the Canary Islands. Meanwhile, in the districts of Baraguá, Venezuela, Ciro Redondo, Bolivia and 1 ro de Enero the cultural predominance of immigrants from the English- speaking Caribbean is evident. In Chambas and Punta Alegre lively parrandas are held, while in Ciego de Avila popular craftsman ship has a long-standing tradition.

Nature:

Around 90% of the vast territory of Cayo Coco is covered in vegetation, which makes it an ideal place for anyone who seeks direct contact with nature. Interesting excursions include a visit to El Bagá nature reserve, venturing into the low ridges of Cunagua or joining a tour of the hills of Florencia. The trip is undertaken on horse back and includes a visit to a tobacco plantation and takes in a rodeo show in the town of Florencia, finishing off on the banks of the river Jatibonico del Norte with a typical country lunch.

Active tourism:

A network of roads spanning over 200 kilometres Links the Coco, Paredén Grande, Guillermo and Romano keys and allows tourists to move in any direction in search of activity. Here visitors will find the perfect conditions for diving and snorkelling, yachting, trips in a catamaran and water sports. Particularly attractive are the trips along the channels of the south of the keys and trips on horseback or in a jeep around the low ridge of Florencia and the river Boquerón. Boat trips around La Redonda lagoon (an ideal setting for trout fishing), visits to La Mamita buffalo reserve, to La Rosa crocodile breeding ground, or to the Diego Velázquez light house, or a ride in a train pulled by a steam engine, give visitors a choice of activities to enjoy during their stay in Jardines del Rey.

Leisure and restaurants:

The majority of restaurants are to be found in the hotels themselves. A visit to Sitio La Guira, the cultural-culinary complex is a must. This is a reproduction of one of the many settlements of coal merchants that are known to have existed in Cayo Coco at the turn of the 20th century, and in particular the huts known as El Tio, a village which recounts the most unexpected tales of the key, as well as being a place to enjoy rural festivities and traditional Cuban cui sine. Other suggestions to bear in mind include sampling the cuisine at Rocarena restaurant, in Cayo Coco, the Bodeguita de Guillermo, in Cayo Guillermo, and the San Fernando parador, in Moron. For some more fun visit La Cueva del Jabali, a day time and evening recreational centre located in beautiful natural surroundings, which offers Cuban music and dance shows as well as games and entertainment.