Nearest city Santa Cruz del Sur | Area 2,170 km² | |
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Islands Cayos Cinco Balas, Cayos Pingues, Cayo Granada, Caguamas, Cayo Anclitas | ||
Jardines de la Reina (English: Gardens of the Queen) is an archipelago in the southern part of Cuba, in the provinces of Camagüey and Ciego de Ávila.
Contents
- Map of Archipielago de los Jardines de la Reina Cuba
- Geography
- Table of Islands
- Fishing
- Diving
- References
Map of Archipielago de los Jardines de la Reina, Cuba
It was named by Christopher Columbus to honour the Queen of Spain. In 2002, Jardines de la Reina was established as a national park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Jardines de la Reina). With an area of 2,170 km2 (840 sq mi), it is one of Cuba's largest protected area.
Geography
It is located in the Caribbean Sea, between the Gulf of Ana Maria (north-west), Gulf of Guacanayabo (south) and Caballones Channel (west). It extends on a general north-west to south-east direction, paralleling the Cuban coast for 150 km (93 mi) from Cayo Breton to Cayos Mordazo. Cuba's second largest archipelago (smaller only than Jardines del Rey), it is formed by more than 600 cays and islands. Other cays in the archipelago include Caguamas, Cayos Cinco Balas, Cayo de Las Doce Leguas, Cayo Anclitas, Cayo Algodon Grande, Cayos Pingues and Cayo Granada.
Table of Islands
1) The Islands area and population data retrieved from the 2012 census.
Fishing
The archipelago is a popular destination for diving and fishing. It used to be one of Fidel Castro's favorite fishing spots. Species of fish found here include Cubera snapper, Bonefish, Yellowfin grouper, Black grouper, Atlantic goliath grouper as well as Strombus gigas (the large Caribbean conch) and Whale shark. Besides being an extraordinary site for fly fishing, one its main attractions for diving is the abundance of reef sharks.
Diving
The Gardens of the Queen is one of the most popular scuba destinations of Cuba. The underwater landscapes include canyons, pinnacles and caves. Healthy mangroves, sponges and black corals cover the reef. The Jardines de la Reina also host numerous silky and Caribbean reef sharks. In the mangroves labyrinth it’s possible to find crocodiles and snorkel with them.