Cayo Largo del Sur

Cayo Largo del Sur, or simply Cayo Largo, is a small resort island in Cuba, off the south coast of the northwestern part of the main island in the Caribbean Sea. The cay is about 25km long and 3km wide and is the second largest island in the Canarreos Archipelago. Cayo Largo is part of the special municipality of Isla de la Juventud.HistoryChristopher Columbus is said to have visited the island on his second expedition in 1494, and Sir Francis Drake may have also stopped on the island during his circumnavigation of the globe. Pirates also likely used the island as a base. Today, pristine beach, scuba diving, and wildlife draw tourists to the island, but no people live there permanently; locals who work in the hotels stay for about 20 days, then return to their families on nearby islands. There are five all-inclusive resort hotels on the island. Flights from Miami, Argentina, Italy, and Canada serve the island. A large catamaran style ferry provides surface transportation.TourismTypically, the fine white sand is packed hard on the surf's edge and allows easy walking.A major tourist attraction of Cayo Largo are the west beaches, Playa Sirena, and Playo Paraiso. These beaches are a kilometre apart, and one may easily walk between them when the tide is not full. Sirena offers full service facilities for tourists. A shuttle "train" service takes tourists from the resorts to these beaches. Paraiso offers one of the finest undeveloped beaches in the world. Activities on the beach may be curtailed during turtle egg laying season. The beach has water sports related to the hotels, a restaurant, dolphin attraction, docks for catamaran trips. The lee side of the beach features tidal flats where many very large starfish congregate and other tropical fish are easily viewed.