Cayo Largo del Sur is located to the south of the Zapata Peninsula, Cuba, to the far east of the Los Canarreos archipelago, in Los Jardines y Jardinillos, given this name by Christopher Columbus in 1494. It extends over a total of 37.5 square kilometres. Its most important landscapes are:

  • A sandy coastline stretching for 24 km.
  • A small forest in the centre, where coastal guano (trinax radiata) is prevalent.
  • A low biogenetic northern coast where there is an abundance of mangroves
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From the point of view of the landscape and from an ecological perspective, Cayo Largo del Sur is considered to be very vulnerable to anthropic activity. In terms of vegetation, 74 species have been listed; amongst those considered to be of major importance, both ecological and with respect to conservation, there are the mangroves, palm varieties, and the Cayo's microphyllous tropical forest. There is also the yana, at over 600 years old, the oldest tree on the island, which is under special protective measures.

In terms of wildlife, bird life is most prevalent with over 30 different species, including the pelican, which forms part of the identity of Cayo Largo, the crab hawk, the mockingbird, emerald hummingbird, Cuban wild pigeon (Columbigallina passerina) , white-winged dove, sea crows (Phalacrocorax graculus), seagulls and others. Reptiles are represented by crocodiles and iguanas, which may be seen in Cayo Iguana, an island sanctuary for this species. Marine life is impressive, as are the coral reefs it inhabits.

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Caguama.jpg (5857 bytes) MARINE TURTLES

  In Cayo Largo del Sur three species of turtles lay their eggs every year, the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) and the green turtle (Chelonia mydas). These species are highly valued in ecological, tourist and scientific terms within this resort and for this reason special protective measures are applied to them.

In the case of the green turtle, Cayo Largo is considered to be the most important reproduction site in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. There is a turtle farm here with areas where examples of the species may be seen and also an incubation zone. Monitoring carried out last year recorded more than 800 nests of this species. We consider the resort to be the green turtle paradise of our country.

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