Ciego De Ávila Province %33 / Pop 424,400
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©Lonely¨Planet¨Publications¨Pty¨Ltd Ciego de Ávila Province %33 / pop 424,400 Why Go? Ciego de Ávila . 309 For centuries Ciego de Ávila was little more than an over- Morón . .314 night stop on Cuba’s arterial east–west highway. Then came Cuba’s ambitious post–Special Period tourist project and Florencia . .318 the resort development of Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo Cayo Coco . .318 (the bright tropical pearls that had once seduced Heming- Cayo Guillermo . .321 way) had their drizzling of glorious beaches spruced up and daubed with nearly a dozen exclusive tourist resorts. Chopped off the western flank of Camagüey province in 1975, Ciego de Ávila has in reality been harboring intriguing Best Watersports secrets for over a century. Various non-Spanish immigrants ¨¨Laguna de la Leche (p316) first arrived here in the 19th century from Haiti, Jamaica, ¨¨Jardines de la Reina (p313) the Dominican Republic and Barbados, bringing with them myriad cultural quirks, exemplified by cricket in Baraguá, ¨¨Boat Adventure (p321) voodoo in Venezuela, country dancing in Majagua and ex- ¨¨Cayo Media Luna (p321) plosive fireworks in Chambas. Best Places to When to Go Stay ¨¨Beach-goers should descend on the cayos (keys) between ¨¨Meliá Cayo Coco (p320) November and March for drier weather that, while cool by Cuban standards, is still pleasantly warm. ¨¨Alojamiento Maité (p315) ¨¨Take to the field on August 1 in Baraguá, where people ¨ ¨Iberostar Daiquirí (p322) celebrate Slave Emancipation Day with music, dancing and a game of cricket. ¨¨Morón’s Aquatic Carnival kicks off in September, in the channel leading to the Laguna de Leche. 308 Cayo Cayo las ATLANTIC OCEAN Fragoso Brujas Cayo Santa Las Brujas María Bahía Airport Buena Vista Playa Pilar Cayo Guillermo Archipiélago de Caibarién Sabana-Camagüey Cayo Jardines del Coco Rey Airport Los Máximo Buchillones Gómez Cayo El Pueblo Romano Isla Holandés Turiguano Aguachales de Falla Ganado Santa Gertrudis Game Reserve Cayo Bahía de Judas Jigüey Santa Chambas Clara (59km) Laguna de Laguna la la Leche Redonda Criadero de Cocodrilos Sancti Spíritus Florencia Province Morón Loma de Cunagua Cabaiguán Tamarindo Central Patria Taguasco Máximo Gómez Airport O Muerte Ceballos Carretera Jatibonico Majagua de Morón Primero Sancti de Enero Spíritus Ciego de Ávila Carretera Centra Pablo Ciego de Ávila Provin Sanguily Nuevitas Venezuela l (100km) Gaspar Baraguá Embarcadero de Júcaro Florida Cayo 0 20 km Ana 0 12 miles María C e Cie G o de Ávila Provin Golfo de Ana María Camagüey Province Jardines de la CARIBBEAN SEA Reina Archipelago C e Hi gh Ciego de Ávila Province Highlights li gh 1 eat fresh fish for in Cuba, Museo Provincial 6 escape the resorts and ridiculously cheap prices Simón Reyes (p309) in Ciego immerse yourself in the rustic ts at the Laguna de la Leche de Ávila . simplicity of the Loma de (p316) . 4 Follow in the wake of Papa Cunagua (p317) . 2 dive from a liveaboard into Hemingway while deep-sea 7 Marvel at how waste the almost-virgin waters of the fishing offCayo Guillermo ground got transformed into secluded Jardines de la Reina (p321) . one of Cuba’s most interesting archipelago (p313) . 5 dig your toes in the sand city parks at Ciego de Ávila’s 3 Browse through one of at the beach paradise of Playa Parque de la Ciudad (p309) . the best municipal museums Pilar (p321) ..