Colorados Archipelago

Location of Colorados Archipelago in Cuba

The Colorados Archipelago (Spanish: Archipiélago de los Colorados, also called Archipiélago de Santa Isabel and Archipiélago de Guaniguanico) is a chain of isles and cays on Cuba's north-western coast.

The sea surrounding the islands is used mainly for fishing, with commercial captures of lobster, sponge, oysters, red snapper and tuna.[1] Tourism is also developed on cays such as Cayo Levisa, where white sand beaches, as well as snorkeling and diving sites attract tourists.

Geography

Colorados Archipelago is developed on a reef barrier located off the northern coast of the Pinar del Río Province, facing the Gulf of Mexico, between the Honda Bay (north of the omonymous Bahia Honda community) and Cape San Antonio on the Guanahacabibes Peninsula.

The archipelago is approximately 100 km (62 mi) long and is composed of small cays such as Cayo Levisa, Cayo Arenas, Cayo Jutias, Punta Tabaco, Cabezo Seco, Cayo Paraiso, Cayo Buenavista, Banco Sancho Pardo, Cayo Rapado Grande, and Cayo Alacranes.[1] The sea surrounding the islands is open to the north, while to the south it is bordered by bays and estuaries such as San Felipe, Honda, Limones, Nombre de Dios, Santa Lucía, Playuelas, Verracos, Tortuga, Catalanes and La Mulata. A navigable corridor exists between the reef barrier and the coast.[2]

Table of Islands

Nr. 1)Island Capital More Islands Area
(km²)
Population
(Census 2012 official)
1 Banco Sancho Pardo 0.1 0
2 Cayo Alacranes Punta CasiguasMedano, Punta Alcaranes4.4 0
3 Cayo Buenavista Punta Del OestePunta del este14.9 0
4 Cayo Ines de Soto PlayuelasLa Pasa de la legua, Punta Brava, cayo redondo, Cayo Legua, cayo Pescador, Punta Hicacel, Cayo Prieto, Punta Boquerones6.23 0
5 Cayo Jutías Playa Santa Lucia4 0
6 Cayo Levisa Cayo LevisaPunta Bailarina, Playa Sur2.5 5
7 Cayo Rapado Grande Playa CedroPunta Vinagrera, Punta Remagillal, Punta Perche, La Playita5.47 0
8 Cayos Punta Tabaco Cayo diegoCayo De Limones2.21 0
9 More Islands Cayo Curoita Cayo Catalanes, Cayo Dios, Cayo Arenas, Cayo Cabezo Seco, Cayo Paraiso3.4 0
  Colorados Archipelagopueblo Cayo Levisa Cayo Jutias43.35

1) The Islands area and population data retrieved following 2012 census.

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Encarta (spanish). "Archipiélago de los Colorados" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2009-10-31. Retrieved 2007-10-16.
  2. GulfBase. "Arrecifes Colorados". Retrieved 2007-10-16.

Coordinates: 22°24′N 84°25′W / 22.400°N 84.417°W