Colorados Archipelago
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 Casiguas | Medano, Punta Alcaranes | 4.4 | 0 |
| 3 | Cayo Buenavista | Punta Del Oeste | Punta del este | 14.9 | 0 |
| 4 | Cayo Ines de Soto | Playuelas | La Pasa de la legua, Punta Brava, cayo redondo, Cayo Legua, cayo Pescador, Punta Hicacel, Cayo Prieto, Punta Boquerones | 6.23 | 0 |
| 5 | Cayo Jutías | Playa Santa Lucia | 4 | 0 | |
| 6 | Cayo Levisa | Cayo Levisa | Punta Bailarina, Playa Sur | 2.5 | 5 |
| 7 | Cayo Rapado Grande | Playa Cedro | Punta Vinagrera, Punta Remagillal, Punta Perche, La Playita | 5.47 | 0 |
| 8 | Cayos Punta Tabaco | Cayo diego | Cayo De Limones | 2.21 | 0 |
| 9 | More Islands | Cayo Curoita | Cayo Catalanes, Cayo Dios, Cayo Arenas, Cayo Cabezo Seco, Cayo Paraiso | 3.4 | 0 |
| Colorados Archipelago | pueblo Cayo Levisa | Cayo Jutias | 43.3 | 5 |
1) The Islands area and population data retrieved following 2012 census.
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Encarta (spanish). "Archipiélago de los Colorados" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2009-10-31. Retrieved 2007-10-16.
- ↑ GulfBase. "Arrecifes Colorados". Retrieved 2007-10-16.
Coordinates: 22°24′N 84°25′W / 22.400°N 84.417°W