Things to do on a Cayo Coco Holiday

Emma Lelliott
For a relaxing holiday away from the heavily visited areas of the island, a stay in a Cayo Coco hotel is a great choice. Its lack of an international airport means that its 15 miles of beaches are largely off the radars of most tourists, making it a far more peaceful alternative to Varadero - but there's a lot more charm to the area than that. Here are some of the things to do on a Cayo Coco holiday.

Wonderful Beaches

As Cuba's fourth largest island, it's no surprise that the beach is one of the highlights of a Cayo Coco holiday. The sands are snowy white and stretch off for miles (around 15 in total) and this combined with the lack of tourists means that there can be few places quite as peaceful, relaxing and perfect as Cayo Coco's stunning sands.

Superb Diving

One of the main reason people holiday in Cayo Coco and nearby Cayo Guillermo is the diving. Because it is home to the world's second largest coral reef, the conditions are absolutely perfect. The water is warm, with excellent visibility and the reef is teeming with interesting sea life. Amongst the fish you can expect to see are snappers, groupers, pompanos, spadefish and tarpons. There are diving schools around, so you can get up to speed and be exploring the coral reef in no time!

Exploring Unspoiled Cuba

The main sights of Cayo Coco reflect nature of the area - it's not aimed at mainstream tourists. As such, although there are a handful of interesting attractions around, you won't find the same number of landmarks as Havana or Santiago de Cuba. The wildlife of the island is particularly noteworthy, and it's worth dropping off at Cayo Coco Flamingos - a reserve for some of the island's fauna and flora. Amongst the creatures here, you'll find grey herons, pink flamingos, pelicans and a huge variety of duck species. A local crocodile farm also gives visitors a chance to see some of the more dangerous creatures the island is home to!

Elsewhere, Laguna de Leche (Lake of Milk) is a Cuba's largest lake, and a beautiful highlight in its own right. It gets its name for its milky colour, which is due to the underwater lime deposits.

Finally, visiting a sugar mill makes for a fascinating day trip. As one of Cuba's biggest exports, getting an idea of the conditions where it is manufactured is fascinating, and guests can also opt for a steam train ride across the cane fields.

Entertainment at the Cayo Coco Hotels

If all of this sounds a little sparse by way of attractions (the keyword really is relaxing around here!) then you'll be pleased to hear that the Cayo Coco hotels put on some excellent entertainment for those who are looking for an alternative to the beaches, oceans and natural beauty. The Melia Cayo Coco puts on great entertainment every night, for example and there's also a nightclub available to guests from all the local resorts. Accompanying this, the restaurants attached to Cayo Coco's hotels put on some excellent international cuisine.

While it doesn't have the huge selection of historical landmarks of Havana, Cayo Coco's sparse environment is a wonderful insight to the real rural Cuba, in all its natural glory. If you want a peaceful break away from it all with the sea and the sand as your main attraction, a holiday in Cayo Coco is well worth a look - and for divers, it's a must