Jardines del Rey

Jardines del Rey ( _en. Gardens of the King) is an archipelago located off the northern coast of the island of Cuba, in the northern parts of the provinces of Ciego de Ávila and Camagüey. It is developed on the coral reef system that lines Cuba's shore, between the Atlantic and the Bay of Buena Vista and Bay of Jiguey. It extends for km to mi|200|abbr=yes on a north-west to south-east direction, and is part of the Sabana-Camaguey Archipelago.

The Jardines del Rey Airport is located on Cayo Coco. Additional access to Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo is offered by a causeway that connects this islands to mainland Cuba.

Cays

Of the many cays and islands that compose Jardinas del Rey, the most important are (from north to south):
*Cayo Guillermo
*Cayo Coco
*Cayo Romano
*Cayo Guajaba
*Cayo Sabinal

Other islands include Cayo Santa Maria, Cayo Paredón Grande and Cayo Cruz.

History

The islands were named in 1513 by Spanish conquistadors to honor king Ferdinand II of Aragon. [Cite web|url= http://www.cubatravel.cu/client/destinations/destinations.php?id=3 |title= Jardines del Rey| author= Cuba Tourism Department|accessdate=2007-08-10]

In the 16th century, they were refuges for corsairs and pirates. Jacques de Sores is supposed to have used it as a base of operations for his attacks of Santiago de Cuba in 1554. In the 19th century, they were used as a point of entry for illegal slave ships after the slave trade was officially abolished. [Cite web|url=http://www.jardinesdelrey.cu/idiomas/eng/historia.htm|title=History|author=Jardines del Rey.cu|accessdate=2007-10-08]

El Bagá Nature Park

Bagá Nature Park ( _es. Parque Natural El Bagá) was established on December 29, 2002, and was named for the Baga tree ("árbol del pan"). It spreads over 69 hectares of forests and lagoons on Cayo Coco as well as on neighboring cays.Cite web|url=http://www.radiohc.cu/espanol/medioambiente/parques/baga1.htm |title= Parque Natural El Bagá |author=Radio Habana |accessdate=2007-10-09 Es icon]

It contains an interpretative centre, a walkway through a Bagá forest, a Taíno village and fauna exhibits (crocodiles, iguanas, flamingos and Cuban Hutias). The archipelago is a natural habitat for Caribbean Flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber). [Cite web|url=http://www.jardinesdelrey.cu/idiomas/eng/datinteres.htm|title=General facts|author=Jardines del Rey.cu|accessdate=2007-10-08]

References

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