Quick Facts

Located 177km south of Havana, Cuba, and also known as Cayo Largo del Sur, this small resort island belonging to Cuba is no more than 25 kilometers long and 3 kilometers wide. This island’s main draw is its uninterrupted long and pristine white sand beaches and great snorkeling and scuba diving opportunities. Originally a fishing island for indigenous populations, Cayo Largo is now a popular tourist destination for those interested in charter packages or all-inclusive vacations.

Getting There & Other Transportation

This small coral island is home to the international airport called Juan Vitalio Acuña Airport. Flights come into this airport from Canada and Europe as well as daily flights from Cuba.

Shuttles periodically run routes which connect the marina with all the major resort hotels on the island. Taxis are also available as well as car and scooter rentals.

To explore the island as a family or for a more rustic ride, jeep rentals are a popular way to cruise the island in style.

Hotels & Places to Stay

As aforementioned, Cayo Largo is mainly a resort island so all-inclusive packages and resort hotels are the way to go when visiting . Here is a list of some popular resorts:

Luxury Resorts:

Sol Melia

Sol Pelicano

Playa Blanca (formally called : Barcelo Cayo Largo)

Rustic Style Resorts and Bungalows

Villa Lindamar

Villa Coral

Villa Soledad

Isla Del Sur

Dining & Nightlife

Due to the fact that the vast majority of places to stay in Cayo Largo are resorts, the majority of visitors dine at one of the many restaurants at their resort.

If you feel inclined to venture away from your hotel for a beverage or to dine, here are some local eateries that you can check out:

Playa Sirena Restuarant (Restaurant and Bar)

Bar of Playa Paraiso (Bar and pub food)

El Torreon (Seafood and pizza restaurant)

Taberna del Pirata (Marina restaurant with terrace)

La Movida (Outdoor bar and dance floor)

As far as nightlife goes, the night clubs and bars are limited to the all-inclusive resorts. Check with your resort or neighboring resorts for events.

Attractions

Tourist activity occurs mainly on the west beaches, Playa Sirena and Playo Paraiso. The beaches are only kilometers apart yet they have a very different feel. Playa Paraiso offers more privacy and even nudist beaches, while Para Sirena offers full service facilities for tourists. Cayo Largo is a limestone island and is home to many marine organisms which formed its living coral reefs. Many tourists come to this island to explore the reefs by snorkeling, scuba diving and deep sea fishing. The water is clear enough to reveal the underlying ocean floor on the south side of the island.

Full and half day boat trips are available by way of catamarans and/or fishing boats. Tours usually consist of stopping at Cayo Iguana (an island with a large population of endemic iguanas), snorkeling on the barrier reef, and stopping at piscine natural (a slightly submerged sandbar).

La Granja de las Tortugas is a small turtle breeding and protection project beside the marina. Between April and September, nighttime trips are organized to watch the nesting turtles lay eggs.

Currency, Culture and Language

The official language in Cuba is Spanish.

There are two official currencies in Cuba: the Cuban peso (CUP) and the Cuban convertible peso (CUC).