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.

Location of Colorados Archipelago in Cuba

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 homonymous 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)IslandCapitalMore IslandsArea
(km²)		Population
(Census 2012 official)
1Banco Sancho Pardo0.10
2Cayo AlacranesPunta CasiguasMedano, Punta Alcaranes4.40
3Cayo BuenavistaPunta Del OestePunta del este14.90
4Cayo Ines de SotoPlayuelasLa Pasa de la legua, Punta Brava, cayo redondo, Cayo Legua, cayo Pescador, Punta Hicacel, Cayo Prieto, Punta Boquerones6.230
5Cayo JutíasPlaya Santa Lucia40
6Cayo LevisaCayo LevisaPunta Bailarina, Playa Sur2.55
7Cayo Rapado GrandePlaya CedroPunta Vinagrera, Punta Remagillal, Punta Perche, La Playita5.470
8Cayos Punta TabacoCayo diegoCayo De Limones2.210
9More IslandsCayo CuroitaCayo Catalanes, Cayo Dios, Cayo Arenas, Cayo Cabezo Seco, Cayo Paraiso3.40
 Colorados Archipelagopueblo Cayo LevisaCayo Jutias43.35

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

See also

References
  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". Archived from the original on 2007-11-03. Retrieved 2007-10-16.


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