Villa Clara Province Beaches

Las Brujas and Santa Maria Cayos
Las Brujas and Santa Maria Cayos-together with Fragoso, Cobos, Ensenachos and Frances Cayos-just off the northern coast of Villa Clara Province, constitute an island paradise with over ten and a half miles (17 km) of beaches and virgin nature that are gradually being opened to tourism.

Called "the white rose of the Jardines del Rey Archipelago" , Santa Maria is the last and largest of the cayos. Together with Las Brujas and Ensenachos Cayos, it is linked to terra firma by an impressive stone causeway. Santa Maria is 5 square miles (13 square km) in size. It has over six and a half miles (11 km) of beaches of excellent quality, plus a wealth of flora and fauna which can be seen during tours inlands

There is a scuba-diving center with 24 well-chosen diving sites, so you can outfit yourself and see agreat variety of coral and fish in its clear water and virgin seabed.

Las Brujas is a tiny islet whose fine white sand, dazzling sea and untouched nature make its visitors feel like Robinson Crusoe. It has over a mile of virgin beaches. Its singlestory cabanas built of a cliff are linked with one another and with the social areas by wooden bridges, so the local animals-which are entirely harmless-can be move around freely. On both Cayos are large numbers of endemic plants and animals.

Location & How to Get There
The Cayos are just off the northern coast of Villa Clara Province, in Central Cuba. Santa Clara, the capital of the province, which is around 62 miles (255 km) east of Havana. They are linked to terra firma by one of the main engineering works in Cuba of the 20th century: an ecological stone causeway built 30 miles (48 km) into the sea, with 45 bridges so as not to adversely affect the ecosystems and sea currents in the area. In addition to this means of access, both Las Brujas Cayo and Santa Clara have airports that can handle small and medium-sized planes.

What to Do
Activities include sunbathing; swimming, diving and other water sports; hikes along the shore and on the inland portions of the Cayos; and excursions to other tourist resorts in Cuba and to points of interest in Villa Clara Province.