Cuba’s Jardines de la Reina (Gardens of the Queen) is an archipelago in the southern part of the island nation, near the provinces of Camagüey and Ciego de Ávila.
The Jardines is accessible for diving and fishing tours only with Avalon.
It was named by Christopher Columbus in honor of the Queen of Spain. The Jardines was established as a national park by the Cuban government. With a surfaces of 840 sq miles, it is one of Cuba’s largest protected areas.
In many ways, the archipelago is lot like it was when Columbus landed there in 1492.
The Gardens of the Queen is one of the most popular scuba destinations of Cuba. The underwater landscapes include canyons, pinnacles and caves. Healthy mangroves, sponges and black corals cover the reef. The Jardines de la Reina also host numerous silky and Caribbean reef sharks. In the mangroves labyrinth it’s possible to find crocodiles and snorkel with them.
