About Cayo Cruz

Geographic location

Cayo Cruz is a small island located off the northern coast of Cuba (Atlantic Ocean side), in the central province of Camaguey. Along with its neighboring keys (Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo, Cayo Paredon Grande and Cayo Romano), it is part of a large chain of islands called the Jardines del Rey (King's Gardens) archipelago that extends for 200 kilometres (120 miles) on a north-west to south-east direction. For further information on where Cayo Cruz is located and to view maps of the region, please visit our Location and Maps webpage.

Environment and Beaches

The eastern coastline of Cayo Cruz is where are located its pristine beaches that extend for miles and miles of powdery white sand and turquoise waters. For more information please visit our Beaches section. Cayo Cruz is uninhabited (no villages, no cities, no farms).

Cayo Cruz is connected to Cayo Romano by a 5 km long causeway (one bridge of 125m) and to mainland Cuba by a 12 km causeway to Playa Jigúey. A number of gaps were created in the causeway Pedraplen to restore some water flow and minimize the negative impact of the construction on the local marine life. This connection to the mainland allows easy access for supplies, but also an easy way for tourists to get off the cayos and explore the region, for further information please visit our Attractions & Activities and Tours & Excursions sections. Another series of roads and causeways were built to connect Cayo Cruz with Cayo Coco, allowing easy access to the Cayo Coco International Airport (Jardines del Rey Aeropuerto).

How to get there

The Jardines del Rey Aeropuerto (IATA code: CCC), better known as Cayo Coco airport, is the closest international airport to Cayo Cruz, transfer time is about 1 hour (~ 70 km). For more details please visit our Airport page. Transfers by chartered-bus are usually included when buying a vacation package. Car rental offices and taxis are also available at the airport. There are no public buses that go to Cayo Cruz from the main island of Cuba, for more information on how to get to Cayo Cruz by taxi, rented car, or domestic flight, please visit our Getting There & Away section.

Where to stay and Play

The majority of hotels in the cayos of Jardines del Rey are resort-style and all-inclusive. The size of the all-inclusive resorts vary from 16 rooms to almost 1,200 rooms, and their rating ranges from 2½* to 5*. Many hotel chains are present: Valentin (Spain), Melia (Spain), Blue Diamond (Canada), Iberostar (Spain), Accord (France), MGM Muthu (India), Kempinski (Switzerland), Gaviota (Cuba), Cubanacan (Cuba) and Islazul (Cuba). Visit our Hotels section for a detailed description of each one. Cayo Cruz is also home to a marina and a small commercial tourist center « Plaza » that offers a wide range of extra services (off-resorts) such as: Handicraft markets, boutiques, restaurants, bars, discotheques, bowling, and shows. Click to see an Aerial view of the Plaza.

Getting Around

Taxis are readily available, and you can also rent a bicycle, scooter, car or jeep. For further information visit our Getting Around section.