Ciego de Ávila is a city in the central part of Cuba and the capital of Ciego de Ávila Province. The city has a population of about 86,100.

Ciego de Ávila lies on the Carretera Central highway and on a major railroad. Its port, Júcaro, lies 24 km (15 mi) south-southwest on the coast of the Gulf of Ana Maria in the Caribbean Sea. The city is located about 460 km (286 mi) east of Havana and 110 km (68 mi) west of the city of Camagüey. It was part of the Camaguey province until 1976, when Fidel Castro's government made Ciego de Ávila the capital of the newly created Ciego de Avila Province.

Its keys Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo are located on the northern coast of Ciego de Avila province while Jardines de la Reina is located to the south.



Cayo Coco (Coco Kay) is an island in central Cuba, well known for its luxury all inclusive resorts. It lies within the Ciego de Ávila Province and is part of a chain of islands called Jardines del Rey ("King's Gardens"). The cay is administered by the Morón municipality.

The island of Cayo Coco is linked by a natural causeway to Cayo Guillermo. Still largely wild with swamps and scrubland, the islands boast about a dozen large international hotels spread out. Beaches are very good and the massive coral reef off the north coast attracts divers from around the world.

Jardines de la Reina (Gardens of the Queen) is an archipelago in the southern part of Cuba, in the provinces of Camagüey and Ciego de Ávila.
It was named by Christopher Columbus to honour the Queen of Spain.

Jardines de la Reina was established as a national park, with a surfaces of 2,170 km² (837.8 sq mi), it is one of Cuba's largest protected area.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/