5/1/09

SANTA LUCIA BEACHES


SANTA  LUCIA  BEACH AND CAYO  SABINAL

Santa Lucia has 13 miles (21 km) of wide, white-golden sandy beaches bathed by warm turquoise water that is always calm, thanks to an extensive coral reef just a mile and a quarter (2 km) from the coast. This reef is the longest one of its kind in the western hemisphere. The hollows and branches of these coral formations from the habitat of a surprising diversity of marine life.
In one area which has 35 scuba-diving sites, you can see ridges nearly 33 feet (10 m) high, and the wealth of underwater flora and fauna is complemented with many sunken ships-some of them dating from the 19th century.
Inland, the El Real Lake is an excellent place for seeing flocks of Roseate Flamingos and other water birds. Santa Lucia is a tourist resort with enormous potential which is being developed in harmony with its gorgeous natural surroundings.
Cayo Sabinal is another jewel. Once a refuge of pirates-like many other islets in the Cuban archipelago it has several miles of intimate beaches of excellent quality, tucked into nooks along the coastline with virgin areas inland that abound in wildflowers and animals. Here, too, you can see the ruins of San Hilario Fort (built in 1831) and visit Colon (Columbus) Lighthouse (built in 1848), which warns mariners of dangers in the area.

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