Jardines de la Reina
| Jardines de la Reina | |
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IUCN category II (national park)
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 Location of Jardines de la Reina in Cuba
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| Location |
 Cuba
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| Nearest city | Santa Cruz del Sur |
| Coordinates | 20°49′N 78°55′W / 20.817°N 78.917°WCoordinates: 20°49′N 78°55′W / 20.817°N 78.917°W |
| Area | 2,170 km2 (840 sq mi) |
Jardines de la Reina (English: 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. In 2002, Jardines de la Reina was established as a national park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Jardines de la Reina). With an area of 2,170 km2 (840 sq mi), it is one of Cuba's largest protected area.
It is located in the Caribbean Sea, between the Gulf of Ana Maria (north-west), Gulf of Guacanayabo (south) and Caballones Channel (west). It extends on a general north-west to south-east direction, paralleling the Cuban coast for 150 km (93 mi) from Cayo Breton to Cayos Mordazo. Cuba's second largest archipelago (smaller only than Jardines del Rey), it is formed by more than 600 cays and islands. Other cays in the archipelago include Caguamas, Cayos Cinco Balas, Cayo de Las Doce Leguas, Cayo Anclitas, Cayo Algodon Grande, Cayos Pingues and Cayo Granada.
1) The Islands area and population data retrieved from the 2012 census.
The archipelago is a popular destination for diving and fishing. It used to be one of Fidel Castro's favorite fishing spots. Species of fish found here include Cubera snapper, Bonefish, Yellowfin grouper, Black grouper, Atlantic goliath grouper as well as Strombus gigas (the large Caribbean conch) and Whale shark. Besides being an extraordinary site for fly fishing, one its main attractions for diving is the abundance of reef sharks.
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