Cuba Islands

Cayo Levisa is one of the most accessible islands to reach from Havana, yet its tiny size has meant that development is still minimal. With one laid-back luxury hotel of just 20 bungalows, a restaurant, and a dive shop, it really has all you need for a Cuban island escape. Add a white-sand beach, a healthy black coral reef, and the vibrant green of mangroves and palm trees, and you have a picture-perfect beach vacation just a few hours from the capital city. Day trips are the most popular way to visit Cayo Levisa, but take the time to stay and you'll feel like you have the whole island to yourself once the crowds disperse. Grab a mojito and watch as the sun dips into the calm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Off of the north central coast, not far from the carnival town of Remedios, a long causeway winds its way out into the Caribbean Sea. Its destination is the stunning collection of islands known as the Cayos de Villas Clara, where a vacation paradise has been created just for you. The tiny ocean road passes through mangrove forests and a number of small islands before reaching the star of the show, Cayo Santa Maria. The majority of hotels here sit on the north coast, fringed by palm trees and facing out to the beautifully blue Caribbean. All-inclusive is the name of the game on Cayo Santa Maria. So, once you've picked your stretch of private beach, you can simply sit back, relax, and take advantage of your days in paradise. You can do as little as turn over on your sunlounger, or take an adventure offshore to try your hand at fishing or diving on the island's reef.

The neighboring islands of Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo are two of Cuba's most popular vacation destinations. Connected to the north central coast by a 17 mile (27 km) causeway, and with their own international airport, it's just a hop, skip, and a jump to island paradise in Cuba. Cayo Coco is the largest of the two islands – 140 square miles (363 sq km) to Cayo Guillermo's 7 (18 sq km) – but both offer a choice of luxury, boutique, and all-inclusive resorts with all the trimmings. Beachside accommodations, restaurants, and all kinds of ocean-based activities make up the islands' only infrastructure and offer all you could need to enjoy the island life. If you are seeking unlimited sun, sand, and sea while in Cuba, then Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo will NOT disappoint.