LOS JARDINES DE LA REINA

(The Queen’s Gardens) A chain of 250 virgin coral islands, which are virtually uninhabited and have no hotels, streets or villages. Situated 60 miles offshore, stretching for over 75 miles, and at times some 20 miles wide, the area was recently declared the largest Marine Park of the entire Caribbean area. Access is very restricted, and commercial fishing has been banned from all but the outermost extremes of the Park. Jucaro is the boarding point, a small village with old fashioned houses and 2,000 inhabitants.

Aside from stunning variety of marine life, above surface the flora and fauna is fascinating. Bird varieties commonly seen include ospreys, pelicans, frigate birds, spoonbills, and many different sorts of heron and egret – to name a few. The only mammal is the “Jutia” while reptiles are represented by a large population of iguanas. The flora is mainly palm trees, differing forms of Caribbean pine trees, sea grapes and the ever present mangroves. However, like so much of the Caribbean, the real beauty is below the surface. Besides the extensive flats there is a chain of coral reefs very close to the southern shore of the Archipelago, where undisturbed and undamaged coral abounds.

THE DIVING IN LOS JARDINES DE LA REINA

60 miles south of the mainland of Cuba and 80 miles north of Cayman Brac is a 75 mile long mangrove and coral island system forming what some people say is the third longest barrier reef in the world. It’s a 2.400 square mile Marine Park. There is no commercial fishing in the Park and the number of inhabitants is zero. Imagine a Marine wilderness with walls covered with brightly hued sponges and corals plunging well below the limits of safe diving to shallow reefs filled with both schooling and solitary fish and wrecks (even some Old Spanish galleons from 17 th century). The mangroves provide an incredible nursery for the smaller fish which in turn provide the reef with huge schools of baitfish. This has provided a home to a prolific number of large fish (we think more than anywhere else in the Caribbean). Shark rodeos and hand feeding 200-400 LB Jewfish are an everyday experience. Sharks are one of the main attractions and are everywhere. You can easily dive weekly with 5 different species of sharks: Silky, Caribbean Reef, Lemon, Black Tip and Nurse and the possibility of diving with Whale Sharks and Hammerhead as well.

Avalon Diving Center is the only operation allowed by law in this entire area, and hosts no more than 300 divers a year. Certainly, it is one of the last virgin reefs known to man. 80 dive sites are currently available, scattered over the entire perimeter of Los Jardines de la Reina. Dive sites are well protected from the winds and sea currents. The dive centre is well equipped with new compressors, tanks and weights, and two large dive boats.

LIVEABOARDS

M/Y Halcon , 6 cabins, 3 bathrooms cold-hot water, air conditioning. The crew is made up of 3 people and one professional cook. Halcon provides the possibility of reaching the diving sites in a few minutes by boat, and allows clients to live at close contact with a still wild nature, without having to give up all the comforts that a hotel can guarantee. It is 75 feet long.

M/Y La Reina: You can also admire this wonderful Marine Park cruising aboard the La Reina, 65 feet long, 4 cabins, 4 bathrooms, cold/hot water, A/C.

M/Y Caballones: Similar to the La Reina, the Juan Se is 65 feet long, has 4 cabins and 4 bathrooms, cold/hot water, A/C.

LAND BASED ACCOMMODATION

While in Los Jardines de la Reina, accommodation is provided on a floating resort:

La Tortuga : it provides 7 cabins, each with their own shower, toilet and air-conditioning facilities. Staffed by Cubans but run by two Italian managers, the floating resort has also good communication with the outside world, including a satellite telephone and internet. The newly constructed Tortuga is an unbelievably solid boat, made of steel and then anchored in a protected channel in 6 feet of water, so that it never moves about. The threat of getting seasick is non-existent. This boat doesn't move one inch. Each cabin has its own shower with hot water, toilet and an individually adjustable high tech air-conditioning system. A large air conditioned dining room downstairs with both a foredeck and afterdeck make this a very comfortable home away from home. The Tortuga normally accommodates 14 clients, two per room but can accommodate up to 22 people if all the triples and quadruples rooms are fully occupied.

SUMMARY

All the solutions offer the freedom of exploring the Archipelago and are great for groups, providing a truly exclusive experience.

The cuisine concentrates on local fish and shellfish, together with fruit, pasta and rice. Beverages available on board include mineral water, various soft drinks, beer, wine and, of course, rum.

Diving activities are totally at the discretion of the clients, unlike many other lodges. Our diving day normally begins with breakfast at 7:00am, departing for diving from 7:45am onwards. Many people elect to return to the boat for a nice lunch. Most of the spots are within fifteen minutes of the boat, and it is always nice to take a lunch break in the shade and relax a bit before diving in the afternoon. Sometimes when you are going farther we arrange a great lunch on an island with a BBQ on a beach, or simply aboard the diving boat. Our diving weeks on board the boats run from a Friday to the following Saturday, and the season is from mid-October to the end of August. A normal week includes five full days of diving and one to two half days depending on your package, schedule and mode of transportation.

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