Cuba, Archipielago los Canarreos, Cayo Largo – The anchorage is much better than the Marina

My human got over the flu so we decided to continue our adventure West along Cuba’s South Coast.
We said goodbye to our lovely anchorage on the North coast of Cayo Sal and headed for the South coast of Cayo Largo.

Cayo Largo is one of a stretch of Cays know as the Archipielago los Canarreios that separate the mainland from the Caribbean Sea forming the Golfo de Batabano in between. Cayo Largo is the largest of the Cays and also the most touristy. The Cay is completely turned over to tourist developments and the only Cubans living on the island stay in employee housing and work on router shifts with ferries delivering them back and forth from the mainland.

Charter boats, day catamarans and dive boats run out of the Marina Marlin Cayo Largo del Sur situated on the south end of the Cay through a well marked channel. The Marina is very modern and well kept, especially by Cuban standards. It has two sets of floating pontoons set aside for visiting yachts. The fingers are short and narrow, European style, so stern too mooring would be best. The Guarda Frontera is situated in a small unassuming building off to one side, but he has air conditioning!

We chose to anchor just outside the Marina complex off the Playa Sirena. The peninsula here is completely surrounded by a lovely powder white beach which drops off to crystal clear swimming water. Anchoring here is also free. You know how much my humans like a bargain. You can see the Marina from the anchorage which is only a short dingy ride away.

Cayo Largo is also one of the few ‘Ports of Call’ on Cuba’s south coast. So the humans will need to decide if they are going to check out of Cuba here, and risk stopping at the other Cays in the Archipielago, or sail around Cuba’s Western point to check out at Cabo San Antonio. They have received conflicting advice. The dock master at Cienfuegos suggested that checking out at Cayo Largo would be the simplest option. He seemed confident that if we were caught on one of the outer Cays by the a Guarda Frontera patrol, claiming we had an engine problem was enough to keep us out of trouble. We just needed to avoid returning to the mainland, which was not in our plans. But my humans are forever paranoid. They heard that the anchorage on the south coast of very large and inhabited island of Isla Juventud is occasionally visited by a Guarda Frontera patrol. They do not want to miss out on stops just to avoid the inconvenience of sailing a bit further to check out. It does not help that they heard that the anchorage at Cabo San Antonio is not nice.

I will keep you informed of what they decided to do. I will send them to chat with the dock master here and see what he advices. For now I am loving my long walks and swims on the great beach here. The humans had a quick peek at the Marina complex when they went to hand in their despacho to officals there. The Museum was under development, but the turtle farm and dive shop was open. There is a nice bar/restaurant and a few tourist shops and stands. The complex also includes a hotel and pool and a disco that opens from 11pm to 2am. My humans will never stay awake late enough to make that!

There are lots of tourists wandering the beaches here. We met lots of French Canadians on holiday escaping the miserable weather back home. I played with the kids of a couple that told the humans there was a free train that ran from the Water Sports complex on the far side of the beach to all the hotel complexes. I think they will be off this afternoon on a little adventure to check out the place. Keep you informed of what they find out. I am sure they will get themselves into trouble.

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Photos, charts and information once we got WiFi. Use link below:

Review of Southern Cuba Part 2 -including the pictures you missed