Cayo Coco and the sun

Pedaling for 1 hour was worth it! These views are from Cayo Coco, one of the Keys located in Central Cuba.

Cayo Coco is accessible through the Jardines del Rey overseas road.  Can’t wait to be back!

Not so fun fact: 

The first time I visited Cayo Coco I was 16 years old.  As I was walking on the sand with one of my Cuban cousins, a foreigner screamed at us he was going to call security to take us out of the beach (cause we were Cubans and we were not allowed to be in an area reserved for tourists). 

The entrance to these keys required nationals to have a hotel room booked in order to pass, but what normal Cuban could afford a stay in one of these all-inclusive resorts?

I felt impotent that day, and truly understood the value of freedom. 

Since 2013, Cubans are now allowed to visit these Keys and other places that were prohibited before, which has increased national tourism and has placed Cubans as the 2nd largest group of people vacationing in the island, in their own island.